Latest from CDC, Sep. 26 2019

[CarolT]

"There have been 805* cases of lung injury reported from 46 states and 1 U.S. territory. Twelve deaths have been confirmed in 10 states."

They still are not telling clinicians to do a urine test for THC. That way, if the patient lies or doesn't know, the CDC and FDA can falsely pretend they didn't use it, and besmirch regular vaping - which is clearly their main priority. It's not that this would be difficult.

Skim through all products | DrugTestsInBulk.com

They continue to create the false impression that it's necessary for them to find a single exposure that all cases share: "The investigation has not identified any specific e-cigarette or vaping product (devices, liquids, refill pods, and/or cartridges) or substance that is linked to all cases." This is absolutely NOT necessary, see The Rest of the Story: Tobacco and Alcohol News Analysis and Commentary: Despite Increasing Clarity in Role of Illicit THC Vape Carts in Lung Injury Outbreak, CDC Violating Its Own Principles to Blame E-Cigarettes

Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with E-Cigarette Use, or Vaping

 

[Rossum]

It's a double whammy. First they're making people afraid to replace combustible tobacco with much safer nicotine vapor products. Second, they're not sending a clear message to MJ extract users what products to avoid. Either they are utterly incompetent, or there's something nefarious going on.

 

[icepickmaker84]

It's a double whammy. First they're making people afraid to replace combustible tobacco with much safer nicotine vapor products. Second, they're not sending a clear message to MJ extract users what products to avoid. Either they are utterly incompetent, or there's something nefarious going on.

Well Bob I’m going to go with the nefarious door.

 

[ruet]

Tests show bootleg marijuana vapes tainted with hydrogen cyanide

The findings were deeply troubling. Of the three purchased from legal dispensaries in California, the CannaSafe testing company found no heavy metals, pesticides or residual solvents like Vitamin E. But 13 out of the other 15 samples from black market THC cartridges were found to contain Vitamin E. CannaSafe also tested 10 of the unregulated cartridges for pesticides. All ten tested positive. The products all contained myclobutanil, a fungicide that can transform into hydrogen cyanide when burned. "You certainly don’t want to be smoking cyanide," said Antonio Frazier, the vice president of operations at CannaSafe. "I don’t think anyone would buy a cart that was labeled hydrogen cyanide on it." Pirzada described the existence of myclobutanil as "very disturbing." "It’s going to cause a very toxic effect on the lungs," she said. The New York pulmonologist also expressed alarm about the presence of Vitamin E, which is also known to cause significant lung damage when inhaled, in the THC mixtures. "It should not be inhaled into your lungs," she said. Pirzada has treated four patients, all teenagers, suffering from vaping-related lung damage. She said testing conducted on the same vaping mixture used by one of her patients detected the presence of Vitamin E.

 

[CarolT]

"CDC keeps repeatedly issuing the irresponsible mantra of this botched investigation: "No single product" has been linked to all cases. While I was working at CDC, I was not aware of a single Epi-Aid in which a single exposure was linked to all cases of an outbreak." Urine testing for THC/CBD would identify cases where it was denied or not known.

Furthermore, without urine testing, CDC has no way of knowing whether cases actually vaped only nicotine products. Therefore, they have no justification for their repeated implication of nicotine products without THC/CBD.

"There is no legitimate public health justification for this failure... The CDC's actions tell me that they actually desire to be able to tie these cases to traditional e-cigarette use."

The Rest of the Story: Tobacco and Alcohol News Analysis and Commentary: CDC's Failure to Demand Urine THC Testing of All Outbreak Patients is Inexcusable and is Putting the Entire Nation at Risk

 

[mikepetro]

Prefilled THC Cartridges #1 Suspect in Vape Illness Outbreak

 

[nomore stinkies]

Prefilled THC Cartridges #1 Suspect in Vape Illness Outbreak

Notice that the key word in that article was 'interviewed'. Not drug tested.

 

[LMP]

Prefilled THC Cartridges #1 Suspect in Vape Illness Outbreak

“Schuchat identified underground vaping supply chains "that are adulterating products in ways that are experimental" as a specific challenge to investigators.”

It occurs to me that if vaping is made illegal underground vaping supply chains is all that's going to be left!