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Tag: massachusetts vaping ban

  • More Than 75,000 THC Vape Cartridges Seized In Historic Bust

    More Than 75,000 THC Vape Cartridges Seized In Historic Bust

    It’s the biggest bust of its kind in Minnesota history.

    Police in Minnesota confiscated 76,972 THC vape cartridges, estimated to be worth about $4 million, on Monday. Along with the illicit cartridges, law enforcement officers seized $23,000 in counterfeit cash and arrested a suspect who allegedly dealt the cartridges on Snapchat.

    The problem isn’t the THC itself, as medical marijuana is legal in Minnesota. Authorities are concerned that these unlicensed vendors are driving a growing scourge of vaping-related illnesses, possibly due to unknown additives in counterfeit cartridges.

    “We have no idea what is in these cartridges,” said Brian Marquart, an official from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

    This particular bust comes hot on the heels of the death of an elderly woman who was vaping THC to manage back pain. The Minnesota Department of Health says her August death marks the first time anyone in the state has died from a vaping-related lung injury.

    On a national scale, there have been 13 vaping-related deaths and 805 vaping-related illnesses, which has been pushing more states to ban vaping in some shape or form.

    States Banning Various Types Of E-Cigarettes

    Massachusetts has temporarily banned the sales of all vaping products. 

    “One of the experts said that, ‘We don’t have time to wait. People are getting sick and the time to act is now.’ I couldn’t agree more,” Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said.

    Michigan and New York have banned flavored vapes. New York in particular is zeroing in on vitamin E acetate, a particular additive found in many THC vape cartridges. Minnesota feels the same way.

    “We just don’t know the impact of when you inhale it,” said Daniel Huff, Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health.

    Feds Focus on Youth Vaping

    The crisis has even garnered attention at the federal level, with the Trump administration moving to ban flavored e-cigarette products.

    “The Trump administration is making it clear that we intend to clear the market of flavored e-cigarettes to reverse the deeply concerning epidemic of youth e-cigarette use that is impacting children, families, schools and communities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in a statement this month.

    According to Azar, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the process of finalizing a compliance policy to remove all flavored e-cigarettes from the market, including legacy flavors like mint and menthol.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Massachusetts Temporarily Bans Vape Sales

    Massachusetts Temporarily Bans Vape Sales

    Critics fear the ban will push people to use black market vaping products.

    The state of Massachusetts has declared an emergency four-month ban on the sale of all vaping products, amid increasing reports of vape-related illnesses around the country. 

    “One of the experts said that, ‘We don’t have time to wait. People are getting sick and the time to act is now.’ I couldn’t agree more,” Governor Charlie Baker said, according to The Boston Globe.

    The ban was approved Tuesday (Sept. 24) and is the strictest policy that has been adopted so far in the U.S. The ban covers flavored and unflavored vaping products, and extends to ban online and retail sales as well.

    Other States Taking Similar Measures

    New York banned flavored vaping products last week, and Michigan took similar steps earlier this month. The Massachusetts ban covers all vape products, including tobacco-flavored products, similar to San Francisco, which enacted a ban on all vape products in June.

    “The use of e-cigarettes and marijuana vaping products is exploding, and we are seeing reports of serious lung illnesses, particularly in our young people,” Baker said at a press conference, according to the Associated Press.

    Michael Seilback, assistant vice president for state public policy of the American Lung Association, called on the feds to take action, something the Trump administration has promised to do. 

    “From our perspective, it’s the absence of strong federal action by the FDA that is forcing states to have to make choices like this on how they are going to protect children and adults from the public health emergency of e-cigarettes,” said Seilback. 

    Critics React

    Still, people who sell vapes said that an across-the-board ban is an overreach. 

    “There are clearly some issues there. The question is, what’s the problem? Is it the product being sold on the shelves by companies like Juul, or is it the off-brand stuff coming from other countries and sold on the internet?” said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. “I hope we can all work together and find out what is the problem and find a solution soon.”

    Geoffrey Yalenezian is the COO of a chain of vape shops in Massachusetts. He said he was shocked by the ban. 

    “My chin hit the floor,” he said, adding that the ban is “not changing or stopping anything. He’s taking a stance. His stance is I don’t really care about small businesses in Massachusetts.”

    Shaleen Title, who sits on Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission, is concerned that the ban will push people to use black market vapes, which are potentially even more dangerous. 

    “This is a terrible decision. Purposely pushing people into the illicit market—precisely where the dangerous products are—goes against every principle of public health and harm reduction,” she wrote on Twitter. “It is dangerous, short-sighted, and undermines the benefits of legal regulation.”

    View the original article at thefix.com