Chemotyping of ∆8-THC-Containing e-Liquids Analyzed during the 2019-2020 New York State EVALI Investigation.

The investigation of the 2019-2020 E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) outbreak in New York State provided a unique opportunity to examine the formulations and chemical components found in clandestine cannabis-containing e-liquids. In this EVALI investigation, it was determined that an unusually high proportion (16%) of the cannabis e-liquids analyzed contained significant levels of ∆8-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆8-THC). Although not thought to be the causative agent in the outbreak, the manufacturing origin of vaping e-liquids containing large concentrations of ∆8-THC was of great interest, since high ∆8-THC concentrations are not observed in the extracts of common cannabis strains. A principal component analysis of multiple cannabinoid concentrations revealed clusters of similar or identical ∆8-THC-containing products. This technique may be useful in identifying common manufacturing sources in this and future investigations. Several possible manufacturing methods to enrich ∆8-THC appear in literature and are discussed based on their likelihood as sources of this cannabinoid in these samples from the EVALI investigation. The presence of high levels of ∆8-THC in numerous illicit vaping products may implicate cannabidiol, which is readily available at low cost, as its synthetic precursor.

Investigation of Vaping Fluids Recovered From New York State E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury Patients.

E-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) is a serious pulmonary condition that is associated with the extended use of certain vaping products. EVALI was first characterized in the summer of 2019 and has since been reported in all 50 U.S. states. From August 2019 through June 2021, the New York State Department of Health has reported more than 197 confirmed cases emanating from all regions of the state. The Wadsworth Center at the New York State Department of Heath received vaping cartridges recovered from EVALI patients for chemical analysis of their contents. Untargeted analytical methods using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry as well as targeted analyses for a variety of analytes including cannabinoids, pesticides, vitamin E acetate (VEA) and mycotoxins were used to characterize the composition of the vaping fluids and several commercial vaping fluid additives. From the analyses of the 284 e-cigarette devices recovered from patients, 82 were found to be nicotine-containing pods, and 202 devices containing cannabis oil, apparently from unauthorized or black-market dealers. The fluids from the cannabis-oil cartridges tended to have lower levels of THCs (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol + Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol) and total cannabinoids compared with those of commercially produced formulations and contained significant levels of diluents including VEA, medium-chain triglycerides, polyethylene glycol, and castor oil. VEA was the diluent most frequently detected, which was present in 132 (65.3%) of the vaping fluids that contained cannabis oil. When present, VEA ranged from 2.0 to 67.8% of the total mass of the oil with a mean content of 37.0%. In some cases, two or three diluents were detected in the same sample. The ratio of VEA to THCs varied widely, from 0.07 to 5.34. VEA and specifically the high ratios of VEA to THCs in black-market vaping fluids may be causative in EVALI. The safety of additional components and additives that are present in vaping fluids are likewise of concern.

Potency Analysis of Medical Marijuana Products from New York State.

Introduction: In the United States, medical marijuana programs have been established in 29 states and the District of Columbia. In 2014, New York State (NYS) approved medical marijuana legislation, and its program became fully operational in January of 2016. Products manufactured under the auspices of the program may be used by certified patients in NYS for the treatment of 1 of 12 qualifying medical conditions. The NYS statute requires rigorous testing of each product lot manufactured in the state for its cannabinoid profile, bacterial and fungal contamination, mycotoxins, heavy metals, plant-growth regulators, and pesticides. Here, we report on the analysis of product cannabinoid profiles. Methods: A method employing a simple extraction/dilution technique and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-PDA) was developed for the analysis of 10 cannabinoids: cannabidiolic acid, cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerol, cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabinol, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabichromene, cannabidivarin, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-A. The method employed internal standard quantitation and incorporated a surrogate to monitor extraction efficiency and analytical recovery. Results: The HPLC-PDA method was validated using sample matrices composed of medium-chain triglycerides, hemp oil, sesame oil, and an ethanol-propylene glycol tincture. Limits of detection, limits of quantitation, accuracy, precision, and inter- and intraday reproducibility were found to be highly satisfactory. The validated method has been used to analyze over 3500 samples from over 700 lots of medical marijuana products manufactured in NYS from January 2016 through April 2018. Quality-control data showed quantitative spike recoveries and, for the analysis of samples from the same lot, the coefficients of variation for the principal analytes, Δ9-THC and CBD, averaged <3%. Using the HPLC-PDA method, the NYS medical marijuana products were analyzed to verify the potencies on the product labels and to determine the stability of the products. Conclusions: An HPLC-PDA-based method was developed, validated, and employed to analyze 10 cannabinoids in a variety of medical marijuana products. The method has proven to be accurate, precise, stable, and very robust. Its use is an integral part of the NYS Medical Marijuana program for validation of the content and consistency of medical marijuana products.

Indoor air polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in three communities along the Upper Hudson River, New York.

Indoor air polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations were measured in upstate New York as part of a nonoccupational exposure investigation. The adjacent study communities contain numerous sites of current and former PCB contamination, including two capacitor-manufacturing facilities. Indoor air PCB concentrations in the study area homes were not significantly different than in the comparison area homes. Total PCB concentrations in the study area homes ranged from 0.3 to 114.3 ng/m(3) (median 7.9). For the comparison area homes, concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 233.3 ng/m(3) (median 6.8). No correlations were found between PCB concentrations in indoor and outdoor air, with indoor concentrations generally 20 times higher than outdoor concentrations. Of the home characteristics cataloged, the presence of fluorescent lights was significantly associated with total PCB concentration in the study area only. The indoor PCB concentrations measured in this study are similar to those in other communities with known PCB-contaminated sites and similar to levels reported in other locations from the northeastern United States.

Outdoor air PCB concentrations in three communities along the Upper Hudson River, New York.

Outdoor air polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations were measured in upstate New York as part of a nonoccupational exposure investigation. The adjacent study communities of Hudson Falls and Fort Edward contain numerous sites of current and former PCB contamination, including two capacitor-manufacturing facilities. Outdoor air PCB concentrations in the study municipalities were significantly higher than in the comparison municipality of Glens Falls. Total PCB concentrations in the study area ranged from 0.102 to 4.011 ng/m(3) (median: 0.711 ng/m(3)). For the comparison area, concentrations ranged from 0.080 to 2.366 ng/m(3) (median: 0.431 ng/m(3)). Although our sampling was not designed to identify point sources, the presence of PCB-contaminated sites in the study area likely contributed to this observed difference in concentration. While elevated relative to the comparison area, total PCB concentrations in the study area are lower than those in other communities with known PCB-contaminated sites, and similar to levels reported in other locations from the northeastern United States.