Potcast 106: Let's Talk Vaping
It’s a buyer beware market when it comes to vaping. Whether you prefer nicotine, cannabis, or hemp, let’s make sure you’re shopping smartly. Potcast 106 addresses Casually Baked listener concerns about the recent vaping-related lung illnesses and deaths reported across the country. We can’t lump all vaping and e-cig products and devices into one “deadly” category because that’s not true and it certainly isn’t that simple. So, Monica Vialpando, Ph.D. is in the studio to provide scientific facts and her expert findings on nicotine and cannabis vaping.
‘After the Show’ Notes
Dr. Monica Vialpando is not only my soul sister, but she’s also a pharmaceutically trained Ph.D. scientist with over a decade of inhalation product development experience across the pharmaceutical and nicotine industries in the USA and Europe.
Dr. V was directly involved in the implementation of standards for e-cigarettes in the EU and has collaborated with the University of Manchester and Portland State University on emissions testing from nicotine and vape products. She is an adjunct professor at Loyalist College, Canada, and recipient of the ElSohly award from the American Chemical Society for her work in cannabis research.
“BUYER BEWARE” SHOPPING TIPS FOR PURCHASING CANNABIS VAPE CARTS
It’s your responsibility to navigate what goes into your body and how you show up in the world. When it comes to your cannabis for wellness lifestyle, I’m here to help.
Being a savvy shopper takes effort. And if you’re not willing to do your homework then you probably shouldn’t vape right now. It’s not worth the risk. If you are willing to take a few minutes to do your due diligence to protect your lungs and overall health, start here.
Shop on the legal market where regulations exist for your safety. All products must be tested by a state-licensed lab and be accompanied by a Certificate of Analysis (CoA).
Know your source. I like to pre-shop online before I go to a dispensary. There are some very good budtenders out there but it’s a high turnover job so I don’t recommend relying on their recommendation. Take a few minutes before you arrive to review the websites of whichever brands you’re considering so you can ask targeted questions. You should know where and how the cannabis is grown. And how the extract is produced.
Read labels and steer clear of ingredients you should NOT inhale like MCT Oil, Vitamin E Acetate, and Food-Grade Terpenes in high quantities. Explore the certificate of analysis for the particular product(s) you’re considering. For cannabis oils and extracts, the CoA reveals potency (cannabinoid and terpene profiles), microbiological contaminants, pesticide residue, and any residual solvents. The CoA is required by law for your safety. If there’s no CoA, don’t purchase the product. Period.
Less is More. Find full-spectrum vape carts with no filler. A California favorite of mine is Chemistry made right here in Oakland. They manufacture flavorful full-spectrum cannabis products from small-batch, sun-grown flower by some of Northern California's best craft growers. Several of which I’ve had on the potcast. The nuanced flavor and effects of each chemovar (aka strain) and the naturally-derived terpenes are captured in the Chemistry vape cartridges with no fillers or terpene add-ins. Check out TryChemistry.com to see the list of sun-grown farms and strains they work with and where you can shop their products.
NOTE: If you don’t live in California, look for a brand like Chemistry in your state.
Consider the Hardware + Secondary Packaging. Sunlight, moisture, and the air can change and often degrade your cannabis-infused product. That said, clear packaging is bad. And plastic is just bad all the time, but it’s double-trouble if you inhale it. So make sure your vape cart is made of glass.
GET IN THE WEEDS ON THE VAPING RESEARCH
Here’s some “light reading” suggested by Dr. V on the potcast. This white paper was published on September 16, 2019.
Aerosol Gas-Phase Components from Cannabis E-Cigarettes and Dabbing: Mechanistic Insight and Quantitative Risk Analysis
“Consumption of cannabis by nontraditional methods has surged since the advent of legalization in North America and worldwide. Inhaling cannabis extracts using vaporizers and via dabbing has risen in popularity, while concerns over product safety have not hindered their proliferation. The work herein is the first step toward assessing the safety of vaporizing and dabbing concentrated cannabis extracts as a function of gas-phase reaction products.”