MAKING IT ONTO THE STREETS AND INTO PEOPLE’S LUNGS.
INTO PEOPLE’S LUNGS. >> Reporter: OUR INVESTIGATION
>> Reporter: OUR INVESTIGATION TOOK US TO DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES,
TOOK US TO DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES, WHERE IN A 12-BLOCK RADIUS, WE
WHERE IN A 12-BLOCK RADIUS, WE SAW DOZENS AND DOZENS OF STORE
SAW DOZENS AND DOZENS OF STORE FRONTS ADVERTISING VAPING
FRONTS ADVERTISING VAPING PRODUCTS.
PRODUCTS. WE’RE IN PURSUIT OF WHAT BLACK
WE’RE IN PURSUIT OF WHAT BLACK MARKET OPERATORS COME HERE
MARKET OPERATORS COME HERE FOR -- THE EMPTY PACKAGING AND
FOR -- THE EMPTY PACKAGING AND CARTRIDGES THAT THEY SELL WITH
CARTRIDGES THAT THEY SELL WITH CHEAP AND OFTEN TAINTED
CHEAP AND OFTEN TAINTED SUBSTANCES.
SUBSTANCES. SOLD AT LEGITIMATE THC PRODUCTS.
SOLD AT LEGITIMATE THC PRODUCTS. WITHIN MINUTES, WE SCORE.
WITHIN MINUTES, WE SCORE. WE WERE ABLE TO GO IN ONE SHOP,
WE WERE ABLE TO GO IN ONE SHOP, ONE-STOP SHOPPING, BUY THESE
ONE-STOP SHOPPING, BUY THESE DANK VAPE CONTAINERS, THE
DANK VAPE CONTAINERS, THE PACKAGING, AND 100 OF THE
PACKAGING, AND 100 OF THE CARTRIDGES INTO WHICH YOU CAN
CARTRIDGES INTO WHICH YOU CAN PUT WHATEVER YOU WANT.
PUT WHATEVER YOU WANT. THERE’S NO ID, NO TAX, NO
THERE’S NO ID, NO TAX, NO NOTHING.
NOTHING. IN FACT, WE’RE LOOKING FOR THIS
IN FACT, WE’RE LOOKING FOR THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF PACKAGING,
PARTICULAR TYPE OF PACKAGING, DANK VAPES, AS WE HEARD THE
DANK VAPES, AS WE HEARD THE BRAND SPAWNED A NEW TERM,
BRAND SPAWNED A NEW TERM, DANKING, THE USE OF CHEAP BLACK
DANKING, THE USE OF CHEAP BLACK MARKET THC OIL.
MARKET THC OIL. THE CDC LAST WEEK CONFIRMING OF
THE CDC LAST WEEK CONFIRMING OF THOSE PATIENTS IN WISCONSIN AND
THOSE PATIENTS IN WISCONSIN AND ILLINOIS WHO HAD REPORTED VAPING
ILLINOIS WHO HAD REPORTED VAPING THC, THE DANK VAPES BRAND WAS
THC, THE DANK VAPES BRAND WAS USED BY A STAGGERING 66% OF
USED BY A STAGGERING 66% OF THEM.
THEM. WE HAD ALREADY TALKED TO A YOUNG
WE HAD ALREADY TALKED TO A YOUNG MAN IN CALIFORNIA, 19-YEAR-OLD
MAN IN CALIFORNIA, 19-YEAR-OLD FABIAN CASTILLO WHO SAID HE USED
FABIAN CASTILLO WHO SAID HE USED DANK VAPES AND ENDED UP IN A
DANK VAPES AND ENDED UP IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA FOR NINE
MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA FOR NINE DAYS.
DAYS. >> I COULDN’T BREATHE, I
>> I COULDN’T BREATHE, I COULDN’T TALK, I LITERALLY
COULDN’T TALK, I LITERALLY COULDN’T MOVE MY HANDS.
COULDN’T MOVE MY HANDS. I REMEMBER TALKING TO THIS
I REMEMBER TALKING TO THIS DOCTOR AND SAYING, IF I GO, I
DOCTOR AND SAYING, IF I GO, I JUST -- MAKE SURE I -- TELL MY
JUST -- MAKE SURE I -- TELL MY MOM I SAID I LOVE HER.
MOM I SAID I LOVE HER. >> Reporter: YOU’RE ONLY OUT OF
>> Reporter: YOU’RE ONLY OUT OF THE HOSPITAL ABOUT A MONTH.
THE HOSPITAL ABOUT A MONTH. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> Reporter: DO YOU HAVE ANY
>> Reporter: DO YOU HAVE ANY LASTING EFFECTS FROM WHAT
LASTING EFFECTS FROM WHAT HAPPENED?
HAPPENED? >> I HAVE THESE -- LIKE THESE
>> I HAVE THESE -- LIKE THESE WEIRD TWITCHES.
WEIRD TWITCHES. IT FEELS LIKE I’M ZONING OUT AND
IT FEELS LIKE I’M ZONING OUT AND IT FEELS LIKE I’M FALLING.
IT FEELS LIKE I’M FALLING. I CATCH MYSELF AND IT LOOKS LIKE
I CATCH MYSELF AND IT LOOKS LIKE I’M STARTLED.
I’M STARTLED. >> Reporter: THERE IT IS.
>> Reporter: THERE IT IS. HIS MOTHER, PATRICIA, WHO WORKS
HIS MOTHER, PATRICIA, WHO WORKS FOR A POLICE OFFICER IN
FOR A POLICE OFFICER IN CALIFORNIA ASKED SOMEONE TO
CALIFORNIA ASKED SOMEONE TO INSPECT THE CARTRIDGE FABIAN
INSPECT THE CARTRIDGE FABIAN USED.
USED. >> IT’S A MOLECULE AWAY FROM A
>> IT’S A MOLECULE AWAY FROM A PESTICIDE IS WHAT WE’RE LOOKING
PESTICIDE IS WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT.
AT. >> Reporter: TO SEE FOR
>> Reporter: TO SEE FOR OURSELVES, WE WENT TO ONE OF THE
OURSELVES, WE WENT TO ONE OF THE LEADING CANNABIS TESTING PLACES
LEADING CANNABIS TESTING PLACES IN THE NATION.
IN THE NATION. WE BROUGHT THREE BRANDS OF LEGAL
WE BROUGHT THREE BRANDS OF LEGAL THC CARTRIDGES AND THEY
THC CARTRIDGES AND THEY CONTAINED THREE ILLICIT
CONTAINED THREE ILLICIT VARIETIES.
VARIETIES. >> FOR THE LEGAL PART, THEY GOT
>> FOR THE LEGAL PART, THEY GOT AN A-PLUS.
AN A-PLUS. THEY MAKE THC, FREE OF HARMFUL
THEY MAKE THC, FREE OF HARMFUL ADULT RATS AND NONE CONTAIN
ADULT RATS AND NONE CONTAIN VITAMIN E IN THE OILS.
VITAMIN E IN THE OILS. UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY SINGLE ONE
UNFORTUNATELY, EVERY SINGLE ONE HAS SOME HARMFUL PESTICIDE IN IT
HAS SOME HARMFUL PESTICIDE IN IT OR IN 13 OF 15 HAD SOME LEVEL OF
OR IN 13 OF 15 HAD SOME LEVEL OF VITAMIN E OIL.
VITAMIN E OIL. NO ONE SHOULD WANT THIS TO BE
NO ONE SHOULD WANT THIS TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY CITIZEN TO
AVAILABLE FOR ANY CITIZEN TO PARTAKE IN.
PARTAKE IN. >> Reporter: I TALKED TO A YOUNG
>> Reporter: I TALKED TO A YOUNG MAN NAMED FABIAN USING THE DANG
MAN NAMED FABIAN USING THE DANG GORILLA BLUE.
GORILLA BLUE. >> WE HAD TWO SAMPLES FROM THE
>> WE HAD TWO SAMPLES FROM THE DELIVERY COME IN DANK, LABELED
DELIVERY COME IN DANK, LABELED AS SUCH, AND THEY HAD THE
AS SUCH, AND THEY HAD THE HIGHEST ARRAY OF PESTICIDE.
HIGHEST ARRAY OF PESTICIDE. ONE SAMPLE HAD 51 TIMES THE
ONE SAMPLE HAD 51 TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT.
LEGAL LIMIT. THEY ALSO HAD THE SAME VITAMIN E
THEY ALSO HAD THE SAME VITAMIN E OIL.
OIL. >> Reporter: IT’S A DEADLY
>> Reporter: IT’S A DEADLY COMBO.
COMBO. >> SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW
>> SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING.
WHAT YOU’RE GETTING. >> Reporter: IT’S ALSO HIGHLY
>> Reporter: IT’S ALSO HIGHLY LUCRATIVE AND MAKING LOTS OF
LUCRATIVE AND MAKING LOTS OF PEOPLE VERY WEALTHY, SAYS DAVID
PEOPLE VERY WEALTHY, SAYS DAVID DOWNS, WHO REPORTS FOR LEAFLY, A
DOWNS, WHO REPORTS FOR LEAFLY, A PUBLICATION THAT COVERS THE
PUBLICATION THAT COVERS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY.
CANNABIS INDUSTRY. >> THE U.S. HAS A $52 BILLION
>> THE U.S. HAS A $52 BILLION CANNABIS INDUSTRY AND ONLY
CANNABIS INDUSTRY AND ONLY ONE-QUARTER IS TAXED AND TESTED.
ONE-QUARTER IS TAXED AND TESTED. MAYBE $5 BILLION IN THE IT.
MAYBE $5 BILLION IN THE IT. HC CART BASE ALONE AND SO THAT
HC CART BASE ALONE AND SO THAT ATTRACTS BLACK MARKET OPERATORS.
ATTRACTS BLACK MARKET OPERATORS. >> Reporter: THAT MEANS NEARLY
>> Reporter: THAT MEANS NEARLY $40 BILLION A YEAR BEING PUMPED
$40 BILLION A YEAR BEING PUMPED INTO THE BLACK MARKET FROM
INTO THE BLACK MARKET FROM CANNABIS PRODUCTS.
CANNABIS PRODUCTS. >> THIS ALL STARTS IN CHINA.
>> THIS ALL STARTS IN CHINA. >> Reporter: AS WE SAW IN THE
>> Reporter: AS WE SAW IN THE STORE WHERE WE PURCHASED THE
STORE WHERE WE PURCHASED THE DANK VAPES.
DANK VAPES. CARTON AFTER CARTON LABELED,
CARTON AFTER CARTON LABELED, MADE IN CHINA TO USA.
MADE IN CHINA TO USA. >> YOU CAN PICK UP COUNTERFEIT
>> YOU CAN PICK UP COUNTERFEIT PACKAGING DESIGNED TO LOOK
PACKAGING DESIGNED TO LOOK EXACTLY LIKE LEGAL LICENSED
EXACTLY LIKE LEGAL LICENSED PACKAGING.
PACKAGING. YEAH, I’VE BEEN SAYING, LOOK, IF
YEAH, I’VE BEEN SAYING, LOOK, IF YOU BUY A FAKE GUCCI PURSE, IT’S
YOU BUY A FAKE GUCCI PURSE, IT’S NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A LUNG
NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU A LUNG INJURY BUT IF YOU BUY A FAKE
INJURY BUT IF YOU BUY A FAKE VAPE CART, IT JUST MIGHT.
