GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Warnings about vaping dangers associated with products that deliver THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, have proven very costly to local vape shop owners, according to a leading Montgomery County retailer.
The CDC has found that vitamin E Acetate, used as an additive to dilute THC vaping products, is a chemical of concern associated with recent vaping illnesses and deaths.
The owner of Vapor Worldwide in Gaithersburg, Eric Fritschler, said his business is down 35% since September, even though his store is not a medical marijuana dispensary and no THC products diluted with vitamin E acetate are sold.
"We see that adult smokers are just not coming in," Fritschler said. "No one is transitioning from tobacco to vapor now because they've been told that it's as bad, or perhaps worse, to vape nicotine than to smoke tobacco cigarettes."
Fritschler said Vapor Worldwide has verified with vendors that none of its products contain vitamin E acetate.
The CDC has issued advisories on avoiding THC vaping products.
"CDC recommends that people should not use e-cigarette, or vaping, products that contain THC, particularly from informal sources like friends, or family, or in-person or online dealers," the CDC states in its latest public advisory.
The CDC does not specifically advise against using nicotine vaping products but cautions: "Since the specific cause or causes of lung injury are not yet known, the only way to assure that you are not at risk while the investigation continues is to consider refraining from use of all e-cigarette, or vaping, products."
Maryland's Health Department has also issued cautionary advice.
"While the biggest risk for injury appears to be from THC products not obtained from a licensed dispensary, there are reports from other states of lung injury associated with legally obtained THC products," the department stated in an October public advisory. "Vaping products that contain nicotine, CBD and/or other oils have also been linked to injuries."
On Friday, Maryland's Medical Cannabis Commission ordered all THC vaping products off the shelves from licensed dispensaries while testing is conducted to ensure the products do not contain vitamin E acetate.
Fritchsler believes that vaping products that deliver nicotine and CBD, and contain no vitamin E acetate, are safe.
He and other vape shop owners are battling a proposed Montgomery County ordinance that would restrict vape shops from operating within a half-mile of any school.
Instead, Fritschler said the county should ban the sale of e-cigarette and vaping products from convenience stores and gas stations in favor of restricting the products to Vape shops only, which can be held more accountable for enforcing age limits and other restrictions.
"We don't want kids vaping," Fritschler said. "We all agree on that."