washingtonpost.com - CDC: Most people who died from vaping-linked disease used products containing THC

10/25/2019

Some of the THC vaping cartridges seized by Minnesota law enforcement officials in a record drug arrest in Anoka County in September. (AP)

Some of the THC vaping cartridges seized by Minnesota law enforcement officials in a record drug arrest in Anoka County in September. (AP)
By 
Lena H. Sun 
Oct. 25, 2019 at 3:54 p.m. EDT

Most people who died from vaping-related injuries used products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, federal health officials said Friday, offering another data point tying the outbreak of lung illnesses to products made with that compound.

Based on data available from 860 of the 1,604 patients who have fallen ill with the disease, about 85 percent reported using THC-containing products, compared to about 10 percent who reported exclusively vaping nicotine-containing products, officials said. Many sick patients said they bought THC vape products on the black market, and those have come under increased scrutiny.

“The data do continue to point towards THC-containing products as the source of individuals’ injury,” said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is leading the investigation. Officials don’t know what about the products are harmful, “but we’re seeing THC as a marker for products that are risky,” she said.

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