(This is an abridged version of a story that appears in the November-December issue of Marijuana Business Magazine.)
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 more than three dozen have died from pulmonary illnesses linked to vaping.
Health officials said that most of the vaped products involved have contained THC.
Victims in Illinois and Wisconsin – the first states to alert the nation to vaping-related illnesses – admitted to using marijuana products from the black market, not legally licensed marijuana businesses.
In fact, it might behoove legal marijuana companies to take preventive measures now to brace for legal action that may be coming and lessen the potential for damage caused by such lawsuits.
For example, a Washington state man filed a lawsuit against six marijuana vape firms for their alleged roles in his lung illness. More lawsuits of that kind are expected.
“There really haven’t been a lot of product-liability claims yet,” said Rachel Gillette, a Denver-based cannabis attorney with Greenspoon Marder. “I say ‘yet’ because they’re bound to be coming.”
With that in mind, Marijuana Business Magazine spoke with experts in the field about how cannabis business owners can best prepare for potential litigation related to the vaping crisis:
- Be in compliance with state regulations.
- Strictly monitor company’s supply chain.
- Use vendors that follow Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
For more of Marijuana Business Daily’s ongoing coverage of the vaping crisis, click here.
