Vaping THC: Police working to slow flood of illegal cartridges

Apr. 19—Police say they are facing a challenge keeping up with crimes in the wake of the popularity of vaping THC.

Oil or liquid containing THC — the psychoactive component of marijuana — is funneled into cartridges and used with an electronic cigarette-­like device to smoke. It is both legal to purchase from dispensaries by Pennsylvanians who have a medical marijuana card and highly sought after in an illicit black market that's attracting young users.

In recent months, police in West Deer confiscated from a resident 900 cartridges containing THC, and robberies have been reported in Hempfield and Jeannette related to the cartridges. State and municipal police separately raided two vape shops in Hempfield and Murrysville, and while authorities have not publicly detailed the items seized, it is believed they were THC-­related.

It's not anything new: A Hempfield man was sentenced to state prison in 2019 after investigators reported finding 2,200 vape pens that contained THC oil at his house. Police said he had been traveling regularly to California to get the items. And Frazer police the same year said they

seized 1,029 THC cartridges worth nearly $61,000 during a traffic stop.

People in recovery from a substance abuse problem and those still using often tell Westmoreland County Detective Tony Marcocci that if they hadn't started using marijuana at a young age, they might not have developed a drug addiction later in life.

"We're trying to eliminate kids going through that," he said.

The market changed quickly in the past few years, and illegal THC cartridges came flooding in, said Murrysville police Detective Sgt. Dan Cox. Laws regarding marijuana use vary from state to state, and it can be tricky to discern the legality of a form of marijuana that doesn't come with the telltale signs of the drug and is packaged in a small tube resembling a nicotine vape.

"We're struggling to keep up," he said.

Lucrative market

For Pennsylvanians who don't have a medical marijuana card, or even those who want a less-costly alternative, the underground market has become lucrative for dealers, Marcocci said.

"They end up getting them right off the street. It's cheaper," he said.

It's been a national issue for the past few years. Thousands of the illicit cartridges have been seized in states including Minnesota, Arizona, California and Connecticut. An Associated Press tally from 2019 showed more than a half-million illegal marijuana vape cartridges had been confiscated nationwide.

Three people were indicted in Ohio federal court in 2019 for their role in a distribution network, according to prosecutors. The AP reported the national illicit marijuana vape market in 2019 was estimated at as much as $2.5 billion — about the same as the market for legal pot cartridges, based on cannabis market research from BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research.

The West Deer suspect told authorities he paid $6,000 to buy 500 THC cartridges from a person he met through friends. He intended to resell them for $40 each, and net a $28 profit, according to court papers. Police in Frazer and West Deer did not respond to messages.

Local law enforcement officials said they suspect the Internet is helping to drive the illicit market. In 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Food and Drug Administration shut down 44 website domains that were selling illicit vaping cartridges containing THC.

State troopers in 2022 seized about 140 pints of liquid THC in Pennsylvania, valued at nearly $940,000.

It's all going on while law enforcement continues to grapple with the stronghold deadly opioid fentanyl has on communities.

"This is adding to our workload," Marcocci said.

Growing popularity

Vaping devices have grown in popularity with young people. Teen use of e-cigarettes shot up after 2015 when electronic cigarette maker Juul focused marketing its product on young people. The company has agreed to pay nearly $440 million to settle an investigation related to a national surge in teen vaping.

It is illegal for retailers to sell tobacco products to anyone younger than 21 in Pennsylvania.

Health advocates say the ensuing flavored cannabis products are continuing to target youth. The use of vape pens with THC products has been increasing among young people, with about 1 in 5 high school seniors reporting vaping marijuana between 2019 and 2020, according to the Partnership to End Addiction. On March 29, state police investigated a report of a student at Hempfield Area High School having a THC vaping device.

"It's pretty discreet. Even if somebody sees you doing it, it looks like you're just vaping (nicotine)," Cox said.

Latrobe police in 2019 warned parents after some Greater Latrobe students were taken to a hospital for allegedly using vape pens to smoke marijuana. Administrators at Highlands School District this year installed detectors and an electronic hall pass system to track student use of high school and middle school bathrooms and to notify officials when students are using vape devices. Highlands officials declined comment.

Investigators believe children were being targeted by items for sale at the Murrysville vape shop that was raided last month.

Between February 2022 and 2023, Mutual Aid EMS — which handles calls in 29 municipalities in Westmoreland, Fayette and Somerset counties — responded to 11 cases of children who ingested THC — five had used a vape device and five others ate gummies, according to paramedic Shawn Penzera. One smoked marijuana. Most of the children, ages 12 to 16, went to a hospital to be checked out and some of the ambulance calls were at schools, he said.

Symptoms included feeling dizzy and weak with a rapid heart rate for those who ate gummies and lethargy, paranoia, nausea and vomiting for the children who vaped, Penzera said.

The illicit cartridges can contain unexpected ingredients and potent amounts of THC, Cox and Marcocci said. Problems can arise when they are used all day.

"You really don't know the levels that are in the products," Cox said.

But users want them, so dealers do, too, said Jeannette Police Chief Donald Johnston Jr.

A 19-year-old Jeannette man and 16-year-old city boy are accused of robbing a 15-year-old boy who attends Penn-Trafford High School during a reported sale between the two boys of THC cartridges, according to court papers. Police in Jeannette haven't had many problems with the devices other than the February robbery.

"I'm sure it's going on behind closed doors," Johnston said.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .