Unless you haven’t seen the articles you are probably aware of the vaping crisis that has, several cases, caused permanent damage to the lungs of the affected individuals. The vaping crisis is partially because cannabis is illegal in the US, which means the products are not regulated for safety or consumption. Here is what CNBC had to say:
The deadly lung illness linked to vaping could prompt the U.S. and others to legalize marijuana, Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy says.Data suggest products containing THC, particularly those bought off the street or from other informal sources, are linked to most of the vaping illness cases.
The deadly lung illness linked to vaping could prompt the United States and others to legalize marijuana, Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy told CNBC on Tuesday.
“All the products that we produce in Canada and produce around the world are well tested by not only Health Canada, but regulators in other countries,” Kennedy told “Closing Bell.” “One could argue this vaping crisis could lead to more legalization.”
Health officials are calling the disease EVALI, short for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury. Most patients have reported vaping THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC, particularly those bought off the street or from other informal sources, are linked to most of the cases, the CDC said.
To date, the CDC has confirmed 2,051 probable vaping illness cases and 39 deaths. The CDC doesn’t know exactly what’s making people sick, but health officials say they are narrowing in on vitamin E acetate, a compound found in some THC vaping products.
Canada is the first G-7 country to legalize recreational marijuana. Only 11 states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use.
Marijuana advocates, in recent months, have renewed calls for legal and regulated marijuana amid the vaping outbreak. They say regulation of the substance will make people safer.
If cannabis (and related products) were regulated consumers would be safer and producers would be held responsible. Currently in the black market it’s hard to hold anyone responsible because it’s a clandestine network and the products are not guaranteed to be safe and free of dangerous additives. All the more reason to regulate; for consumer safety and for the benefit of tax profits.