Los Angeles Leaders Float One-Year Ban on All Cannabis Vape Products
[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]I[/dropcap]n a reaction to the growing nationwide vape epidemic, Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian introduced a motion on Sept. 25 that would impose a ban on the sale of all types of cannabis vaping products in the city.
The motion calls for the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) to issue a report on lab testing results on cannabis vape product safety. It also would give the DCR authority to present recommendations on how the city council could remove all known threats to public health.
“I am seeking to halt cannabis vaping until it is proven safe,” Krekorian said in a press release, leaving no room for alternative interpretations. According to the motion, testing laboratories in California tend to focus on purity rather than testing the additives and thickeners. “Under state and local law, testing laboratories are licensed to test both cannabis and cannabis products, and according to the Department of Cannabis Regulation, there are 15 such facilities acting on temporary approvals. Those testing facilities however, appear to focus on the purity of individual cannabis plants, not product safety of additives or delivery devices,” the motion reads.
The ordinance would be automatically renewed yearly until the Los Angeles City Council determines that cannabis vaping products are “safe for consumer use.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 deaths have been attributed to vaping, and 805 incidents have been reported.
For these reasons, city leadership is taking immediate action, led by Krekorian and other city councilmember. “In response to the public health threat posed by vaping products and the rapid onset of lethal lung disease caused by vaping; the Council request that the City Attorney draft an ordinance that will prohibit the sale of all cannabis products and associated accessories used for vaping within the City of Los Angeles for one year, and to require renewal of that prohibition each year unless and until the Council affirmatively finds that particular cannabis vaping products have been determined safe for consumer use,” the motion added.
