CBS5 (AZ): Mexican Cartels linked to black market THC

[LoveVanilla]

Drug-smuggling possibly linked to THC vape injuries

...carried in the traditional way backpackers have carried drug loads through the desert ...

 

[puffon]

I've suspected this all along.

 

[Rossum]

If the primary cause of vaping-related lung injuries is indeed Vitamin-E Acetate, then the fact that this MJ extract has been smuggled across the border by Mexican cartels has nothing to do with it. Vitamin-E Acetate is a cutting agent. It would make no sense at all to cut stuff before smuggling it across the border. If you're a smuggler, you want the most compact form of whatever you're smuggling, and you (or others) cut it after you get it across the border.

 

[puffon]

If the primary cause of vaping-related lung injuries is indeed Vitamin-E Acetate, then the fact that this MJ extract has been smuggled across the border by Mexican cartels has nothing to do with it. Vitamin-E Acetate is a cutting agent. It would make no sense at all to cut stuff before smuggling it across the border. If you're a smuggler, you want the most compact form of whatever you're smuggling, and you (or others) cut it after you get it across the border.

I still wouldn't trust the cartel to ship a clean product.

"The discovery also led to a disturbing revelation: the Sinaloa Cartel is now processing their marijuana south of the border to create a more valuable product. It's a process that could be creating a base for TCH products, contaminated with dangerous chemicals and pesticides."

 

[Rossum]

I still wouldn't trust the cartel to ship a clean product.

Who would you trust? We know for a fact that there were plenty of US-based outfits that were intentionally cutting their THC products with Vitamin-E Acetate, which has now been found in the lungs of just about everyone who's come down with EVALI.

"The discovery also led to a disturbing revelation: the Sinaloa Cartel is now processing their marijuana south of the border to create a more valuable product. It's a process that could be creating a base for TCH products, contaminated with dangerous chemicals and pesticides."

Note the speculative nature of this sentence.

 

[plumeguy]

I expect that very many black market producers of CBD, THC, Spice, and other vape products were using vitamin E acetate as a carrier and a dilutent. It's an excellent indicator of illicit market acquisition and use. Given a lack of mechanism and the relatively small number of lung injuries relative to over-all use, I do not see vitamin E acetate as a primary cause. The CDC calls it a "chemical of concern" which I think is reasonable:

Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products | Electronic Cigarettes | Smoking & Tobacco Use | CDC

 

[stols001]

IDK I don't think it was THAT many I mean people started dying off relatively quickly.

It's Arizona news though. They're probably just trying to drum up more money for Border Patrol or something. I'm not necessarily AGANST that, and the damn police department should take Border Patrol "dealing with people" training if you ask me. I have yet to meet a border patrol agent who was not cool, calm and collated in ANY situation although I suppose to be fair, I do not observe their work during "high pressure" situations.

I did once ask a Border patrol agent who came to the hospital I was working at why a gazillion dollars were sent on an illegal's healthcare when she climbed the wall, fell off and then broke her leg. I mean.... THEY waited (on the clock) for HALF a day to like, get her a WALKER.

I was like, "Help me understand why this is happening, I'm not saying I disagree I just want to know." The dude shook his head sadly and said, "If we returned her to Mexico she would die in a Mexican prison."

While I believed him, there was a large part of me that wanted to say, "Well, you climb a border wall, you fall off, you understand the risks."

But he was not remotely heartless about it.

I think more wall is not a super great plan, I do think we need more pleasant Border patrol agents.

Living in a border town, well, Trump should focus more on like, pregnant women. They just flow across the border like water and have their kid here, and then they send it to live with a "guardian" for the USA schools and the kid goes home to its parents every night.

I get all these things and the reason/rationale. I also am not quite sure it is... fair exactly, to the US taxpayers (these children are not only not paying taxes, the "guardian" is usually not wealthy and the kid gets food stamps, AHCCCS, you name it..

IDK

Anna

But if something bad can happen with vaping I am quite sure AZ could "lead the charge" sorta thing.

Anna

 

[Northstar6]

It's just an old dealer trick with a modern twist...this is equivalent of getting a bag of mostly stems and seeds, but instead they are using a filler that is much deadlier. In the end it's all about profit, although I'm not sure they necessarily anticipated people dying from it....

 

[stols001]

Trust me, drug dealers anticipate people dying from their products. This was a bit too rapid a progression for true feasibility but drug dealers do NOT (and I was married to one) really sit around you know, worrying about their products and how people might die from them. They pretty much worry about going to jail and/or not using too much of their own product which might wind them in trouble so cuts happen ALL over the place with one thing or another, Higher up drug dealers IDK they seem abnormally normal except when they patrol their "neighborhoods" so to speak, they do it in bullet proof hummers, their kids go to private school, they donate to their church and they are horribly, horribly polite.

Granted, there is some in between-ness but I GUARANTEE purity of product was only valued by Walter White, and eventually, well, things HAPPENED. Etc.

But the bottom line is if you are living within a black market, there is a limited amount of "availability or caring" that is expended on other people, at really any tier of society.

Really, I genuinely promise the dealers KNOW they are blighting their neighborhoods, poisoning their neighbors, and cutting with whatever is CHEAP. They also know ODs happen all the time, you get bad product, you make errors, etc. They also live in the hope they will one day become the Hummer Driver which is about as likely (actually perhaps less) than the next Dennis Rodman. When that's all you got, though, that's all you got. Younger drug dealers and personnel are FAR more likely to get arrested, shot, etc., themselves. It's horrible.

Most folks who are on the low end of the spectrum are NOT high school chemistry teachers who were actually geniuses, who turned into CRIMINAL geniuses thanks to cancer, although I will say I deeply enjoyed Breaking Bad although IMHO it wasn't really bad ENOUGH.

The Wire? Yeah, I was living and working in East Baltimore when that came out. Trust me, I did not watch. Had no need to. None.

Anna