In response to the rash of hospitalizations and deaths linked to vaping, some doctors who prescribe medical marijuana are telling their patients to quit vaping and smoke a joint instead. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 380 cases of severe respiratory illness and six deaths related to vaping nicotine or marijuana. Experts don’t know if the culprit is in nicotine or marijuana vaping products, nor have they pinpointed what is causing the illnesses. One possible cause being investigated is a vape-juice thickener, vitamin E acetate. Most experts believe the products that are making people ill are bought illegally on the street, not in marijuana dispensaries. Though there is no federal regulation of marijuana products sold in dispensaries, each state that has legalized recreational or medical marijuana has its own set of rules.

According to a USA Today story, “Marijuana vaping company owners say they’re being unfairly maligned by government regulators and an alarmist media that fail to distinguish between state-licensed legal and black-market products, which are completely unregulated.”