Don't Fear The Reefer: Why Fearmongering Backfires

The US Surgeon General recently issued a chilling warning about cannabis, particularly in reference to young people and pregnant women.  While this announcement does contain some kernels of truth, it was overall quite exaggerated and melodramatic fear-mongering, with a touch of Reefer Madness thrown in for good measure.  The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) did a reasonably good job of setting the record straight, of course, but Twenty-One Debunked would like to add to that.

While NORML is indeed correct that legalization and regulation are far more effective at protecting vulnerable populations from any real risks of cannabis, and include age restrictions in the list, they unfortunately punt on exactly what sort of age restrictions they would support.  In an effort to remain neutral as far as the age question goes, and to not be accused of condoning teen cannabis use, they simply leave it unanswered.  And that is a shame, because setting the age limit too high only guarantees that the black market with its products of unknown safety and quality will prevail (and does not check IDs either), and also throws young adults under the bus in the process as well.  As we have noted repeatedly before, there is really no hard scientific evidence supporting an age limit any higher than 18 for cannabis.  Yes, you read that right.

The Surgeon General disingenuously conflates 18-24 year old young adults with people under 18, all the way down to 12 year olds, in fact.  That is a serious category error at best, if not full-blown ageism.  While there is evidence that using cannabis before age 18 (especially before 15, and/or heavily and frequently) is riskier than using it after 18, and that excessive use can be harmful at any age, there is really no hard scientific evidence that using it at 18 is any more harmful than using it at 21, 25, or even 30 for that matter.  And the "no safe level of exposure" claim is also unscientific and highly misleading as well.

It is a proven fact that the human brain continues to develop well into the 30s and 40s, and perhaps even beyond that, but somehow the Surgeon General leaves that inconvenient truth out of his warning about "marijuana and the developing brain".  And while the brain is thus still developing well beyond 18, the key difference is that it is no longer developing at a fundamental level anymore much beyond roughly mid-adolescence.  Thus any brain development that occurs from 18-25 is essentially on the same spectrum as any development that occurs after 25, making 21 or 25 completely arbitrary age cutoffs.

Exaggerating the actual and (mostly) theoretical dangers of cannabis use has the unfortunate side effect of losing credibility among young people, who then are less likely to believe anything about the very real risks of not only cannabis, but alcohol and various other (and far worse) substances as well.  Thus, such a boneheaded strategy is thus doomed to backfire, especially among the age group being targeted the most by such messages.

Twenty-One Debunked does not encourage anyone of any age to use cannabis, alcohol, tobacco, or any other substances.  But if you do, it is important to be an informed consumer and do your research rather than blindly believe everything you hear or read.

About That Mysterious Lung Illness Related To Vaping

There have been recent reports of a mysterious lung illness that appears to be linked to vaping.  Fingers are being pointed all over the place right now, since it is still not clear exactly what (let alone which products) are causing it and why.

Here's what we do know so far.  As of the end of August 2019, there have been over 200 possible cases of severe lung illness and/or damage (and even one reported death) in the USA that may be linked to vaping, though the symptoms haven't always followed a consistent pattern.  Not all cases have been confirmed, and it all still needs to be fleshed out and other variables accounted for, but vaping of some sort is the only factor that we know is common to them all.  And it's not just young people either (though many of them are), as even people in their thirties have reportedly also succumbed to it as well.

Many, but by no means all, of the cases involved vape products containing THC (i.e. the primary psychoactive component of cannabis), and virtually all of those had been purchased on the black market (mostly in non-legalization states) based on what we know so far.  And as much as JUUL Labs wants to believe and assert it, this does NOT yet automatically exonerate nicotine-containing vape products such as theirs.  And no one should pretend that it does.

(Separately, there are also three recent reports of seizures thought to be linked to the JUUL brand specifically, presumably due to their very high nicotine content, so they really shouldn't be so smug.)

It is important not to create or fan the flames of a moral panic about vaping in general, as that is likely to be counterproductive.  Much more research is necessary until we know more.  So what advice should be given in the meantime?

• First and foremost, do NOT vape anything that you get from the black market, whether it's THC or otherwise.  They are inherently unregulated by definition, with no quality control, and thus you really don't know what you are getting.
• Especially avoid the pseudo-legitimate sounding (but actually always black market) THC brands "Dank Vapes", "Chronic Carts", and "West Coast Carts".  Avoid them like the plague!  (Ditto for the apparently very bad actor, gray market CBD brand "Diamond CBD" as well.)
• Do your research and due diligence before buying any vaping product on the legitimate market as well.  Google is your friend, but don't believe everything you hear or read.  This is true whether it is nicotine, THC, CBD, "just flavoring", or anything else for that matter.
• Avoid any oil-based vape products when possible, especially for unfamiliar brands.
• Do NOT modify vaping devices or use any homebrew products with vaping devices.
• And last but not least, if you are not currently addicted to nicotine, do NOT vape (or smoke) anything that contains nicotine.  Keep in mind that all JUUL brand products contain high levels of nicotine, as do many other brands as well.

That seems like sensible advice for now.  As for government officials, the best thing they can do right now is regulate the vaping industry better to quash bad actors and improve quality control, cap nicotine levels, and also legalize cannabis nationwide for everyone over 18 (while keeping the taxes low) in order to quash the black market as well.

Let's be adult about this, shall we?

UPDATE:  As of September 5, 2019, researchers seem to be zeroing in on the most likely cause: specific additives found in primarily black market THC vaping oils and cartridges.  Thus far, only one case has been possibly linked to a THC vape product (of undisclosed brand) purchased from a licensed dispensary (in Oregon), which could be a fluke or confounded by other products, but it is possible that even some legitimate products contain such harmful additives.  And while nothing has been ruled out as yet, the aforementioned advice still remains sound:  avoid all black market vape products, don't vape nicotine if you aren't already addicted, and do your research.

As of September 6, the number of possible (not all of which confirmed) cases of the mystery vaping illness has now reached at least 450, including four confirmed deaths and possibly a fifth one as well.  At this rate, we would hate to see what the casualty toll will ultimately climb to by Friday the 13th (next week).  Regulators really need to root out the questionable additives and bad actors, yesterday.

As of September 9, several theories abound as to what exactly is causing this now-epidemic mysterious illness, from questionable additives (such as Vitamin E oil) to black market products to home-made concoctions influenced by YouTube videos to even Chinese tariffs steering vapers towards cheaper and janky products (and this means nicotine too).  Again, it is still under investigation, but the above advice nonetheless remains sound for the time being. 

And for those who are still concerned:

If you currently vape nicotine, DO NOT go back to combustible cigarettes or any other combustible tobacco products!  If you are concerned about vaping, you can always switch to snus, lozenges, or any of the available nicotine replacement therapy products currently on the market (patches, gums, lozenges, and inhalers).  At the very least, stick to the top-shelf stuff.

If you currently vape "just flavoring", be sure that it really IS "just flavoring" (spoiler alert:  it usually is NOT, and all JUUL brand products contain high levels of nicotine).  But really, what's the point of that?

If you currently vape cannabis derivatives (whether it's THC, CBD, or both), and you don't have access to legal and licensed dispensaries where you live and/or you still don't trust the stuff on the shelves there, but you still don’t want to combust (smoke) weed, there are always dry-herb vaporizers out there (remember those?), as well as edibles, capsules, oils, and tinctures for using cannabis products orally.  Or at least stick to the top-shelf stuff for now.  But DO NOT vape, juul, or dab anything from the black market, the street, pop-up shops, or any homemade concoctions.  EVER.