How difficult is it to buy vaping materials that contain THC? No product with THC content can be bought in legally operating vaping stores. There's a scarcity of it in the legal business aspect, but it's a different story in the black market. If THC vaping products have made it to the black market, it can only mean two things -- they are highly in demand or they are extremely dangerous to the health.
The FDA has identified the THC oil contained in cartridges used for vaping remain unregulated. There is no way to know what is inside each cartridge or how it impacts the user's health. Interesting flavor names are used like "strawberry bubble gum" or "dirty Sprite" to entice people to give it a try. People come to warehouses outside of Los Angeles to buy these vaping cartridges in hundreds, only to sell them in the streets all over the country.
The CEO and founder of Doja, an app that provides consumer reviews of cannabis products, Mark Hoashi talked about how people were getting sick even before the reports of deaths have surfaced. The vaping industry has earned its popularity from the growing number of its users. However, in recent times, vaping has become the center of the investigation of both the local and federal government and several other agencies. The number of deaths because of a mysterious lung disease associated with vaping is continuously increasing.
The products currently sold in the black market come in a cartridge with a brand name on it. Identifying which product is legally approved for usage and which ones do not have just become harder. What's the worst that could be found in these cartridges? Myron Ronay of BelCosta Labs said that they have tested some of these products and found pesticides.
In the case of illicit vaping products tested, they failed for a total of five pesticide contents, including myclobutanil. When the myclobutanil is heated, it turns into hydrogen cyanide, making it extremely dangerous.
"Buy legally obtained vaping materials. If you can't, then simply don't buy," Ronay advised.
In the black market, those who are selling simply put together liquids and sell it as if it were an authentic, legally-obtained vaping product. Although there may be no intent to truly hurt people, the inappropriate mixture of chemicals can make people sick. Health experts could not identify which component of vaping products is making people sick. They believe that it is a product sold in the black market that caused widespread vaping-related lung disease.
The number of deaths due to vaping-related illness has gotten higher by the day. It claimed its first victim in New York in the death of a 17-year old boy. Most of those who have gotten sick have used vaping products containing THC. Authorities have associated these products like those sold in the black market.
The FDA and other government agencies are working together to combat this problem against illegal selling of vaping products. It is tough as it's impossible to target those selling that in the black market. In states where it is illegal to use cannabis, the challenge is much worse. People tend to turn to the black market for what they need.
When people buy vaping cartridges off the streets, they cannot be sure if they are truly buying clean and safe products. But now that several states have started the ban in using and selling of vaping products, they could only hope people would just stop vaping altogether. If not, the problem concerning the black market is only going to get worse.