Cannabis vapes landing more people in the hospital in Baltimore County, health officials report
BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore County Health Department is reporting a rise in people being hospitalized after using vape products that may contain cannabis.
On Dec. 19, the department posted to social media saying people, including minors, have been hospitalized after using e-cigarette devices that may contain cannabis-related substances, such as delta-8 and hemp.
Health officials are urging residents to be careful when sharing vapes, as they could contain unknown substances.
According to the department, many vapes and the liquid inside them, are not regulated by the FDA and could cause illness.
According to health officials, consuming unknown substances in vapes can lead to seizures, vomiting, hallucinations, abnormal heart rate, or confusion.
In November, the Maryland Department of Health launched a dashboard to track the impacts of cannabis use on public health after recreational use was legalized in July 2023.
According to the dashboard, in Baltimore County, there were 140 hospital visits due to cannabis reported in August 2024. 156 hospital visits were reported in September and 150 were reported in November. There was a 21% rise in cannabis-related hospitalizations from 2023 to 2024.
The dashboard shows that calls to poison centers have surged for those under 20. Between 2021 and 2023, calls to poison centers almost doubled for kids nine and younger, and tripled for kids ages 10 to 14.
Baltimore County health officials recommend looking out for the following cannabis-related products:
- Delta-8
- Hemp
- Spice
- Black Magic
- Skunk
- Demon
- Smoke
- Fire
- K2
- Paradise
- Ninja
- Spike
- Crazy Clown
- Mr. Nice Guy
- Redx Dawn
- Blaze