Interested vape companies are invited to sponsor their devices for a study of cannabis vape pen emissions by California NORML. The study will test a variety of vape devices and cartridges to determine how much cannabinoids and harmful smoke toxins they deliver. The study is intended to help provide better consumer information on the safety and efficacy of cannabis vapes.
There is good reason to believe that electronic vape devices can deliver safe, clean doses of THC and CBD without harmful smoke toxins. Unfortunately, evidence to support this is thin due to federal restrictions on research, which forbid labs from testing the concentrated cannabis vapes commercially available on the state-legal market. California NORML has arranged a way to legally circumvent these restrictions with the help of outside consultants.
We will be working with a private research lab that has developed a simple, portable sampling device that can be used to collect and analyze vape pen emissions. The device can be adjusted to draw vapor in a manner mimicking human smoking patterns. The emissions will be collected in filters which can be chemically analyzed in the lab to determine the composition of the vapor.
The lab tests will determine the amount of THC, CBD and other cannabinoids in the vapor. (Optionally, terpenes may be included at an additional cost.)
In addition, tests will detect and measure the following toxins:
(1) Carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
(2) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) e.g. benzene
(3) Aldehydes
(4) Heavy Metals (optional)
Interested manufacturers and distributors are invited to sponsor devices for testing in the study. The estimated cost will be around $2,500-$3,000 per device, plus an entry fee TBD. Participants may choose to sponsor multiple tests of the same device using different cartridges or operating temperatures.
California NORML will publish a report summarizing the results of the study. For purposes of comparison, a standard joint (~20%THC) will be tested to illustrate the differences between vaping and smoking. Sponsors will receive a full report on the devices they submit for testing, but the brand names and manufacturers of particular devices will not be revealed in the report or to other study participants.
California NORML is proud to have sponsored pioneering research on cannabis vaporization. In previous studies, we investigated herbal vaporizers that heat natural cannabis flower. Our studies showed that vaporization virtually eliminates harmful smoke toxins, providing a safer, effective “harm reduction” alternative to smoked joints. More recently, a host of new, electronic devices have come onto the market which vaporize cannabis concentrates. The performance of these devices will vary according to their operating temperature, the chemistry of the concentrate, and the design of the cartridge. We hope that our study will help enlighten consumers, regulators and the industry on the benefits and hazards of different vape set-ups.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in sponsoring a vape device for testing, please contact:
Dale Gieringer, PhD, Director Cal NORML
[email protected]
(510) 540-1066
www.canorml.org
Since 1972, California NORML has advocated for the rights and safety of cannabis consumers in California.
