# ECDS vs Pre-Roll: Comparative Toxicity of Emissions ## A Screening-Level Hazard Characterization White Paper (2026) ### What is this document? This white paper compares emissions from two Electronic Cannabis Delivery System (ECDS) formats, a high-potency pod (labeled at 83% THC) and a high-potency cartridge (labeled at 86% THC), against combustion smoke from a representative un-infused cannabis pre-roll (labeled at 23% THC). The comparison is conducted on a per-puff basis, scaled to a daily exposure estimate using a fixed 22-puff/day intake assumption (Cannabis Puffing Regimes), and benchmarked against EPA RfC IRIS Chronic total daily exposure allotment values. ### What are the headline findings? The pre-roll Hazard Index (HI) is approximately 166, driven almost entirely (>99%) by acrolein, which exceeds its EPA chronic comparator by roughly 166-fold under the modeled puff topography. By contrast, the Pod ECDS HI is approximately 0.47 and the Cart ECDS HI is approximately 0.82, both below 1, the conventional screening-level threshold. This represents a HI reduction on the order of two to three orders of magnitude relative to combustion. ### Hazard Index Values | Product Arm | Hazard Index | Status | |---|---|---| | Pre-Roll (combustion) | 166 | Exceeds threshold | | Pod ECDS | 0.47 | Below threshold | | Cart ECDS | 0.82 | Below threshold | The conventional screening-level threshold is a Hazard Index of 1.0. ### What hypotheses were tested? Nine hypotheses were tested against the measured data: H1 (Primary): ECDS toxicity-weighted emissions index lower than combustion, normalized to delivered cannabinoid dose. Evidence: Directionally Supported. H2 (Secondary): PAHs substantially lower in ECDS than combustion. Evidence: Not Tested (PAHs not measured in dataset). H3 (Secondary): Benzene and toluene lower in ECDS than combustion. Evidence: Supported. Benzene is ND/