6 Probable Vaping-Related Illnesses Linked To State-Licensed Marijuana Shops
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Six Massachusetts residents with probable cases of vaping-related lung illnesses said they used products purchased from state-licensed marijuana dispensaries, according to information released Thursday.
It is the first time the state Department of Health has linked illnesses to vaping products bought at dispensaries.
The state has flagged 90 probable and confirmed cases of vaping-related lung illnesses. Three of those people have died. Forty-nine people have been interviewed by state officials.
The department did not say what products were linked to the six cases, or where they were purchased but it did recommend avoiding the use of all vaping products until more is known about the cause or causes of the disease.
The report was released just days before Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is set to lift a statewide ban on the sale of vaping products that started in September.
The Cannabis Control Commission has imposed a separate moratorium on marijuana vape sales. It's now reviewing the information from the state.
"Immediately, the Commission will use this new data toward its ongoing investigation into whether marijuana products manufactured by Massachusetts licensees contain substances or contaminants of concern and thoroughly explore the origin of the products identified by DPH," the commission said in a statement to WBZ-TV.
David O'Brien, the president of the Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association, told The Boston Globe the state should immediately disclose which licensed operators were potentially implicated in the six cases linked to regulated products.
"The industry wants to know if there's cause for alarm so we can address it," O'Brien said.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
