Up to the writing of this article, there have been 17 confirmed deaths and 805 cases of lung injury that are linked to vaping. Because the exact cause of the outbreak remains a mystery, health officials urge the public to refrain from using any e-cigarette or vape product until they can zero in on the culprit. 

However, some experts say that they have already identified the source. After running tests on over 100 samples, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released their findings, stating that the focus of their investigation was now on Vitamin E acetate, which was likely being used as a thickening agent in “homemade” THC cartridges.

And in New York, Howard Zucker, State Health Commissioner, also released a statement about the Vitamin E acetate that was present in "nearly all cannabis-containing samples." While not clarified, experts believe that the Vitamin E acetate was used to emulsify CBD and THC in illegal vaping devices, likely purchased from the black market. 

In California, the CannaSafe company conducted its own tests on samples from black market THC cartridges. Their analyses revealed that Vitamin E was present in 13 out of the 15 samples. But what is Vitamin E acetate, and why is it believed to be behind the vaping-related deaths and illnesses? 

Vitamin E Acetate’s Role in Vaping-Related Deaths and Illnesses 

Vitamin E acetate is known as tocopheryl acetate or tocopherol acetate. Known for its antioxidant properties, Vitamin E acetate is used in skin care products and dietary supplements. However, black market sellers discovered they could cover up low quality THC oil by using Vitamin E acetate to thicken solutions. However, Vitamin E acetate should never be inhaled as it will cause damage to the lungs. 

Honey Cut is one of the three companies that the Department of Health has on its radar for selling vape products containing Vitamin E acetate. Honey Cut, along with Mass Terpenes and Pure Diluent, have received subpoenas. 

Honey Cut was one of the first to sell diluting agents and quickly gained a reputation for helping thicken bootleg vape juices to make them look more legitimate. Because of its color and consistency, it could easily pass as real cannabis oil. The product label even boasts that it contains no VG, no PG, and no MCT – essentially, it’s pure Vitamin E acetate. 

MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides. In the past, MCT oil and polyethylene glycol were used as cutting agents; however, the result was a thinner, runny product that consumers associated with low quality. MCT has also been associated with pneumonia cases in those who vape too much with MCT oil. 

Long before the “vaping-related illness” outbreak, government agencies already knew the vaping black market was on the rise and carried the potential of making a lot of people sick with knock-off products that contained questionable ingredients. 

It’s unfortunate that legally-operating and regulated vape manufacturers and CBD products are now suffering from the public outrage – especially since there are no vaping-related illnesses linked to medical cannabis or recreational marijuana from legal state-licensed establishments. While the investigation is ongoing, the problem is clearly rooted in the black market. 

In recent weeks, we’ve watched the number of “vaping-related” deaths and illnesses increase. Government agencies, health officials, and scientists are scrambling to solve the mystery behind the outbreak. Individual states and the FDA are running their own tests, analyzing hundreds of samples from multiple sources. 

When the results came in, the focus of the investigation shifted towards the black market as more evidence piled up, revealing that the vape-related deaths and lung injuries were most likely caused by Vitamin E acetate. 

Vitamin E acetate made a name for itself in certain vaping circles as an effective thickening agent, and it has been used to cut THC oil. Because of Vitamin E acetate’s color and consistency, it could be used to make bootleg vape juices appear high quality. But while Vitamin E acetate can be used in supplements and food, it should never be inhaled because it causes damage to the lungs. 

Why the Black Market is to Blame 

Since the outbreak, officials have been warning the public to refrain from vaping until the cause of the vaping-related deaths and illnesses has been confirmed. However, as more reports come in, we realize that the culprit isn’t vaping, but the black market. 

In a report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it was revealed that 75 of the 86 patients in Illinois and Wisconsin hospitalized for vaping-related illnesses used e-cigarette products containing THC. None of the patients reported adding anything to their vape juices. A whopping 89% admitted to acquiring their vapes from informal sources such as friends, relatives, dealers, or off the street. However, 66% of the patients did report buying their prefilled THC cartridges from the brand Dank Vapes. According to the CDC, Dank Vapes appears to be “the most prominent in a class of largely counterfeit brands.” 

With the legalization of CBD on a federal level and decreasing stigma that once surrounded cannabis, a new, highly lucrative industry has opened up. Unfortunately, the demand for CBD and THC products has also led to counterfeit brands trying to get a piece of the action. 

However, purchasing off the street where it is likely cheaper could expose you to vapes that are unregulated and illicit, causing you to become extremely ill or worse. Many people don’t realize how easy it is for counterfeiters to fake legitimate vape juice consistency, adding dangerous ingredients like Vitamin E acetate and other additives. 

In Wisconsin, two brothers were running an illegal THC vape cartridge ring. About 31,200 vape cartridges were discovered in a raid of the condo where they operated under a fake name. Another 98,000 empty cartridges were seized, along with dozens of mason jars filled with liquid THC. While the actual ingredients of the vapes remain unknown, this only proves how dangerous it is to purchase vapes from illegal, unregulated sources. The empty cartridges, which can later be filled with a “vape juice” and packaged to look legit, could contain all sorts of harmful ingredients, including Vitamin E acetate, that are used to cut THC oil to make it look high quality. 

At URTH CBD, all of our products are tested by certified third party testing facilities and meet all FDA compliance regulations to bring you the highest quality products. We can provide certificates of analysis on all our products. We have also recently started testing for Vitamin E acetate. 

If you’re new to cannabidiol oil or CBD oil, it can be overwhelming to try to make sense of all the different terms and options. From determining the right dosage to choosing between tinctures or cartridges, there’s no reason to be intimidated. Here’s the step-by-step guide on how to use tinctures and cartridges.

How to Take a CBD Tincture

Taking a CBD tincture sublingually (under the tongue) is one of the most potent applications of CBD. Tinctures are super concentrated and should be in minimal doses. Here’s how to dosage a CBD tincture sublingually:

STEP 1: Squeeze the rubber top of the dropper to collect the tincture. Most come with a built-in dropper. If the one you have doesn’t, you can use an eye dropper.

STEP 2: Tilt your head back slightly, open your mouth, and lift your tongue.

STEP 3: Drop the appropriate amount of the liquid underneath your tongue. The amount of CBD you should take will depend on factors such as your weight, type of tincture, and why you’re taking CBD. However, 3-5 drops are how much most people consume.

STEP 4: Let the liquid sit under your tongue for 30 seconds to a minute and a half. Taking CBD sublingually allows you to feel the effects of CBD the fastest because there are capillaries in your mouth and dropping the CBD tincture under your tongue will enable it to go directly into your membranes and the bloodstream.

STEP 5: Swallow the rest. Don’t worry, anything that doesn’t get absorbed under your tongue will go into your digestive tract.

There’s also the option of putting CBD tinctures in your food or drinks. However, infusing a few drops in your soup or morning coffee, the effects are not as immediate as when you take it sublingually.

How to Use CBD Oil Cartridges

If you already know how to use a vape pen or are interested in trying them, cartridges are the perfect way for you to take your CBD. Cartridges are cylindrical vape tanks that are pre-filled with CBD distillate. Most vape pens are composed of a battery, heating chamber/atomizer, mouthpiece, a charger, and use sub-ohm oils.

Here’s how to load your vape pen with CBD cartridge:

STEP 1: Remove the cartridge from the battery and unscrew the mouthpiece.

STEP 2: Screw in the pre-filled CBD oil cartridge. Screw back onto the battery.

STEP 3: Turn on the vape pen.

STEP 4: Adjust the heat.

STEP 5: Press and hold the button and inhale.   

These are directions for standard vape pens or e-cigarettes. Not all vape pens will have a button and will have an “auto draw” feature, and all you have to do is inhale.

At Urth CBD, all of our CBD tinctures are available in 30ml bottles and blended using CBD distillate in 3 strengths; active CBD levels 300mg, 500mg, and 1000mg.

We also have CBD cartridges that are carefully crafted and offer 300mg of active CBD distillate paired with naturally occurring terpenes (flavoring derived from each strand) to enhance the absorption and effect of our top shelf CBD distillate.

CBD has quickly taken the public by storm and with headlines buzzing with its  benefits, many people have started taking CBD for these potential possibilities  it makes sense that CBD has taken the wellness world by storm! But if you’re like me, you still have questions-Is CBD really marijuana? Is it safe? How do you use it? Well, keep reading for a quick CBD 101. 

What Exactly Is CBD? 

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound found in the cannabis plants. “The cannabis plant has about 100 different chemical compounds in it called cannabinoids,” says Peter Grinspoon, M.D. in his book, Free Refills. He is an instructor at Harvard Medical School and Boston-based primary care physician. “The most well-known of these is THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol—the one that gets you high. The second most well-known is CBD which, by itself, will not get you high.”

There are two main plant sources from which CBD can be extracted: marijuana and hemp. Both plants are part of the cannabis sativa family. However, there are far greater amounts of CBD found in hemp and negligible amounts of THC (less than 0.3 %) versus as much as 30% THC in marijuana.

How Does CBD Work? 

To understand how CBD works, you need a little background on the body's endocannabinoid system, or ECS. This system is essentially a network of receptors that helps power your immune system and regulate hormones along with a variety of brain functions, like recognizing and responding to pain.

When CBD cannabinoids enter the body, they can bind to various ECS receptors and activate them to produce therapeutic effects, like lower anxiety or decreased inflammation. CBD can also affect the release of certain chemicals in the body's ion channels and enhance or block the binding of certain receptors.a certain way, Dr. Grinspoon uses this analogy to sum it up: “It works sort of like a lock and key. When you put the key (CBD) in the lock (receptors in body), it can unlock various chemical effects.”

Benefits of Using CBD

For many, using CBD is various forms can help with numerous complaints. " Martin Lee, author of "Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana—Medical, Recreational, and Scientific", and co-founder and director of Project CBD tells us. Of course, people’s reactions to CBD will vary depending on what you are treating and what the product is being used for. CBD is an adaptive molecule that will respond to every person’s body differently. 

Like anything you’d put in or on your body, be a conscious consumer the same way you would be when buying food. Read labels. If you see something you don't understand, research it before you buy it. Urth CBD offers testing results for every batch of its full spectrum CBD oil. If you want a guarantee that what you are purchasing is truly CBD then I suggest purchasing from a trusted site.

Looking for ways to creatively incorporate CBD oil into your meals or snacks? Here are five CBD-infused recipes that you’ll love.

1. CBD Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let’s start with a classic. Here are your favorite chocolate chip cookies but with a CBD twist. We suggest you enjoy them straight out of the oven while they’re still warm and gooey in the center.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 0.5 oz Urth All Natural CBD Tincture (or try Urth’s Peppermint flavor for the holidays!)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar in a bowl until creamy smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
4. Gently stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Dissolve the baking soda and salt into the hot water and then add it to the batter.
6. Slowly stir in the chocolate chips and the flour.
7. Drop large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
8. Bake for about 8 - 10 minutes

2. CBD Guacamole

What’s not to love about guac? It’s versatile, surprisingly nutritious, and delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3 avocados
• 1 tsp Urth All Natural CBD tincture oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tomatoes – diced
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. 1 tsp minced garlic
2. Peel and remove the pit from the avocados.
3. Mash the avocados with lime juice, cannabis oil, and salt.
4. Mix in tomatoes, onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic.
5. Serve immediately or refrigerate 1 hour to bring out the flavors.

3. CBD Golden Milk

Want do you drink before bedtime? turmeric and ginger drink.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of hemp milk
• 1 cup of water
• 2 teaspoons of Urth CBD tincture oil
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1-inch ginger root
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon of coconut oil

Directions:

1. Heat the milk.
2. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend.
3. Pour into a mug

4. CBD Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut butter bars are a crowd favorite. If you want to take these up a notch, you can also sprinkle chocolate chips on top.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup CBD infused vegetable oil (canola or corn oil also work) - just add Urth All Natural CBD tincture oil to vegetable oil and mix together
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Oil for greasing the baking pan

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Oil the baking pan.
3. Combine the brown sugar, egg, peanut butter, CBD-infused oil, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth
4. Incorporate the flour until well blended.
5. Pour the dough into the oiled baking pan and spread evenly.
6. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes
7. Once done, let the pan cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

5. Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and CBD-infused Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing

The pops of red and green make this salad one of the prettiest you’ve seen.

Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberries
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 dropper Urth All Natural CBD tincture oil

Salad Ingredients:

• 7 oz. bag of baby arugula
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• 1 1/2 cups strawberries

Directions:

1. Puree all the strawberry vinaigrette dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Wash the baby arugula and place in a salad bowl.
3. Slice the strawberries and throw in with the arugula.
4. Sprinkle the crumbled goat cheese on top.
5. Drizzle the strawberry vinaigrette dressing.

At Urth CBD, we’ve created a product that is above the rest. Check out our OG Full Spectrum Distillate and All Natural pure CBD distillate that are perfect for cooking with CBD.  

The demand for CBD has skyrocketed and the industry has become a unique market that is independent from but still closely related to the cannabis industry. As you can imagine, this can cause controversy based on the reputation of cannabis and the ever-changing legalities surrounding it. The confusion surrounding hemp and cannabis can be a complication for those interested in using CBD. Therefore, understanding the difference between hemp and marijuana and how they relate to Cannabis has become increasingly important.

Even though marijuana and hemp come from the same cannabis sativa family, they are completely different. The look of the plants are different but what really sets them apart is their chemical composition. There are more than 100 chemical cannabinoids found in cannabis, but the amounts of these cannabinoids is dramatically different between hemp and marijuana. 

What is Hemp?

The legal definition of the word “hemp” comes from the Agricultural Act of 2018. The term hemp is used to classify varieties of cannabis that contain 0.3% or less THC content. Generally, hemp has been used to describe cannabis that is non-intoxicating and is harvested for industrial use of its derived products. 

Although hemp won't get you high, it does contain significant amounts of another cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), which is also found in marijuana. CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, and its interaction with receptors in the central nervous system and immune system can offer medicinal benefits, making hemp-CBD concentrates popular ingredients.

Many believe that hemp was the first crop ever cultivated by mankind! There is evidence that it was used throughout history over 10,000 years ago. Hemp has the capability to produce crucial resources such as food, rope, clothing, paper, even housing materials! It is the strongest natural fiber in the world and is known to have over 50,000 different uses. 

What is Cannabis Marijuana?

Similar to hemp, “cannabis” is a variation of the Cannabis plant, however it contains more than 0.3% THC and induces psychoactive effects on the user. It is popularly referred to as marijuana but informed individuals and organizations in the Cannabis industry refuse to use that term as they consider it to be a word with negative connotation. 

Cannabis is made up of more than 120 components, better known as cannabinoids. Although a lot of research still needs to be done on all the different types, we have a pretty good understanding of two of the main components, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

The Confusion of Hemp vs Marijuana

The defining difference between cannabis and hemp is based on the amount of THC in the plant and whether it will get you high. 

Hemp and marijuana can both produce high amounts of CBD, the non-intoxicating cannabis compound; however, THC is produced at very different levels.

While hemp can contain no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight, cannabis can contain up to 30% THC content.

Due to the difference between their levels of THC, hemp and marijuana are regulated very differently under the law.

While hemp was previously regulated as an illegal substance under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, it was removed as an illegal substance under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018.  This federally legalized hemp and hemp-derived products that contain no more than 0.3% THC.

On the other hand, marijuana is still treated as a controlled substance and is federally illegal under the Controlled Substance Act.

Hemp Derived CBD vs Marijuana Derived CBD

 CBD is derived from hemp which contains no more than 0.3% THC, it would not be regulated as a controlled substance and is federally legal.

The keyword here is “derived from hemp.”

The 2018 Farm Bill explicitly applies to “hemp and hemp-derived products.”

It does not include marijuana-derived CBD, which remains under the regulation of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a controlled substance.

Even if the CBD contains 0.0% THC, if it is derived from marijuana, it is not legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Conclusion

The subject of hemp vs. cannabis is obviously complex and can be confusing! Hopefully this article helped you gain some clarity on the subject and properly explained the major differences. The terms “hemp”, “marijuana” and “cannabis” have become deeply ingrained in our culture and society and there is a need to re-educate. Of course, this will take time! 

But for now, make sure you understand how these terms are used in a legal context, what they mean, how they’re different, and how they relate to cannabis. This is important to understand your rights and avoid potential legal complications when using CBD products.  

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