“I Didn’t Smoke, But I Inhaled”

Despite the potential of marijuana to cause dependence and to function as a gateway drug, it has medical applications in treating nausea, pain, and weight loss associated with certain serious medical illnesses. However, smoked marijuana can cause lung damage and may be carcinogenic. These researchers examined features of a new delivery system, the “Volcano,” an electric vaporizer that converts cannabis to a gas that can be inhaled with a lower concentration of such dangerous substances as polycyclic hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (CO), and tar.

The vaporizer, which resembles a humidifier with a mouthpiece, heats cannabis to 180°–200°C, which vaporizes cannabinoids on the surface of the leaves without combustion. In an NIH-supported study invo…