Gretchen Newman and Delaney Cullura
Staff Writers
On June 20, 2019, a 17-year-old boy arrived at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. His entire jaw was cracked and a chunk of the bone had been completely shattered. Several of his teeth were missing along with a hole in his chin. Over the years, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) has become an addiction for teens. Dab pens are an electronic pen used to inhale marijuana in a convenient way. This has become a popular delivery system for cannabis users.
A news reporter Amanda Chicago Lewis stated the majority of the vape pens on the market contained a type of concentrate known as butane hash oil. This was sold in stores around the United States. They all were made by stuffing the marijuana that was too moldy or weak to sell into steel tubes or Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe. A filter would be fastened to one end releasing cans of lighter fluid to flow through the pipe. This process had to be taken in order to squeeze out every last drop of THC. Individuals are making a lot of money off of these products; therefore, new and stronger methods of making pens are getting out of hand. Higher THC levels may explain the rise in emergency room visits involving marijuana use.
These new methods could lead to effects such as altered senses, changes in mood, impaired body movement, difficulty with thinking or problem-solving, and impaired memory. The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing steadily in recent decades. This creates more harmful effects in some people. This was all because he was using a dab pen that exploded in his mouth. If this keeps growing and younger kids keep becoming addiction, our future is not looking too healthy.
