The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MA-DPH) has issued an e-cigarette health report, naming specific products associated with EVALI, or E-cigarette Vaping Associated Lung Illness.

Before now, EVALI cases have been linked primarily to illegal, home brewed and bootleg vape. Surprisingly, the MA-DPH report found that legitimate, over-the-counter THC vape products are also causing people to develop the disease.

The new report has found that at least half a dozen patients suffering from EVALI used legitimate THC vape cartridges obtained at the state’s licensed dispensaries; however, the report does not name specific stores where the suspect cartridges were purchased.

Not The First Time

This past July, legal THC vape was implicated in the death of an Oregon woman who said she had been using a cartridge she purchased at one of the state’s recreational cannabis dispensaries prior to contracting EVALI.

Although legitimate commercial cannabis vape has been determined to be a cause of EVALI, the Centers for Disease Control has reported that at least 80 percent of patients who have been hospitalized for the disease were using home made or vape cartridges. Over half of these counterfeit products were “Dank Vapes” branded with packaging identifying them as being made by the “company” known as Dank Vapes. However, “Dank Vapes” appears to be nothing more than a package label, which until recently was easily purchased online.

Nicotine Vape Still a Culprit in E-Cigarette Health Dangers

While cannabis vape does seem to be the major cause of the EVALI outbreak, a significant number of victims have reported vaping nicotine only. Because of this, the CDC has recommended that people avoid use of e-cigarettes and vaping anything until investigators have learned more about what is causing the disease.

Unfortunately, the exact cause has been difficult to pinpoint. The result of investigations so far suggest that a number of different ingredients may be responsible.

One of these is vitamin E acetate, which is employed as a “carrier oil” and has a tendency to stick to the inner surfaces of the lung. Other culprits include toxic metals leached from vaping devices themselves, and flavoring ingredients that while innocuous by themselves, may undergo chemical reactions when heated in combination, causing them to become toxic. This is one reason that many jurisdictions have placed bans on the sale of flavored vape cartridges.

Thomas Eissenberg of the Center for the Study of Tobacco Products at Virgina Commonwealth University also says, “There may be other contaminants that we don’t know about yet, because the products are so new.”

Brands That Have Been Implicated

Although the MA-DPH report does not name dispensaries, a number of brand names have been listed. Aside from “Dank,” suspect cannabis vape products include:

• Caligold
• Chernobyl
• Chronic
• Dr. Zodiac
• Emerald
• Kingpen
• Monopoly Carts
• Off-White Carts
• Rhythm Cannabis
• Rove
• TKO
• Tonic
• Smart Carts
• Sour Diesel
• Vape Master

Nicotine vape products that are suspected of causing EVALI include JUUL, Kringle’s Curse Peppermint Blend, and Tobacco Trail.