A new study by Portland State University… found that the toxic gas known as ketene is released when cannabinoid acetates are heated under vaping conditions. Ketene was found previously by researchers studying vitamin E acetate in 2019 in the emissions from a commercial e-cigarette. This led to ketene's identification as a possible source of the vaping-induced lung injury outbreak that led to nearly 3,000 hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. as of February 2020. While ketene is known to be toxic to humans, Researchers said “it's too dangerous to study in order to fully understand its impact on the human body.”
The acetate group used in products, like Delta 8, make it easier to cross the blood-brain barrier, enhancing potency, Strongin said. The chemical reaction is similar to how morphine becomes heroin, he added. Strongin hopes to work with regulatory agencies to alert consumers and regulators about this finding.
The study provides results based on one puff, which showed not only that ketene formed at lower temperature settings than previously thought but at levels that are known to be dangerous to an individual's health.