Hawaiʻi Residents Cautioned on Dangers of E-Cigarettes

In light of Hawaiʻiʻs first suspected case of severe respiratory illness linked to e-cigarette use, Hawaiʻi residents are being warned against the dangers of the device. 

According to a Hawaiʻi Educational Association of Licensed Therapeutic Healthcare press release, health director Bruce Anderson is urging people to avoid unregulated products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. 

HEALTH reports that some patients admit using e-cigarette products to vaporize liquids that contain cannabinoids like THC. 

Under state law, licensed medical cannabis dispensaries are required to submit every batch of flower and manufactured products for analysis by a third-party lab. 

This mandatory analysis includes screening for the presence of impurities, such as solvent and pesticide residues. 

Any cannabis product that does not pass Hawaiʻi’s purity standards must be destroyed.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with the use of e-cigarette products have been documented in 33 states as of Sept. 6.