New York governor urges against vaping, with or without marijuana

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state’s health commissioner called for consumers to stop vaping in the wake of reports of deaths and sickness related to the practice.

Many of those sickened said they’d been vaping THC, an active ingredient in cannabis.

“People should not be using vaping products, period,” Cuomo told reporters.

Dr. Howard Zucker, the state’s health commissioner, said in a statement that people should abstain from vaping until “the definitive cause of reported vaping-associated illnesses” can be better determined.

He said no illnesses have been found in New York’s medical marijuana program, but patients should find alternatives to vaping while the investigation continues.

U.S. health officials identified about 450 possible illness cases in 33 states, including as many as five deaths.

No single device, liquid or ingredient has been tied to all the illnesses.

Still, industry officials are bracing for a drop in sales in light of the flurry of reports on the potential dangers of vaping

– Associated Press and Marijuana Business Daily.