The PA Department of Health Sent an Email About Vape Pens Today. What Does It Mean?
If you are a medical marijuana patient in Pennsylvania you received an email today from the PA Department of Health | Office of Medical Marijuana. We have a lot of questions and I am sure you do too. We spoke with a few experts in the space and wanted to share our take.
The Message:
“Dear Medical Marijuana Patient/Caregiver,
The Department of Health is committed to ensuring that the Medical Marijuana Program is operating appropriately and effectively. As you know, the Department recently conducted a statewide review of all vaporized medical marijuana products containing added ingredients. After finishing this review, the Department has determined that certain vaporized medical marijuana products containing some added ingredients have not been approved for inhalation by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Although some of these added ingredients may be considered safe in other non-inhaled products, patient safety is the top priority of the Medical Marijuana Program. Therefore, the Department has issued a mandatory recall for the affected vaporized products. The list of affected products and added ingredients are posted on our website at www.medicalmarijuana.pa.gov.
If you have previously used these recalled products, please consult with the medical professional at the dispensary to help identify which alternative products may be appropriate for you. We are committed to your continued access to safe and effective medical marijuana products.
PA Department of Health | Office of Medical Marijuana”
Our Thoughts:
As you know, Vape Pens are one of our favorite way to consume cannabis.
As a medicinal-only state, Pennsylvania has very strict marijuana product regulations. That’s good news for PA patients and consumers because stringent product regulations mean that we have some of the safest legalized marijuana products in the country. It’s great to see Pennsylvania focusing on what is best for patients, over revenue for companies, and continuing to maintain extremely high quality and safety standards.
It is important to remember that cannabis has only been legal here for 5 years - it is still a relatively new product. The war on drugs greatly stifled the ability to do research on this plant so we have only scratched the surface of the potential. As things continue to legalize and there is more of a focus on research and development in this space, we will continue to learn more and more about the benefits. And in this case, weed out some of the negatives (pun intended).
We have some of the products listed on the recall list in our personal supply and will be disposing of them according to the guidelines provided. Vaping will continue to be one of our favorite ways to consume and this new guidance gives us confidence that it will continue to be monitored with our safety in mind. Keep up the great work Pennsylvania!