The Vaping Industry Makes A Comeback After Last Year’s Health Crisis
After going through a rough patch last year, vape sales are on the rise again and it looks like the vape industry is headed towards recovery. The industry suffered damages last summer during a national outbreak of e-cigarettes and vaping product associated lung injuries (EVALI).
The CDC confirmed a total of 68 deaths related to EVALI cases as of February of 2020 and recommended that people not use THC-containing e-cigarettes or vape products coming from informal sources. A harmful additive called Vitamin E acetate, found often in THC vaping products available on the black market, was identified as the primary cause of the lung injuries.
Vape sales plummeted across multiple state with some states temporarily banning the sales of marijuana vape products. According to BDSA’s sales tracking data, monthly sales in Arizona, Colorado, California, and Oregon took a $40 million hit between August and September of 2019.
In early 2020 vape sales remained steady until a spike in March that was probably attributed to consumers stocking up for California’s stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. Fresh out of a health crisis and facing a global pandemic, the future of the vape industry seemed uncertain.
A year later, marijuana vape companies are reporting that sales have bounced back and that the vaping health crisis opened up consumers eyes to the dangers of purchasing cannabis products from unlicensed retailers. Research published by the journal Addiction showed that states with legalized marijuana had fewer cases of vape-related lung illness. In fact, the states with the highest numbers of EVALI all prohibit recreational marijuana – Utah, North Dakota, Minnesota, Delaware, and Indiana.
Consumers have adopted safer practices when shopping for cannabis products because the public is more aware of the health risks that come from unregulated cannabis sales and are making the better choice of shopping at licensed cannabis retailers. The vape industry is expected to make a recovery this year as consumers begin to trust the legal market.