[CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15]
liquids themselves (usually contaminated by
sloughing from the stainless steel vessels used
during the extraction process, but residual pes-
ticides or other compounds could also be a fac-
tor) and the cartridges used to vaporize them
(generally, this type of contamination comes
from a metal heating element within the vape).
Additionally, the cartridges themselves can
release toxins from plasticizers, solvents, coat-
ing agents, and other compounds during the
vaping process. In essence, we don’t know
how many of the compounds commonly used in
vaporizers and vape products work in the long
term, and there’s evidence to suggest that vap-
ing may not be as safe as we think.
To Dr. Orser, this is the single most important
issue facing vapor product manufacturers today.
With time, she says, those long-term health ef-
fects will become apparent, and if there are ad-
verse health outcomes and illnesses that can be
traced back to a vapor product, the company
could find itself embroiled in a class-action law-
suit. “Very few studies have been conducted
over vaping and vape pens in general,” says Dr.
Orser, and the long-term effects (“if there are
any,” she qualifies) are, at this time, a bit of a
question mark.
With this in mind, Dr. Orser emphasizes the
importance of being a conscious consumer
when it comes to THC and CBD vape products.
“Taking responsibility for their own wellbeing,”
18 NUGL Magazine
she says, is crucial -- so don’t fall for the flashy
packaging and really do your research. Dr. Ors-
er’s advice: “Always [ask] for the Certificate of
Analysis. The CoA describes, in detail, what ex-
actly is in the products [you] buy.”
The information on that CoA isn’t just dry
data, it offers you, as a consumer, the opportu-
nity to learn the exact details of the composition
of a product before you purchase it. Further-
more, says Dr. Orser, “Testing offers a chance to
bring awareness of potential dangers in various
products.”
In that way, she says, “Testing labs are re-
ally the gatekeepers of the cannabis and hemp
industry because we determine what the actual
potency is and if it is safe to consume. Also,
the data we collect from conducting all of these
tests will surely be valuable in the future for
products that we haven’t even thought of yet.”
Dr. Orser puts it this way: “Everything we
consume as humans have regulations and stan-
dardization. Shouldn’t cannabis products be
held to the same standard as anything else we
put in our bodies?” Through her work at Di-
gipath, Dr. Orser hopes to help build the knowl-
edge of what works in cannabis science and
create better, safer products for consumers ev-
erywhere.
For more information call 702.209.2429 or
visit DigiPathLabs.com.