Government scientists have uncovered data that suggests vaping devices containing THC, the high-inducing chemical in marijuana, are likely responsible for the mysterious lung illness that has infected at least 805 people and caused 12 deaths.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is still urging the public to avoid e-cigarettes, but it is now updating its guidance to stress that people should “particularly” avoid using substances that have THC.
The latest turn of events will bolster arguments from e-cigarette manufacturers that the Trump administration should relax its regulations on their products. The Trump administration plans to ban flavored e-cigarettes, but many of those are sold through vape shops or other retailers. One of two studies published Friday, in the CDC’s Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report, found that most people who got sick in Illinois and Wisconsin reported they got their products on the street, from dealers, or from friends.
The other study, done nationally and using responses from 514 people who fell ill, found that 77% reported they used THC or THC and nicotine. The lung illness has spread to 46 states and the Virgin Islands, and for many it has resulted in very serious injury. Patients have ended up in intensive care and hooked up to ventilators, and healthcare providers still don’t know what kinds of issues they’ll face in the long term.
The data from the Illinois and Wisconsin study found 87% of people who fell ill had admitted to using THC, or using THC and nicotine together.
Government officials are being cautious about the advice they are giving on e-cigarettes since 16% of patients nationally still report they are only using nicotine, though Dr. Jon Meiman, who is overseeing the investigation in Wisconsin, suggested in a phone call with reporters that people wouldn’t necessarily be forthcoming about using marijuana given that it’s still illegal under federal law. Officials added that people might not always know what’s in the product they bought.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director at the CDC, said the agency would keep following the data around the U.S. to see where it leads. She stressed that the agency hasn’t yet nailed down exactly what is making people sick because the products can be tampered with by people who are selling them or using them.
“We have many questions about the supply chain and the integrity of these products,” Schuchat said, noting that labels for e-cigarettes don’t have a lot of information about what exactly is in their devices.
Officials haven’t been able to determine whether a single type of device or brand is responsible, though the evidence from Illinois and Wisconsin suggests the devices were already pre-packaged and had cartridges already in them, clues indicating that individual users aren’t the ones tampering with their devices by adding ingredients to them.
Members of Congress have called on the Trump administration to get much tougher on e-cigarettes amid the most recent outbreak and also amid new data showing that more teenagers are vaping. Defenders of the products say regulators shouldn’t be so quick to go after e-cigarette flavors and that Congress should instead focus on dealing with THC, which is largely unregulated. They worry people will turn to regular cigarettes if they don’t have the option of using a device that tastes nothing like tobacco.
