What is Popcorn Lung, and Can it Be Caused by Using Marijuana? Is Vaping Marijuana Safe? Addiction Treatment Center Rehab Popcorn Lung (Bronchiolitis Obliterans): Causes & Treatment Do Thc Vapes Cause Popcorn Lung The Mysterious Vaping Illness That's 'Becoming an Epidemic' It's official. Flavored e cigarettes cause permanent lung damage. And doctors are already seeing it happen. In the United States, a teenager developed something called popcorn lung after secretly vaping for three years.