Vape Crisis Update: Vitamin E Acetate Occurs Naturally in Cannabis

Vitamin E acetate is being named as the underlying culprit causing the vaping illness epidemic happening in America. Recently the founder of a cannabis lab notified the public in a Westword article that vitamin E occurs naturally in THC Vapes. For anyone researching vitamin E acetate, this can be a little confusing. Vitamin E acetate is actually the name of DL alpha-tocopheryl acetate. It’s a product that is most commonly used in skincare products.

What is Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate?

Dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate is said to protect cell membranes from the harsh extremities caused by oxygen free radicals. Skin products implore vitamin E acetate to aid in the prevention of premature aging of the epidermis brought upon by lipid oxidation and UV radiation. The confusion seems to be when researching vitamin E acetate. It shows up as a chemical compound that is a synthetic form of vitamin E. Now we’re being told by a lab owner that vitamin E or dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate is a naturally occurring product found in cannabis plants.

The news of the naturally occurring vitamin E is courtesy of Frank Taylor, who is co-founder of AgriScience Labs. Frank Taylor says that some vitamin E acetate occurs naturally in plants. This is different than a synthetic vitamin E. Synthetic vitamin E is added to cannabis extracts that are thin as a thickening agent. Consumers believe that thick oil shows a high-quality standard. AgriScience labs tested vitamin E, and it was discovered that levels as high as 400 parts per million were found in products that never added vitamin E during any part of their production procedure. This research led AgriScience to discover vitamin E that naturally occurs in plants is converted to acetate when in small amounts.

Testing the Difference in Vape Products

It does not matter whether your concentrates are solventless or bho/pho concentrates, they all have been found to contain traces of vitamin E. The CDC has identified that vitamin E that is causing lung illness. It is the same type of vitamin E AgriScience labs was able to test to help them determine a way to detect the difference in naturally occurring vitamin E vs. synthetic additive. Frank has a customer that believes terpenes play a pivotal role in the conversion of vitamin E acetate, but there is no information to support this theory currently available.

The vaping epidemic that is causing lung illness seems to be isolated to the US. You do not hear about vaping issues in the UK, or China like here in America. The black market is playing a significant role in this epidemic. Licensed products must comply with certified lab testing. Black market products leave you at the mercy of the person who is making their own and just trying to get as much money as they can.

When you purchase a vape cartridge from someone on the black market, you never know what you could be getting. Black market vape cartridges have turned up containing everything from vitamin E acetate to synthetic cannabinoids. The best way to vape safely is to buy products from the legal market that are certified clean by their party lab tests.