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Quality assurance in the cannabis industry
Published in Betty Wedman-St. Louis, Cannabis, 2018
The manufactures of cannabis concentrates created interest in residual solvent testing as a means of differentiating their products against their competitors. Combined with an already growing fear of any Schedule I material, it is now matured into regulatory language. The great majority of laboratories utilize static headspace sampling and gas chromatography to achieve their results. By and large, most concentrate manufacturers utilize butane, ethyl alcohol, and CO2 and are widely accepted and practiced throughout the industry. Butane, apart from its freezing effects, is a nontoxic and safe compound [43]. However, state agencies have relegated sometimes 20 or more solvents, many of them known to be very hazardous (i.e., benzene, ethyl ether, methanol, naphtha, trichloroethylene, and chloroform) that are rarely, if ever, utilized within the industry. Regulatory limits set by different agencies are very confusing as well. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) dictates n-butane under 800 ppm and is accepted by California, whereas Colorado requires under 50 ppm. Some regulatory agencies often lump very different solvents together, essentially approving both benzene and butane under 40 ppm [11–14]. To compound the difficulty, collection and handling of headspace samples is ultrasensitive, and samples may easily off-gas resulting in wide ranges of variability. Egerton et al. [45] showed the presence of intrinsic solvents created in the plant tissues, which further complicate residual solvent testing.
Pulmonary complications of illicit drug use
Published in Philippe Camus, Edward C Rosenow, Drug-induced and Iatrogenic Respiratory Disease, 2010
Many cases of airway injury and burns secondary to inhalation of illicit substances have been reported. Taylor and Bernard reported a case of severe thermal injury to the conducting airways due to ether ignition.52 The thermal injuries resulted in long-term tracheal narrowing that required multiple surgeries. Mayo-Smith and Spinale reported three cases of thermal epiglottitis secondary to inhalation of metal pieces of ‘crack’ pipes.53 Oh and colleagues reported a series of 48 patients who had explosive burns related to inhalation of butane gas. Of these, 12 demonstrated inhalation injury; 3 developed pulmonary complications and died.54 ‘Huffing’ describes the practice of inhaling gasoline fumes. Sheridan reported four patients who had burns and inhalation injury related to this practice.55 Bronchiectasis secondary to heroin and cocaine has also been described.56
The Culture on Campus
Published in Jonathan C. Beazley, Stephanie Field, Cannabis on Campus, 2018
Jonathan C. Beazley, Stephanie Field
Marijuana is also smoked through a pipe, often a simple device with a screen—this is known as “doing a bowl.” Pipes can also vary greatly in shapes, sizes, and the materials from which they are made. A bong is a pipe with a wide mouth and a water chamber; the smoke is cooled by whatever liquid is used, allowing for deeper inhaling (“hits”) and a quicker, more powerful intoxication. College students who are real aficionados of marijuana consumption may proudly own collections of “glassware”—various pipes, bongs, and other smoking devices. Some of these can be unused objets d’art and visually attractive independent of their utility. Smoking marijuana provides a swift and predictable effect, but, as mentioned in the previous chapter, a lot of the cannabinoids are lost to pyrolysis, destroyed by the heat. Further, consumers are breathing hot gasses, carcinogens, and particulate matter into their lungs. Vaping is a process by which cannabis, either the flower or hash oil, is heated by a vaporizing apparatus—an electronic pen or plug-in—but to a temperature lower than the point of combustion. This prevents the release of irritants and noxious chemicals caused by smoking. High-THC butane oils, waxes, “shatter,” or “dabs” require a surface often referred to as a “nail” being super-heated before the dab is placed on it and the resulting vapor inhaled. Nails are heated with torches, or e-nails can be purchased. The concentration of THC resulting from dabs creates an intense high, preferred by many regular marijuana users with already high tolerances, but likely too powerful for students who are recent initiates. In addition to the extremely unpleasant experience of overdose by some, a potential danger with “dabs” lies in the preparation, a process that involves butane to extract the THC from the plant. Butane, commonly used in lighter fluid, is, obviously, combustible.
Characteristics and circumstances of volatile solvent misuse-related death in Australia, 2000–2021
Published in Clinical Toxicology, 2023
Shane Darke, Emma Zahra, Johan Duflou, Amy Peacock, Michael Farrell, Julia Lappin
Toxicology was conducted in all cases but was available for inspection for 134 (81.7%) (Table 3). Of these cases, 128 had blood samples taken from peripheral sites and six from central sites. Toxicological analysis for volatile solvents was conducted and available for 108 cases, with no methods available to detect the solvent implicated in 26 cases. Reflecting the pre-eminence of gas fuels, butane was the most commonly detected volatile solvent (38.9%), with other gas fuels also being common. Toluene, most commonly from adhesives and paints, was the next most common (29.6%). Nitrous oxide was detected in blood samples in only five cases. The low incidence reflects the fact that, in 15 of the 20 nitrous oxide cases, the relevant laboratory at the time could not test for the drug.
The Potential Impact of Legalization of Recreational Cannabis among Current Users: A Qualitative Inquiry
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2022
Madeline B. Benz, Elizabeth R. Aston, Alana N. Mercurio, Jane Metrik
Importantly, more health concerns have been reported related to stronger potency, as well as use of cannabis in an edible form (Monte, Zane, and Heard 2015); therefore, anticipated experimentation with new potencies and products has clinical implications. States with recreational cannabis laws report health concerns, in part due to higher concentrations of THC and use of cannabis in edible and vaporized forms (Budney and Borodovsky 2017; Monte, Zane, and Heard 2015). Reports from Colorado indicate increases in calls to poison control centers following both accidental and intentional ingestion of edibles (Ghosh et al. 2017). Additionally, hospitals have reported increases in vomiting due to use of high THC concentrations, and burn-related casualties as a result of using butane as a method for THC extraction (Monte, Zane, and Heard 2015).
Age-Related Differences in Cannabis Product Use
Published in Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2021
Luna F. Ueno, Maha N. Mian, Brianna R. Altman, Eric Giandelone, Mike Luce, Mitch Earleywine
Familiar forms might also appeal to one age group while novel ones might appeal to others. Specifically, while long-time older users might stick to more “classic” forms of use that have long been available, “novel” products are more likely to appeal to younger populations or those who recently initiated use. Compared to older adults, younger and middle aged adults were more likely to prefer vaping (Haug et al. 2017). Concentrates are another “newer” type of cannabis product. Dabbing refers to the flash vaporization of concentrated butane hash oil (BHO). While traditional flower products have concentrations between 3% and 6%, these concentrates, or “dabs,” can have a THC concentration as high as 80%. Smaller amounts of concentrates therefore have the ability to achieve a more potent effect (Loflin and Earleywine 2014; Stogner and Miller 2015). While such products are not a novelty, they have recently increased in both popularity and media scrutiny (Kilmer et al. 2013; Stogner and Miller 2015). The extraction of BHO from cannabis trimmings and the use of “dabs” is more complex than the use of flower products. In addition, butane is flammable and volatile, creating the risk of fires and/or explosions (Al-Zouabi et al. 2018; Stogner and Miller 2015). Even those who do not create the dabs themselves must learn a new strategy for administration.