Let The People Grow Their Own Weed! Study Finds Lung Injuries Tied To Contaminated Vapes Less Common Where Homegrown Marijuana Is Allowed

The 2019 outbreak of e-cigarette and vaping-associated lung injuries (EVALI) sickened over 2800 patients, causing 68 deaths according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Vitamin E acetate (an additive most commonly found in informally sourced vaporizable marijuana concentrates) was identified as the outbreak’s primary cause.

A recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence found that states that allow home cultivation had a 60 percent lower EVALI (e-cigarette and vaping-associated lung injury) incidence compared to those that forbid it.

According to the report funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in states where cannabis was legal for adults, EVALI was significantly less prevalent. Forbidding smokable cannabis seemed in general to increase EVALI prevalence.

“If the public can obtain products legally from reputable sources, there is less demand for illicit products,” the study notes. “State marijuana laws may offer a means to reduce the scale of such outbreaks if they influence the market penetration of contaminated marijuana concentrates.”

Home Cultivation

If home cultivation increases the availability of marijuana flowers while decreasing reliance on commercial marijuana markets, it could reduce the exposure of users to tainted concentrates, the study concludes.

“Patients and caregivers who can grow their entire marijuana supply at home would be less likely to consume illicit market products.”

Original publication: 2021-10-06