Vaping has boomed in popularity in the past few years, especially among the youth.
In 2018, 37% of high school seniors in the United States had admitted to vaping in the last year. This was up from 28% in 2017.1 As this trend continues to grow, so does the push to legalize recreational marijuana across the United States. Together, the two movements have created a dangerous combination.
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Are Marijuana Vape Pens Safe?
Contrary to popular belief, vaping of any kind is not safe. When surveyed, 78% of adults in the United States under the age of 30 disagreed that vaping is “very harmful” for someone’s health.1 Because it is a newer trend, the long-term effects of vaping, in general, are still being discovered, but marijuana vape pen dangers are on the rise and making headlines.
Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are the devices used for vaping. They are designed to vaporize chemicals like nicotine and flavorings and are usually marketed as a safe alternative to cigarettes. Now people have started to vape marijuana and THC, but with dangerous results.
There are several dangers of marijuana vape pens and some still have yet to be discovered. Among the biggest dangers of vaping marijuana is the risk of lung-related injury. First making headlines in 2019, EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury) is the name given to the rise of sometimes fatal lung-related injuries from this activity. As of February 18, 2020, over 2,800 people in the United States have been hospitalized or even died from EVALI.2 THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, was involved in several of these cases along with vitamin E acetate, an additive in several THC vaping products.2 Although this additive has since been removed from some THC products, there are still products out there that contain it. People are advised to avoid vaping marijuana and THC products altogether. Other serious health effects and dangers of marijuana vape pens may also have yet to be discovered, so you could be putting yourself at risk without realizing it.
Another one of the dangers of vaping weed is the risk of addiction to marijuana or eventually, other drugs. Although it is often perceived as not causing dependence, there is research to suggest that marijuana can be addictive for some people.3 There is also some evidence that marijuana is a gateway drug. If your child regularly vapes cannabis products, this could turn into an addiction, and they may eventually start to experiment with other drugs. Get them an addiction treatment program immediately to stop the problem before it gets worse.
As a drug detox center in Illinois, we help people 18 and older overcome various substance abuse problems and move past their addictions. Stop letting drugs or alcohol dictate your future or your child’s future and get help.
Call us today at 888-280-4763 to learn more about us at Banyan Heartland and how we may be able to help.
Sources:
- New in Health- Vaping Rises Among Teens
- NIH- Is marijuana addictive?
