// Definition
The public health risk posed by counterfeit or low-quality vape cartridges made from brass alloys containing approximately 3% lead, which leaches into cannabis oil and is inhaled by consumers, particularly affecting youth who purchase from unregulated internet sources.
// From the Episode
Jeff Rosson, a PhD chemist formerly at Harvard, used X-ray fluorescence to rapidly screen confiscated vape cartridges from Boston-area high schools. He found that the regulated dispensary system funneled safe hardware to adults while internet-purchased knockoffs containing lead alloys went disproportionately to children. He noted that the heating filament's trace arsenic is negligible compared to the 3% lead in brass housings that contacts the oil directly. This work inspired him to found a consumer protection nonprofit.