Man Unknowingly Vaped a Synthetic Cannabinoid Hidden in His E-Cigarette Liquid
A 27-year-old man experienced sudden headache, nausea, vertigo, and palpitations after vaping an e-cigarette that, unbeknownst to him, contained the synthetic cannabinoid ADB-BUTINACA.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Standard point-of-care drug tests were negative, but advanced LC-QTOF-MS analysis detected ADB-BUTINACA in the e-cigarette liquid. The patient experienced headache, nausea, vertigo, red eyes, and palpitations after vaping. This represents involuntary intoxication from an undisclosed synthetic cannabinoid in a commercial e-cigarette product.
Key Numbers
1 patient, age 27. Symptoms: headache, nausea, vertigo, red eyes, palpitations. Point-of-care drug test: negative. LC-QTOF-MS: positive for ADB-BUTINACA in e-cigarette liquid.
How They Did This
Case report of a 27-year-old man presenting to the emergency department. Point-of-care recreational drug testing was performed, followed by liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of the e-cigarette liquid.
Why This Research Matters
E-cigarettes can contain undisclosed psychoactive substances that standard drug tests cannot detect. This case highlights the risk of involuntary intoxication and the limitations of routine screening in emergency settings.
The Bigger Picture
As e-cigarette markets grow and regulation varies by jurisdiction, the risk of undisclosed additives including synthetic cannabinoids represents an emerging public health concern. Standard drug tests are not designed to detect many novel psychoactive substances.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single case report. Cannot determine how widespread e-cigarette contamination is. No long-term follow-up. Unclear source of the e-cigarette liquid or how the synthetic cannabinoid was introduced.
Questions This Raises
- ?How common are undisclosed synthetic cannabinoids in commercial e-cigarette products?
- ?Should emergency departments routinely test for novel psychoactive substances?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Single case report provides limited evidence but highlights an important clinical and public health concern.
- Study Age:
- Recently published case report.
- Original Title:
- Involuntary intoxication caused by vaping the synthetic cannabinoid ADB-BUTINACA: A case report.
- Published In:
- Toxicology reports, 14, 101930 (2025)
- Authors:
- Slob, Elise M A, Lyousoufi, Maryam, Pasha, Sharif, Wilms, Erik B
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07678
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can e-cigarettes contain drugs other than nicotine?
Yes. This case demonstrated that e-cigarette liquid can contain synthetic cannabinoids or other psychoactive substances without the user's knowledge, causing involuntary intoxication.
Would a standard drug test catch this?
No. Standard point-of-care drug tests do not detect most synthetic cannabinoids. Advanced laboratory testing like LC-QTOF-MS is needed to identify these substances.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07678APA
Slob, Elise M A; Lyousoufi, Maryam; Pasha, Sharif; Wilms, Erik B. (2025). Involuntary intoxication caused by vaping the synthetic cannabinoid ADB-BUTINACA: A case report.. Toxicology reports, 14, 101930. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2025.101930
MLA
Slob, Elise M A, et al. "Involuntary intoxication caused by vaping the synthetic cannabinoid ADB-BUTINACA: A case report.." Toxicology reports, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2025.101930
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Involuntary intoxication caused by vaping the synthetic cann..." RTHC-07678. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/slob-2025-involuntary-intoxication-caused-by
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.