Cannavaping—the inhalation of a cannabis-containing aerosol, created by a battery-driven, heated atomizer in e-cigarettes or similar devices1—is touted as a less expensive and safer alternative to smoking marijuana. It’s also gaining in popularity.2 One study of Connecticut high school students found that 5.4% had used e-cigarettes to vaporize cannabis.3 But what do we know about this new way to get high?
We know that those who wish to cannavape can easily obtain e-cigarettes from gas stations and tobacco shops. They then have to obtain a cartridge, filled with either hash oil or tetrahydrocannabinol-infused wax, to attach to the e-cigarette. These cartridges are available for purchase in states that have legalized the sale of marijuana. They also find their way into states where the sale of marijuana is not legal, and are purchased illegally for the purpose of cannavaping.
And while cannavaping does appear to reduce the cost of smoking marijuana,4 it has not been widely researched, nor determined to be safe.5