E-cigarettes have been the talk of the town recently, as schools and businesses from the East Coast to Escondido, Calif. are fighting to ban their use indoors. The health concerns over e-cigarettes are varied. While they still contain addictive tobacco that sends many kids to rehab centers every year, some experts say they may be a better alternative to traditional cigarettes.
However the controversy over e-cigs has masked a growing epidemic more sinister in nature—that of people using vaporizer pens to secretly smoke marijuana in public.
Vaporizer devices—also known as vape pens—function similarly to e-cigarettes. The pen-like contraption contains a battery-powered heating element that vaporizes hash oil containing high levels of THC.
Taking hits of concentrated hash oil is the fastest way to get high from marijuana. Butane hash oil is created by pumping a solvent (butane) through the marijuana plant, leaving behind only a highly-concentrated amount of THC. After the butane is evaporated, you’re left with a waxy resin that can be vaporized and inhaled for an immediate high.
BHO is a much more potent drug than the marijuana of the hippie generation. Teenagers unfamiliar with its effects can easily take too big of a hit, and find themselves only later regaining consciousness in hospitals or drug rehab centers. Furthermore, in places where marijuana is not legal, unlike Escondido, Calif., the volatile process of making BHO at home has left many severely injured or even dead.
Now with the rise in popularity of vape pens, teenagers can hit this highly concentrated drug on the streets, in the home or even at school, with everyone none the wiser. Unlike a traditional joint or bong, vape pens don’t release the telltale smell of marijuana. And with their similarity to e-cigs, many vape users are flying under the radar.
From the Midwest to Escondido, the availability and ease of use of vaporizers is turning more people onto marijuana than ever before. And teenagers are the most vulnerable.
Teenagers are especially at risk for marijuana abuse using vape pens, as the amount of THC you’re getting can be hard to tell. When a teen starts vaping every day, he or she has a problem and needs to enlist in any one of America’s many drug rehab centers.
The prevalence of e-cigs and vaporizers has led to the reality that people everywhere, be they on the streets in New England or Escondido, may be lighting up even as unsuspecting bystanders look on. With people across the country getting high all the time, there’s an earnest hope rehab centers will be able to keep up with droves of incoming patients.
Natalie Benoy is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Recovery Center. Follow on Twitter
However the controversy over e-cigs has masked a growing epidemic more sinister in nature—that of people using vaporizer pens to secretly smoke marijuana in public.
Vaporizer devices—also known as vape pens—function similarly to e-cigarettes. The pen-like contraption contains a battery-powered heating element that vaporizes hash oil containing high levels of THC.
Taking hits of concentrated hash oil is the fastest way to get high from marijuana. Butane hash oil is created by pumping a solvent (butane) through the marijuana plant, leaving behind only a highly-concentrated amount of THC. After the butane is evaporated, you’re left with a waxy resin that can be vaporized and inhaled for an immediate high.
BHO is a much more potent drug than the marijuana of the hippie generation. Teenagers unfamiliar with its effects can easily take too big of a hit, and find themselves only later regaining consciousness in hospitals or drug rehab centers. Furthermore, in places where marijuana is not legal, unlike Escondido, Calif., the volatile process of making BHO at home has left many severely injured or even dead.
Now with the rise in popularity of vape pens, teenagers can hit this highly concentrated drug on the streets, in the home or even at school, with everyone none the wiser. Unlike a traditional joint or bong, vape pens don’t release the telltale smell of marijuana. And with their similarity to e-cigs, many vape users are flying under the radar.
From the Midwest to Escondido, the availability and ease of use of vaporizers is turning more people onto marijuana than ever before. And teenagers are the most vulnerable.
Teenagers are especially at risk for marijuana abuse using vape pens, as the amount of THC you’re getting can be hard to tell. When a teen starts vaping every day, he or she has a problem and needs to enlist in any one of America’s many drug rehab centers.
The prevalence of e-cigs and vaporizers has led to the reality that people everywhere, be they on the streets in New England or Escondido, may be lighting up even as unsuspecting bystanders look on. With people across the country getting high all the time, there’s an earnest hope rehab centers will be able to keep up with droves of incoming patients.
Natalie Benoy is a health writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Miramar Recovery Center. Follow on Twitter