California NORML Pilot Study Finds Cannabis Vape Pens Emit Far Fewer Harmful Toxins Than Joints
- The new lab study sponsored by California NORML found that cannabis vape pens emit significantly fewer harmful toxins than smoked joints and stay within EPA safe daily exposure limits for regular users.
- The study compared emissions from disposable and reusable vape pens with pre-roll joints, using mass spectrometry to analyze cannabinoids and a dozen toxic compounds.
- California NORML and study partners emphasize the need for more research on cannabis vape pens, especially since vaping products now outsell flower but have been understudied.
- Federal regulations have historically limited cannabis research, but recent policy changes may facilitate more studies on state-licensed medical cannabis vape products moving forward.
Cannabis vape pens expose users to significantly less harmful toxins than smoked joints, according to a new lab study sponsored by California NORML.
The study compared the emissions of two different vape pens – a disposable and a reusable cartridge model – with pre-roll joints purchased from a San Diego dispensary. The vape pens emitted significantly cleaner emissions than the joint for almost all toxins tested, and, unlike the joint, were within EPA safe daily exposure limits for regular users.
“The dangers of vapes have been misrepresented by anti-smoking advocates to suggest their emissions are as hazardous as smoke,” says Cal NORML director Dale Gieringer. “They are not.”
Because federal regulations have limited research involving state-legal cannabis products, Cal NORML sponsored a first-of-its-kind pilot study using vape pens purchased from a licensed California dispensary. Unlike herbal vaporizers, vape pens use concentrates, often with added terpenes, and include metal components that may create separate safety concerns.
The study, conducted by NN Analytics with input from MayThe5th, used a puffing machine to collect equal samples from vape pens and a cannabis joint. Researchers then tested the emissions for cannabinoids and a dozen key toxic compounds using standard mass spectrometry methods.
KEY RESULTS
Study sponsors (Cal NORML, MayThe5th and NN Analytics) call on the industry and public health agencies to support further research on cannabis vape pens. Vape products are now outselling flower in California, yet virtually all published research on inhaled cannabis has focused on smoking, not vaping.
“It’s time to end government restrictions that have hindered research into cannabis vape products that are readily available to U.S. consumers,” says Gieringer. The recent federal rescheduling order could help open the way for state-licensed medical cannabis products to finally become eligible for research.
Since 1972, California NORML has advocated for the rights, health and safety of cannabis consumers in California, including sponsoring some of the first studies on vaporizers, starting in 2001.