Among 809 vaping-related injury patients reporting on the source of THC-containing products, 131 (16 percent) acquired products exclusively from legal sources, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Jan. 14.
The report updated demographic characteristics and self-reported sources of products containing THC or nicotine from 1,979 EVALI patients as of Jan. 7.
Five findings:
1. A total of 1,620 patients (82 percent) reported using THC-containing products, including 665 (34 percent) who reported using only THC products. A lower 264 (13 percent) reported exclusive nicotine-containing product use.
2. Of 809 EVALI patients reporting THC product sources, 627 (78 percent) acquired THC products from only informal sources — friends, family, or in-person or online dealers — while 131 (16 percent) acquired products from commercial sources — recreational or medical dispensaries, vape or smoke shops, stores, and pop-up shops. Fifty-one patients (6 percent) reported obtaining THC products from both sources.
3. Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont had the highest percentages of patients acquiring THC products from informal sources (50 to 100 percent).
4. Three percent of EVALI patients obtained THC products at medical dispensaries, while 8 percent reported THC products from recreational dispensaries.
5. Among 613 EVALI patients reporting nicotine product use, 421 (69 percent) acquired products from only commercial sources, 103 (17 percent) from only informal sources and 89 (15 percent) from both.