It sounds like alchemy with a dash of Frankenstein.
People who are vaping marijuana may not be getting the end product of a plant in their lungs, but a converted, synthetic form of THC derived from CBD instead.
Unscrupulous marijuana producers, basement chemists and black-market players are converting CBD to THC — the active agent that produces the “high” — because it’s cheaper, according to industry experts.
But it may also be more dangerous.
While the method remains legal, so long as it passes state safety tests not designed to identify it, doctors think inhaling this converted form of THC could cause lung issues or other long-term health problems.
Josh Swider, the CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis, a licensed marijuana safety testing lab in Jackson, is one marijuana industry insider sounding the alarm.
“Anything in the state of Michigan to give someone a leg up in this industry, a lot of people will cut a corner,” he said. “You go down this path of legalization and …