E-cigarettes and vaping devices are on the rise, especially among young people, who prefer to inhale cannabis or one of its components, CBD, rather than conventional cannabidiol oil.
According to the website smen.esThe benefits of CBD oil outweigh its harms, but is vaping really the best way to introduce it into our bodies?
Already a trend last year, they were blamed for several deaths from steam-related illnesses, and now a new round of questions are being raised about the supposed safety of this growing practice.
Now, a new survey reveals that CBD and THC vaping is increasing among teens, and at an alarming rate. It's no wonder experts are increasingly concerned that, as vaping skyrockets, it could have significant effects on young people's health.
What is vaping?
The practice is described as inhaling the vapor generated by an electronic device called an e-cigarette or vape pen. Inside each device is a refillable cartridge of liquid. This liquid contains chemicals such as nicotine, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the main psychoactive phytocannabinoid in cannabis—or CBD, suspended in an oil or water base.
The device places this liquid in contact with a heating element, increasing its temperature until vapor is produced. Cartridges come in a variety of flavors and almost always include a high dose of nicotine, CBD, or THC.
This type of cannabis use has the potential to be much more potent than traditional joints, presenting a whole new set of risks and potential harms for our youth.
The health impact of vaping is not yet fully understood. However, most health professionals recommend caution, especially given the problems these devices have caused.
The medical community has also strongly warned consumers against using vaping products containing THC, as these products often also contain a compound that has been found to affect lung function.
While experts point out that e-cigarettes can benefit "traditional" smokers who want to quit or gain more control over their nicotine intake, they do not recommend their use by minors or nonsmokers.
Survey shows increase in vaping among young people
The “Monitoring the Future” survey is administered annually to students to measure adolescent drug use. More than 42,500 students across the Americas participated in the recent 2019 survey.
It shows that nearly 211% of young people reported vaping marijuana at least once in 2019, double the rate compared to the previous year. The percentage of students who reported vaping marijuana at least once a month and at least once a day also increased significantly.
The increase in cannabis vaping rates was the second highest on record, behind only a historic surge in 2017 and 2018. The survey also showed an increase in nicotine-based vaping among teens.
At the same time, cigarette smoking rates continue to gradually decline, suggesting that vaping is replacing smoking in most cases. Experts have several theories that may be driving this change in habits.
One of the most popular reasons is that vapes have become so common among young people because they are easier to store and use discreetly than cigarettes.
The potential consequences of the growing interest in cannabis vaping
The simple act of vaping has a host of adverse health effects. When young people vape, they inhale a chemical-laden mist into their lungs. That mist could be filled with a wide range of chemicals, as many vape liquids contain heavy metals like lead, nickel, and chromium, as well as nicotine, THC, formaldehyde, and artificial flavors.
As soon as the fluid is drawn into the lungs, it damages lung tissue. This can lead to a range of breathing difficulties, including making the lungs more susceptible to viral infections like COVID-19.
And if teens use THC-containing products at an increasing rate, this could lead to an increasing number of cases of THC-related health problems.
The harmful effects of cannabis and THC are often mistakenly downplayed in today's media narrative. Marijuana is portrayed as more or less harmless and innocent, when that couldn't be further from the truth.
There is research suggesting that heavy cannabis use can lead to memory loss later in life. There is also significant cognitive impairment that can result from marijuana use.
This impairment is often much more severe when a person begins using marijuana in their youth, as opposed to starting use later in life.
Some data also suggest that marijuana use may increase the risk of stroke.
However, the same isn't true for vaping CBD oil, whose benefits—such as a sense of calm and pain relief—outweigh any problems that can arise from inhaling the vapor. Although it's ideal to use other, less harmful methods, such as oral ingestion or tinctures.
Medical professionals should be prepared to talk to younger patients about the dangers of THC-containing products and be able to identify and treat related illnesses, as younger patients may be more likely to experience vaping-related illnesses and nicotine or THC dependence than adults.
Furthermore, it has been observed that young people who use marijuana may be exposed to other drugs and may use cannabis as an introduction to other forms of drug use.
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