Tests CONFIRM Bootleg Vapes LOADED With CYANIDE From Toxic Myclobutanil, Vitamin E; Gov’s Order For Flavored Vapes To Disappear Stayed By Court
First reported on Cannabistical.Com, and syndicated for publication here, at the Staten Islander News Organization’s paperless hyper-local news site, NBC new has confirmed that all bootleg THC and CBD vapes tested contain myclobutanil, better known by its most popular brand name, Eagle 20. (https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/tests-show-bootleg-marijuana-vapes-tainted-hydrogen-cyanide-n1059356) This significantly boosts the credibility of Cannabistal.com’s anonymous author “Ari Mokir”, as he was the first to report this scandal.
In this article, part of our continuing series on both the flavored vape ban, as well as the rash of lung damage incidents, Staten Islander provides the latest, most comprehensive data, from the sources that matter most. As these two topics now intersect in an unquestionable way, this piece seeks to clarify what’s been muddied in the popular press.

DANGER CYANIDE. Image Credit- Staten Islander News Organization
When Eagle 20 is burned, one of the combustion byproducts is hydrogen cyanide, a strongly corrosive substance that also inhibits the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. Feeling lethargic after smoking street weed or vaping bootleg THC products? This could easily explain why. (https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/tests-show-bootleg-marijuana-vapes-tainted-hydrogen-cyanide-n1059356) In fact, Eagle 20 carries its own neurological effects, and may even be addictive for some. The same is true of solvents, including butane; there are literally addicts who “huff”, or sniff industrial solvents just to get high.
Additionally, “street weed” is contaminated with solvents, according to Cannabistical’s report (http://statenislander.org/2019/09/09/cdc-stop-vaping-fake-thc-vapes-common-denominator-in-deadly-pulmonary-condition/), chemical residue from extraction of the precious oil that is then sold separately by the cartels. They’re making double their money, now, selling worthless marijuana devoid of medicinal properties, as well as diluted cannabis oil, infused with low-purity, high-contaminant butane or other cheap solvent residue from extraction, and often, Vitamin E acetate, sneakily employed as a cutting agent.
According to the FDA, vitamin E Acetate has been reported as the main culprit in deaths and lung injury cases that have recently been reported. Note that THC, CBD, and nicotine vapes have all been implicated, however, the common connection between all seems to be that these products were purchased on the black market, or online, and not at legitimate stores.
More than a third of patients suffering from lung injury admitted to vaping THC, however, to date, no hair or unine analysis has been conducted to rule out that the remaining patients falling ill had, in fact, consumed THC, but claimed to only have vaped nicotine. There are a number of reasons this may be so; the mean age of victims is quite young. (Please see Staten Islander New Org’s recent article entitled, “CDC: Stop Vaping! Fake THC Vapes Common Denominator In Deadly Pulmonary Condition” exploring this issue. (http://statenislander.org/2019/09/09/cdc-stop-vaping-fake-thc-vapes-common-denominator-in-deadly-pulmonary-condition/)
Leafly.Com reported on this extensively on September 24th. By all accounts, their investigation into the matter has been the most thorough thus far. In the Leafly piece entitled, “Journey of a tainted vape cartridge: from China’s labs to your lungs,” authors David Downs, Dave Howard, and Bruce Barcott.
According to their report, “Recent reports have estimated that America’s legal, regulated cannabis industry accounts for only 22% of the nation’s $52 billion in cannabis purchases. The other 78% of the THC market remains untested and out of control.” Therefore, there’s a lot of room for tainted vapes in the marketplace, a great deal of space for sickening, even deadly, contaminants to make their way into the lungs of unsuspecting North Americans.
Leafly’s investigation traced the contaminated vapes all the way across the globe, to China, of all places. Those low-quality cartridges, often full of hazardous lead, end up in wholesale markets in Los Angles. While Leafly’s investigators believe that the supply chain is managed by “…companies small and large,” it’s highly unlikely that cartels are not involved in a massive drug distribution ring that has peddled its ersatz wares in every state, if cases of vape-induced illness are any indicator of the reach of the makers of these fake carts.
Also, no legitimate companies sell cannabis oil. Perhaps the cartridges, themselves legal, are sold by companies, however, at some point the operation is so far underground that it’s impossible to determine precisely whom is involved. Certainly, front companies may be involved, but again, this is the domain of cartel business, when it comes to THC vapes.
However, Juul, and other major players in the nicotine cart market, have also had their products copied by fakers. The same is true for legal CBD oil, a product first legalized by President Trump, in the recent Farm Bill of 2018. Both of these products can be bought online, where checks for age are less stringent, and fakers are more likely to peddle their wares.
Before vitamin E acetate was used, counterfeiters often relied on polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, and glycerin. However, such cutting agents have a far different viscosity, or flow rate, than cannabis oil, and consumers could easily tell they were unauthentic. So, according to Leafly, “Honey Cut,” a vitamin E-based cutting agent, began appearing in Los Angeles cash-only districts back in 2018.
It seems the mystery is solved. However,that brings us to the next issue. Flavored vapes are now history, for all practical purposes. With more data, it seems flavored vapes have zero connection to the recent illnesses, however new York State has moved forward with Governor Cuomo’s emergency legislation, set to take effect shortly, ostensibly to cut teen use of vape products.
Staten Islander interviewed Mr. Moe Elgaly, owner of Staten Island’s largest chain of vape shops, General Vape CBD, over the phone on September 18th. According to Elgaly, these flavored e-juice products comprised over 90% of total sales before the ban. And,more importantly, Elgaly stated emphatically that his stores, and all vape chops, ONLY sold to adults.
How can this be proven true? In Staten Islander’s recent interview with Mr. Elgaly, he stated that sting operations are already being performed, often by agents who, “…look like they’re 30, but are actually 19. Minors are getting their e-cigarettes online, and most of them use Juul.” The average age of his customers are people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. The target audience for the flavored vapes is actually ex-smokers, and certainly not children or adolescents under 21.
Moe Elgaly feels there is little logic to the ban. Online sales of flavored e-juice is still permitted, and so rates of underage vaping will remain unaffected. (And, now we also know that online vapes may be counterfeit, and risk death or debilitating illness in its users.) “Prohibition didn’t work. When they ban something, [kids] only want it more. They’ll always do what’s trending. [Kids] can get anything outside – cocaine or THC…”
Retailers like General Vape CBD follow all FDA regulations with regard to packaging, according to Elgaly. All constituents of the products are listed by the FDA as GRAS, or generally recognized as safe. This also hits US entrepreneurs, “…the vape industry is bringing back manufacturing to the US. All e-cigarette manufacturing is in the US…” Unfortunately, according to the Leafly article, this is not true of the counterfeits.
Moe Elgaly pioneered the sale and manufacture of e-juice in New York City, having started Zenith E-juice back in 2013. “New York City put a ban on opening of new vape shops since August of 2017. No new vape shops could get licenses. So whatever stores have opened before 2017 are still there. There’s a district cap of 60 stores, and there are currently 159 in New York City. Anything already opened was grandfathered in. So, 100 of those would have to go out of business, in order for any new stores to even get licensed. I was OK with the new store ban, because if you limit the source, it’s better. You can pinpoint who was selling to minors.”
As regards the recent vape deaths and lung problems, Mr. Elgaly had this to say, “It’s only happening in the US, whereas vaping is popular around the world. Everyone is getting sick off of THC cartridges. No one is getting sick off of nicotine. And, it’s not happening anywhere else. If anyone was to die from it, from e-cigarettes, if they were poisonous, e-cigarettes and e-juice has been around for fifteen years. An epidemic would not happen 14 years later. That makes no sense.” (In fact, we now know that some have been hurt, or even killed, by FAKE CBD and Juul nicotine, in contrast to the legal, tested, and regulated vapes sold by General Vape and other legal shops.)
As far as motive goes, Elgaly feels it’s naked greed on the part of the state, and not concern for “kids.” “New York city was planning to get money on cigarette taxes but due to shrinking payments from tobacco taxes, they’re about to default on their bonds…New York makes $6 a pack…more than Philip Morris makes per pack.”
Staten Islander: “Did Philip Morris buying 35% of Juul hurt the industry?”
Moe Elgaly : “Juul, in general, hurt the vaping industry image. If Juul owns 75% of the market, and young people use them as well, why not just ban Juul?” Elgaly feels it’s because Juul’s owner is big and powerful, while vape manufacturers and retailers are local, small businesses owned by people within their own communities. Juul claims it doesn’t make flavors. They actually make smaller batches and provide them to small distributors. Their flavors are still there…my store has all the Juul flavors.”
“Surveys and studies showed that high school students use menthol flavor, so what is the point of banning the other flavors, when high school students are not using them? in the U.K., they’re opening vape stores in hospitals, so they obviously believe it is not harmful, and is away to stop smoking cigarettes. How is this a public health epidemic, when 6 people (now 19 confirmed deaths) died, whereas 13,000 people a week die from tobacco smoking each year. Cuomo said on live TV, ‘Vaping is safer than cigarettes, so what?’ Cuomo gets 1.5 million dollars from the tobacco lobby for his campaign. That’s just in this quarter. ”
Elgaly questioned the logic of banning flavors. He continues, “The reason people used tobacco all these years was to get nicotine. This is a different way. Why would you still want to use tobacco flavoring? E-cigarettes are competing with tobacco. in a number of years, there won’t be any tobacco smoking any more. So, all the tobacco companies own their own e-cigarette [brands]. ”
Elgaly feels that this new ban is being carried out without correct factual data. “I don’t think Adder, the public health commissioner., is correct, when he says that vape stores and delis are the ones selling to minors. The council and health department are not going to go against their boss (Cuomo) and this is his big thing. One of the council member asked what a C-store is. How could they not know what [a convenience store] is? This is an executive order, not a law, and that’s why [vape stores] are having meetings to stop this.”
And, stop this they did. So far, at least. As of October 3, 2019, the NY.S. Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Judicial Department, decided to stay Governor Cuomo’s enforcement of the ban on flavored vapes. (State of New York Supreme Court. Vapor Technology v. Andrew Cuomo Gov., Matter of Banning Flavored Vapes) A panel of judges decided, in the motion brought forth by Vapor Technology et al. that the State of New York is prohibited from enforcing the Governor’s executive order entitled, “Prohibition on the Sale of Electronic Liquids with Characterizing Flavors.”
So, for now, this matter is far from settled. The ongoing issue of vape injuries and deaths has called into focus many peripheral debates, including marijuana prohibition, marijuana “decriminalization,” kids and vaping, and vape shops’ right to lawfully sell flavored vapes to adults over 21 in New York State.

Blasted Marijuana With Oil Extracted. Note missing trichomes, elongated gland stalks. Image Credit: Staten Islander News Agency
We now know that we should tell our kids to stay away from street weed at all costs, and that illicit weed in decriminalized NYS is loaded with lead, miclobutanil and solvents; illicit counterfeit black market THC vapes are also loaded with miclobutanil, and Vitamin E (which cannot be inhaled without extreme costs on health and wellness), as well as cheap extraction solvents like butane. We also know that counterfeit CBD and nicotine vapes purchased online are yet another game of Russian roulette, as they also have the risk of containing Vitamin E.
What would help us most would be a list of fake THC vape brands, as well as images of packaging, that have maimed and killed. This would be the most sensible harm reduction measure that might be considered. And, smokers, don;’t go back to cigarettes, now or ever! Consider that “legitmate” medications for smoking cessation may not be risk-free. Although F.D.A. approved, some legal smoking cessation drugs are not without their risks. For example, Chantix, one such popular prescription drug, has been linked to 542 suicides and 1,869 attempted suicides.

Brass Knuckles Fake THC Vape. Please note this is a COUNTERFEIT item. Image Credit: Staten Island News Org
Kids, stay away from marijuana, THC and CBD vapes, as well as nicotine vapes. You’re not old enough to start destroying yourselves. However, you are old enough to know that your health is the most valuable asset that you have, and that greedy cartels and “businesspeople” will rob that from you without thinking twice.
Instead of banning flavored vapes, the governor should be starting an investigation into how decriminalizing marijuana only encourages people, including kids (as there’s no age check), to buy a product “on the streets” that may be deadly. The Postal Police, F.B.I., as well as D.E.A., should also play a role in this, as there was clearly interstate commerce involved in mushrooming this travesty.
In the name of harm reduction, these issues should be approached from a strictly factual perspective, and perhaps we should reconsider decriminalized cannabis inn New York. Legalize the controlled substance, or keep it illegal; the present state of affairs is no solution, and is only enriching the cartels. “Decrim” is costing lives, and is a complete farce.
Kids need to be educated on this matter, immediately. A workshop should be convened for all students to participate in, from middle school through undergraduate level at local colleges and universities. Underage adolescents and children should never be smoking or vaping, but the risks are higher now than ever. Educators should seek to implement a state-wide program to illuminate these hazards.
According to the American Vaping Association, an estimated 200 stores have closed since August, since first announcing this proposed ban. An entire industry that deals in harm reduction is being destroyed because of an alleged harm reduction measure. While ironic, this is quite troubling. We don’t want adults going back to smoking, nor do we want illicit weed or THC vapes available to kids, ever, but especially now when these illegal products have been transformed into deadly vices.
Simon Berkovich, owner of six vape stores called Caviar Mist, confirmed that his store has been repeatedly checked for underage buyers by undercover agents in recent weeks. Caviar Mist passed the test; yet another vape shop that only sells to adults, following the laws.
The following is a statement by Nathan, owner of Hookahtime Vapes, located on Forest Avenue:
Wow. This is opening a real can of worms. I wonder what the next twist in this horror show will be.
as usual this paper has the full facts and isn’t in the pocket of some business or other
kudos for the real reporting
what you guys miss in quantity is more than made up with quality
thank you very much
Whoa! I’m just blown away. Information overload!
Many thanks for this. I also appreciate posting the letter from Nathan in full. It’s clear you guys have nothing to hide. You guys are making the big media outlets look shameless. haha Keep going. :star: :star: :star: :star: :star:
שַׁבָּת שָׁלוֹם
what does this mean????
Looks like Hebrew to me. Don;t you live in NYC? Tell me it’s the first time you ever saw letters like that? Oh and the other dude is speaking Russian.
I have to admit that I was skeptical of info coming from a website called Canabistical. But it turns out the source was right on. It really makes me wonder. Why is the best reporting coming from these no-name news sites? No offence but I just mean that I hadn’t heard of Staten Islander until my co-worker told me about this place. Very strange. I am not one to go exploring the internet but I wonder now if there are better news sources out there than the “usual”. I know I’ve heard the term fake news before but it is getting to the point that it is very easy to see that the news I get in the papers I have delivered to my home is not quite right. Something is wrong here. I get two papers to keep informed. Neither of them seem to have a clue anymore. Just shameless plugging for this and that.
Добрый день.
Good reporter.
I look for Staten Island news everywhere but cannot find.
I look in newspaper and only see garbage.
I listen to radio in car and same junk.
If real news here why not there?
I love American lifestyle but news here very bad.
This news ‘5’ Excellent for reported.
спасибо
Why are you guys posting in other language? You know no one on here is going to have a clue. And not only is a different language but the letters are not even the same! Please try translating first. Then we can know what you are talking about.
smoking is a nasty habit
Yes. That’s why so many are turning to vaping. I think it’s pathetic that we have a nanny state. I just read in the local SI paper I’ve had delivered for the last 32 years that DA Michael mcMahon still sees weed as driving “criminal activity.”
1. So many people smoke it that criminals are bound to use it, too.
2. It’s a black market product and there seems to be profit in trafficking it. So why would we expect anything but that a product so widely used woiuldn’t be a major engine driving profits for gangs, etc.
3. There is just no way legalization won’t curb the illegal cartels’ market share. With booze, this happened. People were going blind. Now with Eagle 20 and Vit E, the same will happen.
4. Legal weed is stronger. Not black market weed. The DEA knows this. Even as strong as it is, it can’t kill a soul. Just not possible. I found an article on that website Cannabistical that Staten Islander keeps mentioning.
Here is the link. Don;’t worry my antivirus flagged the site as safe,
http://cannabistical.com/editorials/synthetic-marijuana-from-spurious-to-authentic-k2-spice-marinol-and-sativex-in-review/
It basically says that weed is a “partial agonist” meaning it can’t kill you. Interesting to find that K2 and Spice are full-agonists and CAN kill you.
Our District Attorney is a great guy. We’re lucky to have him. There is just so much wrong with this island, weed is the least of our troubles. We have so many other more important issues like real dope (heroin) and a lot more.
He’s doing a great job but I wish they’d test the street weed here. It’s loaded with s*** and has little potency. The myth of marijuana being 400 times stronger is pure BS. Street weed is cut, just as heroin and cocaine are.
Enforcement of weed “crimes” takes officers’ valuable time away from bigger issues like assault, robberies, burglaries, gun violence, and heroin.
Even having the officers enforce the selling of “loosies” on the streets was insulting to them. They didn’t graduate the academy to enforce a tax. Let ATF do that. Our police have better things to do that pursue single-cigarette sellers. And weed.
Now of course, those selling either illegally will loiter and commit other crimes, so I get the idea that illegal sales of both bring more crime.
But weed is not the problem. And loosies should be in the hands of the feds.
how is street weed cut?
you can’t cut flowers
I totally agree. The police have much better things to do. You didn’t even mention helping with homeland security. That’s important, too. And what about Emergency Services? They do so many things it’s not funny. but arrest a dude for selling a cigarette? I agree that it’s insulting that this is part of any officer’s job duties. It isn’t the Federal Government’s job,though! It’s a state tax. Maybe State Troopers should be on loosie duty??
-BABY K
The elephant in the room is that weed kills no one but now it does. Vapes kill no one but now they do. But let’s just keep it illegal. OK? As far as crime increasing, until it’s Federally legal and not Schedule I there will be attempts to export out of sttae in states where cannabis is legal. Here are some facts:
https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/publicsafety/news/colorado-division-criminal-justice-publishes-report-impacts-marijuana-legalization-colorado
CRIME
Data suggests that law enforcement and prosecutors are aggressively pursuing cases against black market activity. The quantity of cases filed for serious marijuana-related crimes has remained consistent with pre-legalization levels, however organized crime cases have generally increased since 2008.
Felony marijuana court case filings (conspiracy, manufacturing, distribution, and possession with intent to sell) declined from 2008 to 2014, but increased from 2015 through 2017.
The most recent increase in filings might be in part because legislation changed the legal indoor plant count, providing law enforcement agencies with greater clarity and tools to increase their enforcement of black market activity.
Felony filings in 2017 (907) were still below 2008 filings (1,431).
Filings in organized-crime cases followed a similar pattern, with a dip in 2012 and 2013 followed by a significant increase since 2014.
There were 31 organized crime case filings in 2012 and 119 in 2017.
Filings for juveniles under 18 remain at the same level as pre-legalization.
Why do people need to drink or smoke anything to feel good? I’ve been alive nearly six decades and I’ve never been drunk in my life. If you need a cigarette to feel good, something’s wrong.
Why do some people have to feel superior to everyone else?
If I want to smoke a cigarette or vape, it’s not your business.
Do you drink coffee? Why do you NEED to drink your morning cup?
Why do you NEED to eat that fat-laden coffee cake?
Know what? I don’t F****** care. It’s your life. I can’t dictate your habits. It may cost your insurer so much down the line but that’s the cost of freedom
Why don’t you exercise 2 hour daily?
Stu, I understand your frustration with Dennis.I hate people moralizing, also. I mean we can all do better. But to act like you’re above everyone else just because you never had a sip of wine is ridiculous. Just ego talking. The truth is, none of us are perfect and we could all use some improvement in our habits. I’m guessing Dennis is the perfect man. Lord, I feel sorry for his wife. haha
whats with the guy huffing paint
I believe they put that in b/c the butane and other solvents both in weed (used to extract the cannabis oil–when your getting cannabis oil that is) and the bootleg vapes (b/c the extraction oil is never flushed 100%) makes it so your getting solvents when you use black market thc vapes or black market weed. And solvents aren’t good for you.
I’ve had legit weed in Cali and Colorado and believe me what we get here is garbage. That smell all the weed reeks of is Eagle 20 I guess? It smells like hair spray. It’s weird. Also it gives you a headache and does nothing else. Don’t use the stuff. Its better than slowly killing yourself.
I started smoking again. I knew this would eventually happen if I ever stopped vaping. I quiet like 3 times. Once for 2 years. Why do I keep going back? I drink once every four months or so and don’t take any drugs. But I love a smoke after dinner. Always have. A vape was just as satisfying tho. I also like to BS with a cigarette in hand. Not about not knowing what to do with my hands bc a single vape pull was just as good. It just makes conversation more enjoyable. But now I am concerned about vapes. Are they dangerous? I want to wait to see where this goes. My hopes are that they find out that nicotine vapes are safe. I can tell you I didn’t have a cough anymore and no phlegm. So there’s that. Vapes definitely seemed better. I know nicotine is not without risks but they are risks I want to take. I just enjoy the substance. If there was a safer way to have it then that would be what I would be doing. Now vaping may be less safe? I’m not buying it but then again I can’t take the chance.
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