Recreational marijuana is legal in 24 US states, including New York. Nevertheless, on March 31, 2026, state regulators closed two shops in Rome for illegal sales of cannabis products. In fact, similar raids occur once a month in legal states across the country. Why?
The answer has to do with regulation. Each “green state” has its own regulatory board that (1) licenses manufacturers and retailers, (2) sets and enforces regulations for cultivation, production, and testing, and (3) conducts inspections to ensure compliance. Anything produced or sold outside of this system is black market and therefore illegal.
Why regulate the factory?
All of this might sound like a lot for cannabis—it’s just the flower buds of the plant, after all. But derived products such as edibles and concentrates are not so easy. Security and regulation are especially important here.
Regulated cannabis vape products are limited to a few specific ingredients. Independent, state-certified laboratories conduct both batch and spot testing to ensure product integrity. In addition to regulated production, oils may contain undetectable contaminants, such as:
What is Cannabis Vaping?
Cannabis refers to marijuana or hemp. Vaping cannabis It involves using a special vape pen or pod to heat and aerosolize an oil containing cannabis or cannabis extract. Aerosolized “vapour” (not vapor at all) is inhaled through the device’s mouthpiece like cigarette smoke.
Why vape instead of smoke?
Smoking marijuana exposes the lungs to carbon monoxide (CO) and toxic pyrolytic compounds that are absent or significantly lower in vape oil aerosol, a key aspect of cancer risk reduction (Chaiton et al., 2021).
Vaping cannabis, for now, seems to improve smoking. Studies have found less lung irritation, better lung capacity, and fewer symptoms such as cough, phlegm, and chest tightness compared to smokers (Chaiton et al., 2021).
Marijuana vaping is more effective than smoking for the following reasons:
- Power: The main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana (THC) is more concentrated in vape oils: up to 95%, compared to a maximum of 23% in smoked marijuana (Sharma et al., 2023; Glinn & Michaud 2023).
- Delivery: Less THC is lost in pyrolysis (Holt et al., 2022).
- Absorption: The lungs absorb oil-based vapor more quickly (Sharma et al., 2023).
As expected, such efficacy leads to higher blood cannabinoid levels and increases users, all else being equal (Chaiton et al., 2021). Users who want a lighter noise can buy a lower strength oil. This standardization is another comparative advantage when it comes to smoking marijuana.
However, a big caveat to any perceived benefits is this no long-term data are available.
Why Think Twice About Cannabis Vaping?
In fact, much is unknown about the health and safety of cannabis vaping. Here are a few examples from minimally researched topics:
Gut Health: What Vaping Cannabis Does to the Gut the microbiome? Preliminary animal studies have shown that it disrupts dysbiosis or balance and induces an inflammatory state (Rosado-Franco et al., 2023).
Neuroinflammation: Do aerosol particles that pass through the nasal passages rise up the nerve fibers, reach the frontal cortex and cause inflammation? This may sound far-fetched, but it is mechanistically possible (Elder et al., 2006).
Effects on lipids: What are the cardiovascular effects of lipid staining affecting macrophages in the lungs of all vapers? We know that these loaded white blood cells cause lung damage, suppress immunity, and worsen inflammation (Guerrini et al., 2020). We know that they affect the cardiovascular system, but there are studies on them it’s not. (Keith and Bhatnagar, 2021).
Bone density: Makes high –concentration Does THC exposure to the endocannabinoid system increase the risk of early-onset osteoporosis? A dose-response conclusion points to the need for research (Meah et al., 2021).
Cannabis vape products have been widely available in the US for about 15 years. By comparison, it took 50 years of research to definitively link smoking to cancer. We are still far from knowing the full risk profile of cannabis vaping. But some short-term damage is already evident.
Why No Cannabis vape?
Known sources of risk generally fall into three categories: chemical byproducts of cannabis heating, contaminants, and energy. And as we now understand, the impact on users happens in four main areas:
Breathing: While smoking cannabis right now appears to be less harmful than smoking, the former producing thermal degradants that irritate and injure the lungs (Meehan-Atrash et al., 2019), oxidative stressand promotes carcinogenesis gen expression (Arlen et al., 2025). Notably, recent studies have identified vaping CBD Products like Delta-8 are more likely to inflame and damage lung tissue than vaping nicotine (Bhat et al., 2023). Beyond the inherent concerns, contaminants always present the potential for harm. The most prominent pulmonary example of this remains the 2019 EVALI outbreak, with nearly 3,000 confirmed cases and 68 deaths.
Neurological: In adolescents, high-THC marijuana exposure has been linked to brain circuit changes associated with “long-term cognitive impairment, mood disturbances, and increased vulnerability to schizophrenia” (Laviolette, 2019). In users of all ages, we see a surprising loss of motor control and cognitive function that is more severe than smoking the same dose (Chaiton et al, 2021).
Psychological: Consumption of high-THC marijuana puts cannabis vapers at increased risk of unwanted acute conditions, including: paranoiahallucinations, delusions and worry (Sharma et al., 2023; Holt et al., 2022). Long-term risks include cannabis use disorder (CUD). psychosis (CIP) and schizophrenia (onset, returnand episode severity) (Petrilli et al., 2022).
Life safety: Synthetic cannabinoids are associated with a variety of deaths from heart attacks, prolonged seizures and organ failure (“Canada’s Guidelines for Low-Risk Cannabis Use”, 2020; Adamowicz, 2016). These products are not legal, but they remain available in the retail environment and often appear legitimate. Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid with a high risk of overdose death, has been reported in rare but unregulated cannabis vape products (Sharma et al., 2023).
Concluding thoughts
Marijuana, or hemp-derived vape products, are abundant in dispensaries in 31 US states at the time of this writing, and their use has become more normalized. It can be effective as a substance, but our individual choices about it require consideration of personal benefits and costs. Is this medicine or addiction for me? Do I feel calm or anxious? Will it hurt me?
Most adults have already made personal decisions about marijuana. When it comes to vaping, it’s impossible to make an informed decision because there are so many unknowns. For drinkers, responsible use of consumables appears to be the least risky option.
Like most substances, cannabis can cause moderate to severe substance use disorders. Cannabis use disorder is defined as any problematic or life-disrupting use. If you think this might apply to you, try talking to a mental health professional about it, or you can call Drug addiction hotline anytime, 24/7.
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