Lung injuries related to contaminated vapes are less common in these states

Lung diseases and injuries related to vaping were a major concern in 2019 when EVALI first emerged. Although the incidence of the disease has declined, it has left a significant stain on the vaping industry as the government bans some of these products and the public becomes more cautious about the vapes they buy.

One study found some interesting data regarding state marijuana laws and vaping-related lung injuries. It turns out that legal marijuana states have lower incidences of EVALI disease, which makes a lot of sense. It has also been found that states with home growing policies have even fewer cases of EVALI disease.

The report, published in ScienceDirect, was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and highlighted some of the benefits of legalization, including many predicting that supplying the public with regulated marijuana products would stem the rise of EVALI disease.

Photo by Clear Cannabis via Unsplash

The results show that EVALI was 42% less likely in legal recreational marijuana states. States that legalized home growing of marijuana had even better results, reporting a 60% lower incidence of EVALI.

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“Marijuana policy attributes associated with lower EVALI incidences were also associated with a lower likelihood of vaping being the primary mode of use,” the study authors conclude. “As additives in informally sourced vaping concentrates could drive future EVALI cases, marijuana policy design should consider the impact on modes of use in legal and illegal markets to limit the magnitude of future outbreaks.”

The EVALI outbreak peaked in 2019 when medical experts blamed vitamin E acetate as the culprit. This element was present in most of the affected lungs and was later banned in various US states.

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That year, the Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of Juul vape products due to concerns about the product’s effects and its high usage rates among teenagers. While the ban had nothing to do with the vape epidemic, it doesn’t paint a good picture for Juul and the vape industry at large.