CDC Not Ready to Blame Illicit Market Cartridges for Vape-Linked Lung Disease

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are not ready to definitively link the vape-linked pulmonary illness to illicit cannabis cartridges as a “large number” in the agency’s data report using both THC and nicotine vape cartridges, Reuters reports.

Dr. Dana Meaney-Delman, who is leading the CDC efforts to find the cause of the illness, said that 60 percent of the patients affected by the illness used both THC and nicotine vape devices, while 20 percent only used nicotine.

“There is no one product, device or substance that we can point to that is common among all these different patients.” – Meaney-Delman, to Reuters

Last week, the Food and Drug Administration warned against using cannabis vaping devices bought on the illicit market or adding THC oil to vape cartridges bought in stores. The CDC is recommending people stop using vaping devices entirely until the cause can be determined.

On Friday, the New York Health Department said they had found vitamin E acetate – which has been linked to the pulmonary illness – in nearly all of the illegal vape cartridges they tested. IN New York, at least one vitamin E acetate product has been linked to each patient who fell ill. Many of the affected products in the state were based on counterfeit cannabis vape products from states with legalized sales.

In all, there have been five confirmed deaths across the U.S. related to the illness and 450 reported cases of lung illness associated with the use of vape devices.