Chemical analysis of 576 vaping products from 16 California high schools found that 90% of disposable vape pens contained cannabinoids, and some nicotine products had mislabeled contents.
School administrators and health educators; public health professionals working on youth substance use prevention.
90.1% of disposable vape pens from schools contained cannabinoids
What the researchers found
Among 43 disposable vape pen devices, 39 (90.1%) contained THC or CBD, with three containing both nicotine and THC. Among cartridges and pods, 98.1% contained nicotine. Confiscated products differed chemically from purchased versions of the same brand.
Why it matters
This is among the first studies to systematically analyze what teens are actually vaping at school. The finding that disposable vape pens overwhelmingly contain cannabinoids rather than just nicotine challenges assumptions about what youth vaping products deliver and has implications for school health interventions.
The numbers in context
576 total products from 16 schools. 90.1% of disposable vape pens (39/43) contained THC or CBD. 98.1% of cartridges/pods (204/208) contained nicotine. 3 devices contained both nicotine and THC. Chemical differences found between confiscated and purchased JUULs.
How the study worked
Cross-sectional chemical analysis of 576 electronic vaping products (233 devices, 343 cartridges/pods/e-liquids) found or confiscated from 16 California public high schools in February-March 2019. Liquids from 251 samples were analyzed by GC/MS. Results were compared to newly purchased JUUL pods.
What this study cannot tell us
Products were collected from a convenience sample of 16 California schools during a two-week period in 2019, limiting generalizability. Self-reported product labels may not reflect what students knew they were using. The vaping landscape has changed significantly since data collection.
How to read the evidence
Moderate: rigorous chemical analysis using GC/MS, but limited to a convenience sample of California schools from 2019.
When this study was published
2024 publication analyzing products collected in 2019.
The bigger picture
Youth vaping is often framed primarily as a nicotine problem, but these data reveal a significant cannabinoid dimension. Disposable vape pens, which are easy to obtain and discard, appear to be a primary delivery method for THC among high school students.
Questions still open
- Has the proportion of THC-containing vape products on school grounds changed since 2019? Are students aware that their vape products contain cannabinoids when they contain both nicotine and THC?
Common questions
Were students using THC or nicotine vapes?
Were product labels accurate?
Read the original research
Chemical Composition of Electronic Vaping Products From School Grounds in California.
Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 26(8), 991-998
Citation
Wang, Ping; Williams, Rebecca J; Chen, Wenhao; Wang, Flavia; Shamout, Mays; Tanz, Lauren J; Herzig, Carolyn T A; Oakley, Lisa P; Peak, Corey M; Heinzerling, Amy; Al-Shawaf, Maeh; Melstrom, Paul; Marynak, Kristy; Tynan, Michael A; Agaku, Israel T; Kumagai, Kazukiyo. (2024). Chemical Composition of Electronic Vaping Products From School Grounds in California.. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, 26(8), 991-998. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae042
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