A recall of cannabis vape products in Oregon is shedding light on additional non-cannabis additives that have potential to harm consumers and leading to a change in how marijuana regulators in the state operate.
The biggest development in the marijuana space this year has been a vaping-related health crisis in which hundreds of Americans have fallen ill and two dozen-plus have died from pulmonary illnesses linked to the practice.
Online marijuana advertising giant Weedmaps has offered more details on its plan to remove unlicensed cannabis retailers from its website. But a Los Angeles-area trade organization said it’s not satisfied and is calling for regulators to impose potentially billions of dollars in fines against the company and is even calling out Weedmaps in reference to the current vaping crisis.
State-legal cannabis retailers have not yet been hit by a serious downturn in vaporizer cartridge sales as a result of public panic.
Missouri regulators have raised the allowable limit for vitamin E acetate in regulated marijuana products from 0.2 parts per million to 5 parts per million, sparking concern from stakeholders including the state’s chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.
Marijuana and hemp regulatory bodies across the United States are shortsighted in their contaminant-testing requirements for cannabis and cannabis-derived products.
The expectation is that contaminants will be identified, quantified and effectively removed from the supply chain if the contamination is significant or exceeds specification levels.
