No shit? I used a cmep-ol for year and never noticed any contamination. I also isolated 99% of the oils from my THCa isolate. Guess I’m lucky for I keep hearing about the mystery oil with those chun moo pumps
Until the smart people figure it out, I’m guessing its something that is being used in the process of making it. Looking at the long list of chemicals people are using during various parts of their process, it shouldn’t be shocking that we are seeing issues. I’ve given up on buying/consuming thc oil, until the mystery is solved or until I can make it myself with a simple ethanol extraction to SPD. Fine, it won’t yield the highest % oil out there, but I’ll be comfortable with just the ethanol being used… Butane and Methane, just scary, IMO.
2 Likes
You must always do what you think is best
But methane we do not use as of yet 
I wish
1 Like
It’s only under vacuum during the process of taking a hit. After you stop pulling it re equalizes
4 Likes
-47% of tested THC samples contain vitamin E
-Average THC content of tested THC samples: 50%
Is there another cut we all just don’t know about? I highly doubt people are using that much MCT or PEG because then it would be straight water
Also they said they are in fact testing for metals, pesticides, and toxins which is good to hear. No mention whatsoever about their findings yet. They keep saying that there’s not enough liquid in a lot of the cartridges to test for everything.
2 Likes
Thanks @stoopkid and to drill down a little more about THC and vit E acetate:
Out of >725 samples they have 304 samples so far. The remaining samples either didn’t get to yet, or they didn’t have enough liquid to test. Some of the carts have only a very small amount of liquid so they are limited in the tests they can run.
Out of the 304 samples tested, 225 had THC and 79 had nic.
Out of the 225 THC containing samples 47% (101 samples) contained vit E acetate.
The THC in the THC samples ranged from 13%-77% with a mean of 41%.
The vit E acetate in the THC samples ranged from 23%-88% with a mean of 50%
I will post a more in-depth update later today in the VAPI outbreak FAQ and open discussion thread.
Oh yeah, CDC is now calling VAPI, “EVALI” (E-cigarette Vaping product Associated Lung Injury)
3 Likes
Even if it were it wouldn’t be enough vacuum to affect much of a difference . . . only a slight bump in vacuum pressures when inhaling is very little vacuum (unless you’re talking about the chic that can suck the chrome off a bumper)!
2 Likes
Correction:
47% of 225 is just over 105 samples with THC that contained vit E acetate. Which means about 34.79% of all samples tested so far contained vit E acetate.
Do you just remove jar lid and vac in vac seal bag? Or do you use solid vac container?
The Cleveland Clinic just verified the study from the Mayo Clinic, with different lung biopsy samples. And they too found no lipoid pneumonia or oil in the lungs.
For the full report head over to the VAPI outbreak FAQ and open discussion thread - #35 by anon87263109
Excerpt:
Dr. Sanjay Mukhopadhyay, a Cleveland Clinic pathologist who specializes in the lungs, and other staff pathologists are among the first to complete biopsies and publish their research in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology.
The Cleveland Clinic team conducted biopsies of lungs of eight men, age 19 to 61, who suffered from respiratory problems following e-cigarette use. Mukhopadhyay said the lung tissue came from Cleveland Clinic patients, as well as from patients from Vanderbilt University and other collaborating hospitals.
Mukhopadhyay said they looked for what they call “exogenous lipoid pneumonia,” or fats in the lungs.
The condition isn’t rare. It can occur when people take mineral oil to relieve constipation and the oil is breathed into the lungs, instead of getting to the stomach, he said.
Researchers have discovered that Vitamin E oil had been inserted into vape cartridges. Vitamin E oil has similar viscosity as THC, and appears to be used as a cutting agent. Many researchers have posited that fats in the lungs are making people sick.
All patients had vaped THC, which is the active ingredient in marijuana. Some said they also vaped nicotine. Mukhopadhyay’s research didn’t make any conclusions about whether nicotine e-cigarettes were contributing to the illnesses. He was more interested in looking at injury to the lungs after all vaping-related illnesses.
The team conducted tests to determine if there were infections in the lungs. The tests were negative in all cases, he said.
But Mukhopadhyay said there was no lipoid pneumonia.
That doesn’t rule out vitamin E being the cause of the illnesses, but more research needs to be done before public health officials can call it the culprit, Mukhopadhyay said.
“We were very excited to see lung biopsies in these patients and say, ‘Hey, we’ve been able to confirm that what the clinicians are thinking is correct,’” he said. “But, in fact, it doesn’t turn out like that. We were surprised none of our cases had this.”
1 Like
Reasonable precaution: <15% volatile content in vape fill oil, and avoid flavors additives that behave like emulsifiers. 5-10% volatile content is ideal for distillate in most pens.
The real truth here is too complex to be elucidated anytime soon, but reasonable precaution can still be had. VAPI incidence rates with dabbing are much lower - why? One of these reasons is related to the inhaled chemistry. The others are apparatus, user practice and attention, and how much more obvious it is when that dab was too hot!!!. As another contributor pointed out, it isn’t PG/VG/nicotine per se, since this can be done with minimal detriment to health.
We know that too much heat on evaporation is bad, too, as heat and oxygen really rearrange structures. Many of us know directly that too big a dab can hurt for an hour afterwards - that wrong dab WAS the kind of insult that accumulates to VAPI.
There’s probably a time or frequency factor. Taking fat rips of hot dabs all the time is almost certain to give you problems, and a user is likely to adjust habits and avoid the threshold of hospital admission for VAPI. Why with vape pens, then?
5 Likes
Batteries fail. Remember a not so long ago problem a small company called Samsung had with batteries? I’m sure we all saw the videos and news reports, TSA not allowing them on planes. Now think about your auto vape battery failing spewing toxic chemicals while your sucking on that vape pen. I really think that the cheap corner store auto batteries are what is causing this.
6 Likes
I wish I paid more attention in chemistry class.
Repeatedly bang head on table, and thanks for this forum! you learn so much here.
9 Likes
That thing would never let go!
1 Like
Foamy macrophages and pneumocyte vacuolization, acute fibrinous pneumonitis, diffuse alveolar damage, organizing pneumonia usually bronchiolocentric and accompanied by bronchiolitis…
What the actual frig is going on?!
1 Like
People are melting down pine resin with wax then adding terps and PEG liquidizer with a pinch of steam-distilled myclobutanil and then putting in a pretty DankVape box and calling themselves the plug.
4 Likes
Telebriefing today at 12pm.
CDC Telebriefing: Update on Lung Injury Associated with E-cigarette Use, or Vaping
What :
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will give updates on the investigation into cases of lung injury associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping.
Who :
- Anne Schuchat, MD (RADM, USPHS, RET), Principal Deputy Director, CDC
- Mitch Zeller, JD, Director, Center for Tobacco Products, FDA
When
Friday, October 25, at 12:00 p.m. ET
Dial-In
Media: 888-795-0855
Non-Media: 888-972-6892
INTERNATIONAL: 1-517-308-9298
PASSCODE: CDC Media
Important Instructions
If you would like to ask a question during the call, press *1 on your touchtone phone. Press *2 to withdraw your question.You may queue up at any time. You will hear a tone to indicate your question is pending.
TRANSCRIPT
A transcript and audio will be available following the briefing at CDC’s web site: www.cdc.gov/media.
3 Likes
1 Like
Would be great if the cases were decreasing, but the full quote and context from telebriefing yesterday don’t paint as rosy a picture as that article is claiming.
Epidemic curve (what’s an epi curve?):
Here’s the current epi chart of EVAPI outbreak:
Full context of quote:
CDC Telebriefing: Update on Lung Injury Associated with E-cigarette Use, or Vaping
Friday, October 25, at 12:00 p.m. ET
Although the epi curve which we have posted online suggests that the trajectory may be leveling off or even declining, you may wonder if the peak of cases has passed. This pattern may or may not be confirmed with additional time. There may be less intensive investigation of possible cases by the health departments, fewer cases from earlier in the year being reported in to the public health system, or lags in data reporting to the CDC. It is also possible that our consumer warnings about the risks associated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping products that contain THC are having an effect or that enforcement actions by local or federal authorities are impacting supply chains in some geographic areas.
1 Like