Cannabis vape pens expose users to significantly less harmful toxins than smoked joints, according to a new lab study  sponsored by California NORML.  The study compared the emissions of two different vape pens – a disposable and a reusable cartridge model – with pre-roll joints purchased from a San Diego dispensary.  The vape pens emitted significantly cleaner emissions than the joint for almost all toxins tested, and, unlike the joint, were within EPA safe daily exposure limits for regular users. “The dangers of vapes have been misrepresented by anti-smoking advocates to suggest their emissions are as hazardous as smoke,” says

UPDATE 1/26/2026: Asm. Irwin’s bill to ban disposable vapes passed in the Assembly Appropriations committee and was headed for a floor vote when it was amended to remove cannabis vapes from the language. Cal NORML favors shifting to vapes with removable batteries and developing disposal options for cannabis vape waste.  Manufacturers and retailers should explore re-designing vapes with removable batteries, and/or provide waste disposal programs for cannabis cartridges, vape pens, and batteries.  See: THE GREEN PUFF: TRANSFORMING CANNABIS VAPING INTO A SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE  and Raising the Volume: How Regulations and Consumer Market Trends Have Increased the Volume of Cannabis Packaging Waste in California Consumers

UPDATE 5/26: The Study Has Been Released California NORML is sponsoring a laboratory study to investigate the safety of electronic vape pens. The study is designed to measure toxic emissions such as benzene, formaldehyde, and heavy metals that could be dangerous to health, as well as the amounts of THC and cannabinoids they deliver to users. The study is a follow-up to California NORML’s 2001-2004 lab studies of herbal vaporizers, which heat up natural buds or leaf. The studies demonstrated that they could deliver virtually pure THC without any of the toxins or carcinogens present in smoke. Less is known