Hi Reddit, we're Robert Strongin and Jiries Meehan-Atrash of Portland
State University! Ask us anything about analyzing the vapors created in
cannabis dabbing, including the possible hazard of terpenes.
Abstract
ACS AMA Hi Reddit! Robert Strongin and Jiries Meehan-Atrash here from
Portland State University. We recently had a paper in ACS Omega entitled
“Toxicant Formation in Dabbing: The Terpene Story”
(http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.7b01130). We describe
there that “dabbing” means to put a small amount of
cannabis-containing liquid such as butane hash oil on a hot surface,
then inhale the vapors via a water pipe. This is an example of a
noncombustible use of cannabis, i.e. not requiring smoking; Cannabis
dabbing has found increased popularity as medicinal and recreational use
has increased. Our study concludes “that dabbing, although considered a
form of vaporization, may in fact deliver significant amounts of toxic
degradation products”. In this Ask Us Anything, we look forward to
answering your questions about our research on chemical analysis of the
vapors produced by cannabis “dabbing” – this could include the
instrumentation we used, the chemical nature of terpenes and their
degradation products, and toxicological ramifications. Note that we are
not medical experts, but chemists conducting analysis. About us: Robert
Strongin, Ph.D.: I am a professor in the Portland State University
Department of Chemistry and I have affiliate appointments at the Oregon
Health and Sciences University. My research focuses broadly on redox and
chromophore chemistry. It encompasses the creation of biosensors and
molecular probes for studying oxidative stress and cancer, as well as
the investigation of chemical reactions and products associated with the
usage of electronic cigarettes and new cannabis formulations. I received
my B.A. in chemistry from Temple University, then worked as an
industrial chemist at FMC Corporation and SmithKline Beechman. I then
obtained a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania.
Upon graduation, I began my independent career at Louisiana State
University, then later moving to Portland State University. In addition
to my academic research, I’m a biotech startup founder, an advocate for
science funding, a regular grant review panel chairman at the National
Institutes of Health, and dedicate much time to improving STEM
education. Jiries Meehan-Atrash: I am a Palestinian-American who
attended high school at the Colegio “El Estudio” in Madrid, Spain. I
then received a B.S. in chemistry at State University of New York at New
Paltz, where I also did research in organic chemistry. After working in
New York City as a freelance Spanish-English technical translator for
two years, I enrolled in the chemistry graduate program at Portland
State University. I’ve been working on the cannabis vaporizer toxicology
project since its inception in January 2017 in Dr. Strongin’s lab. We’ll
be back at 1pm EDT (10am PDT, 5pm UTC) to start answering your
questions. We’re online now, taking your questions -acs signed off -acs