Is CBD vaping (e-cigarettes) harmful?

What is EVALI?

EVALI is lung injury associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping devices. In the US, 2,807 hospitalizations or deaths had been reported by February 2020; 68 people died. Of the patients, 82% said they had used a product containing THC, and most of them had gotten it from informal sources such as friends, family or dealers.

Vitamin E acetate and additives

Vitamin E acetate was found in 48 of the lung lavage fluid samples taken from 51 EVALI patients; it was not found in samples from healthy people. Most of the patients also had traces of THC. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that other substances may also have played a role and that vitamin E acetate or other substances should not be added to any vaping product.

Counterfeit CBD vaping liquids

In the US state of Utah, 52 suspected poisonings linked to products sold as 'CBD oil' were investigated in 2017–2018. The products tested contained no CBD; instead, they contained a synthetic cannabinoid (a substance with narcotic effects). About three quarters of the people had vaped the product; the most common effects were altered consciousness, nausea and vomiting, and seizures. In another analysis, a dangerous synthetic cannabinoid was found in 4 of 9 CBD vaping liquids from the same manufacturer.

Substances formed when heated

When CBD is heated and vaporized, some of it can turn into a reactive substance called 'CBD quinone'; in the lab, this substance bound to proteins in lung cells. In mice, CBD vapor caused more lung inflammation and damage than nicotine vapor. These are animal and cell studies; the long-term effects in humans aren’t known yet.

Label and content problems

Of 24 CBD vaping liquids bought online, the CBD content of only 3 matched the label. A study of 241 e-cigarette liquids found many chemicals that weren’t listed on the label.

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