Massachusetts Ends Quarantine of 600,000 Vape Products

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is allowing most products that were quarantined during last year’s vape-illness crisis to again be sold in the state, so long as they are re-tested and don’t contain vitamin E acetate. The agency said if a product fails the test it must be destroyed.

More than 600,000 vaporizer products manufactured before Dec. 12, 2019 have been quarantined since last November following a nationwide spate of vaping-related lung injuries that were linked to, mostly illegal, cannabis vape products and some nicotine vape products.

MCCC Executive Director Shawn Collins said since the agency’s vape product quarantine last fall, it has “dedicated significant energy and resources to investigating the additives, hardware, and storage practices that licensees use to produce and sell cannabis vaporizer products.” Those tests, Collins said, did not find detectable levels of vitamin E acetate but “did establish that heavy metal contamination may increase in vaping products over time.”

“This new order seeks to strike a balance between those products that can be retested or remediated safely for sale or repurposing with proper warning to patients and consumers, and those that cannot. As the nation continues to learn more about the broader health implications of vaping in all forms, I urge patients and consumers to understand the risks when they choose to consume any cannabis vaporizer product.” – Collins in a statement

The MCCC order will also allow some products to be “reclaimed,” allowing the oil to be repurposed for other products. Reclaimed products will include a statement indicating that the product was manufactured with previously quarantined material. If the material twice fails remediation, it must be destroyed.

The new rules take effect immediately.