As black market vaping products, including THC products, have been increasingly linked to vaping illnesses, support of marijuana legalization has only grown. As marijuana is still illegal on a federal level, agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are unable to regulate products, even in legal states. Meanwhile, legal states are also struggling to keep up with regulation and safety for marijuana products. This is becoming even more of a problem as marijuana related products, including pre-filled vaping cartridges, are far outstripping studies about general vaping risks, and specifically... Read More

May 31st is World No Tobacco Day.  7 out of 10 smokers say they want to quit. Quitting tobacco, including chewing tobacco, is one of the best things you can do for your health. Smoking in particular harms nearly every organ in your body, and nearly one-third of deaths from heart disease are the result of smoking and secondhand smoke. Some smokers have switched to e-cigarettes to ease the transition to a smoke-free life.  E-cigarettes are devices that vaporize a nicotine-based liquid which is then inhaled, much like a cigarette.  Is the e-cigarette a better alternative to smoking tobacco?  Here... Read More

With a string of illnesses and vaping related deaths in the last few months, the public has been turning a harsh eye towards all vaping products, including marijuana products. Several vaping related illnesses have been seen in Colorado, and nearly all of the patients were using a combination of tobacco and marijuana products. The source of the illness is still unknown, but many have pointed towards black market vaping products. In an effort to quell some of the destruction of vaping related illnesses, particularly in teens and young adults, many cities have taken it upon themselves to remove flavored... Read More

As lung injuries from vaping have exploded across the country in the last month, the CDC has been scrambling to figure out what exactly is causing the injuries when vaping has long been touted as a safer alternative to smoking. It turns out, many of the injuries may be related to solvents used in black market THC cartridges. The findings have linked back to vitamin E acetate and myclobutanil, both found in the bootleg cartridges that the CDC tested, but notably not found in the legal and regulated cartridges from dispensaries. Vitamin E acetate is used to cut cannabis for use in vape pens. Myclobutanil,... Read More

A wave of vaping related illnesses has swept across the country, showing more than 500 cases and 11 deaths. In Colorado alone, there have been 8 cases of this illness, and 6 have been hospitalized. There have been several proposals for what to do about the situation, including calls to raise the nicotine age to 18 or sweeping bans on all electronic cigarettes or flavored electronic cigarettes. 10 local governments in Colorado have already raised the age to 21. Colorado topped the nation for teen vaping in a survey of more than three dozen states last year. Of the cases of vaping related illnesses... Read More

After several reports have come out this week against Juul and the unknown, potentially very harmful effects of vaping, Boulder officials have decided to move forward with the ban on electronic cigarettes with flavored nicotine. Under the new law, tobacco flavored electronic cigarettes will still be allowed. This comes after U.S. health officials released a statement that they were investigating 215 cases of severe lung disease that are associated with vaping, with the investigation looking at both THC and nicotine related vaping products. In a statement, the CDC and the FDA said, “We’re on... Read More