How vaping CBD and THC can affect your lungs
Official title: Health effects of cannabidiol vaping products
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11252576 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether chemicals and contaminants in CBD and THC vaping liquids turn into reactive compounds that can harm airway cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $667,046 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL171967-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11252576 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who use CBD or THC vaping products, or who have experienced breathing issues after vaping, would be the most directly interested in the study findings and may be contacted if any human sampling is needed.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not vape cannabinoid products or whose health concerns are unrelated to lung or airway exposure are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers will analyze commercial cannabinoid vaping liquids to identify metals, flavoring chemicals, and other contaminants and then test how these ingredients change THC and CBD when heated. They will look for oxidized products (quinones) formed during vaping and study whether these chemicals attach to and damage proteins in airway epithelial cells. Lab models of airway tissue will be exposed to the vaping-derived chemicals to measure cell injury, inflammation signals, and molecular changes. The team aims to link specific vaping liquid constituents to chemical reactions and biological harm that could explain vaping-related lung damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify harmful vaping ingredients and chemical reactions that inform safer product standards, warnings, or treatments to protect lung health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab work has shown cannabinoids can oxidize and form reactive products and that some reactive compounds can damage cells, but applying this to diverse commercially available vaping liquids and their flavor/metal additives is a newer focus.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rebuli, Meghan Elizabeth — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Rebuli, Meghan Elizabeth
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.