Newfoundland & Labrador's Liberal government joined Quebec in refusing to allow sales of REC vape products when they become legal nationwide on elsewhere in the country in just over a week on December 16.
Financial Post
- Explaining the decision, the government pointed to the VAPI crisis and said, "An analysis by experts […] has not been able to pinpoint the specific cause of this lung disease, however the majority of cases involve vaping cannabis. The intent of the decision is to protect the health of the people in this province until there is more evidence about the connection between cannabis vaping products and severe lung disease." Globe and Mail
- The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has cited additive vitamin E acetate as "a chemical of concern" in causing VAPI. The compound is not legal for use in Canadian vape products.
CDC
Nova Scotia, also citing VAPI, moved to ban sales of "cannabis vaping products that have a scent or flavour other than cannabis noticeable before or during use."
Press Release
- Though BC has not banned vape products, it has introduced a 20% sales tax on both oil and dry-flower vapes.
Industry stressed the US vaping illnesses were caused by unregulated counterfeit products, which many believe bans encourage.
MJ Biz Daily
- Plant geneticist Ryan Lee summed up the frustration of many in the industry with the decision to ban vapes: "The US 'vape crisis' was about contamination, not safety of the cannabis oils themselves."
Twitter—Ryan Lee