Pot inhaled through a vape device produces a more powerful high — and often with more deleterious side effects — than the smoked version, a new study finds.
At the same level of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, vaping led to higher blood concentrations of the chemical than smoking, as well as higher levels of cognitive and psychomotor impairment and a higher incidence of adverse effects, such as vomiting, anxiety, hallucinations and feelings of paranoia, according to the report, published Friday in JAMA Network Open.
It’s important to understand the impact of vaping as more and more states legalize cannabis and the drug becomes more easily accessible, said the study’s lead author, Tory Spindle, a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “More people are coming into cannabis dispensaries and using for the first time in a while or for the first time ever,” Spindle told NBC News. “They should be aware that vaping will produce stronger effects. We found there was a fine line sometimes between a dose that produced the desired effects and one that was too strong.”
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