Massachusetts

State: 6 Lung Illnesses Linked to Regulated Pot Vapes

The Department of Health did not specify what products were linked to the six cases

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Six Massachusetts residents with probable cases of vaping-related lung illnesses said they used products purchased from state-licensed marijuana dispensaries, according to information released Thursday.

It is the first time the state Department of Health has linked illnesses to vaping products bought at dispensaries.

The state has flagged 90 probable and confirmed cases of vaping-related lung illnesses. Three of those people have died. Forty-nine people have been interviewed by state officials.

The department did not say what products were linked to the six cases, or where they were purchased but it did recommend avoiding the use of all vaping products until more is known about the cause or causes of the disease.

The report was released just days before Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is set to lift a statewide ban on the sale of vaping products that started in September.

The Cannabis Control Commission has imposed a separate moratorium on marijuana vape sales.

David O'Brien, the president of the Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association, told The Boston Globe the state should immediately disclose which licensed operators were potentially implicated in the six cases linked to regulated products.

“The industry wants to know if there's cause for alarm so we can address it,'' O'Brien said.

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