Oregon Approves Ban on Flavored Vape Products

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]fficials in the state of Oregon approved a temporary, six-month ban on flavored vape products on Oct. 11 in light of the recent instances of vaping sickness.

According to the Associated Press, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission voted unanimously to approve the ban. This happened the same day the Oregon Health Authority initially filed the proposal.

However, not everyone is a fan of this new policy. Many feel that it’s going to dramatically impact the local cannabis business sales. “It’s going to kill immediately 70 percent of my company’s revenue. It’s based off of what we consider faulty logic and faulty understanding,” said Sublime Solutions Sales Director Jason Thompson after the vote. This wasn’t a sudden decision, however. Earlier this month, Gov. Kate Brown ordered a temporary ban on flavored vape products.

Although many do not agree with this decision, it is nearly unanimous to believe that because of the recent vaping illnesses, more research must be done conducted when it comes to vaping.  “One of the things this crisis has illuminated is that there is no long-term research on vaping and cannabis consumption, period,” Joe Bergen, general manager of Avitas Oregon and Hellavated, said. “There needs to be more research into both those things.” While Bergan had to reduce his workforce by 20 percent because of this cutback, which will surely affect him, he’s willing to admit that more work needs to be done before we fully understand the impact of vaping flavored tobacco products.

This is yet another sign that many states are taking a stand against vaping. Many cities and states, including Washington, have enacted a ban similar to Oregon’s. If more headway is not made soon into gaining this information, it could majorly impact the cannabis industry as well.