A new federal report says that one-sixth of the patients who developed lung injuries after vaping THC products obtained those products from legal outlets. THC is the ingredient in marijuana that creates a high and is vaped in oil.

The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 16 percent of the patients studied reported acquiring their products using only commercial sources, such as medical or recreational dispensaries, vape or smoke shops, stores, or pop-up shops. Some patients reported using both commercial and informal sources, which include friends or family, in-person or online sellers, or pop-up shops.

However, the CDC notes that even in states with legalized marijuana, a seemingly legitimate dispensary or store might not actually be licensed by the state. California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control seized nearly 10,000 illegal vape pens from unlicensed retailers over two days in December, reports the CDC.

As of Jan. 14, over 2,600 cases of lung injury or death linked to e-cigarettes, or vaping, have been reported to the CDC from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most of those patients reported vaping THC prior to symptom onset.

CDC Investigation Expands

When the CDC began their investigation into vape-related lung injuries and death, they made no distinction between nicotine and marijuana-based THC and did not ask where the products were acquired. Their investigation now includes black market vaping THC products as well as legally purchased products containing THC.

At least eight states have reported lung injuries linked to legal THC cartridges, but information about these products and where they were sold is unavailable. Unlike consumer products and some food, there is no requirement to provide identifying information about the THC cartridges and the stores that sold them.

Vaping THC Is Never Guaranteed Safe

Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and a former senior drug policy adviser to the Obama administration stated, “Legal, licensed products cannot be conclusively stated as safe…and legalization has only served to make the underground market more dangerous.”

“The significance of this data release cannot be understated.”

Defenders of vaping have argued that vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes because the liquid is warmed, not burned.

But even unburned vapor could put users at risk. The National Institutes for Health (NIH) reports that compounds in e-liquids have never been tested for safety when inhaled. Further, enough is known about the standard ingredients such as propylene glycol to indicate that these products may contain or generate known toxins and carcinogens.

Both proponents and opponents of e-cigarettes and vaping agree that transparency about the ingredients and risks of vaping both nicotine and THC-containing products is needed.

The CDC states that the only way to ensure safety is to avoid all vaping products.