- Eighteen cartridges containing THC, the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana, were tested
- Three that were purchased from legal dispensaries didn’t contain heavy metals or pesticides
- Thirteen of 15 bought from unlicensed dealers contained Vitamin E, which causes lung damage when inhaled and myclobutanil
- Myclobutanil is a pesticide that, when burned, can turn into hydrogen cyanide, a chemical that causes oxygen levels to fall and leads to death within minutes
- The CDC says 805 people in the US have confirmed or probable cases of vaping-related illnesses and 13 people are confirmed dead across 10 states
Cannabis vape pens bought on the black market have been found to contain hydrogen cyanide.
NBC News reported that they ordered a testing of 18 vaping cartridges with THC, the main psychoactive compound found in marijuana.
Three cartridges were purchased from legal dispensaries in California and those were not found to contain heavy metals or pesticides.
But of the 15 that were bought from unlicensed dealers, 13 contained the solvent Vitamin E, which has been found to cause severe lung damage when it is inhaled.
Also found was myclobutanil, a pesticide that, when burned, can turn into hydrogen cyanide – a chemical that can lead to fatal asphyxiation within minutes.
It comes on the heels of the most recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the slew of vaping-related illnesses that have swept the nation, killing 13 Americans and sickening more than 800.