Though unless you’ve been living in your parents’ basement with no internet access, this probably didn’t surprise you.

The scare this past year with vaping products was real.

So in anticipation of the big day on December 1st, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) made the move on November 22nd to halt the sale of any existing vaping products.

At least temporarily.

So the question is, when will there be a return of vaping in Michigan?

Existing Products Must Be Tested

Until it can be confirmed that there is no presence of vitamin E acetate in vaping products, you won’t be seeing them on the shelves.

Less reputable vaping cartridge manufacturers were using vitamin E acetate as a cutting agent to dilute extracted THC – enabling them to use less product and make more profit.

But it turns out that even though your digestion system can handle vitamin E, your respiratory system doesn’t have the chops to manage it. In fact, inhaling vitamin E can cause pneumonia.

And the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suspects that it was vitamin E acetate that contributed to the 47 vape-related deaths this past year – one of which was in the fine state of Michigan.

As such, the MRA has also banned any future production of vaping products using vitamin E acetate. To ensure compliance, they will conduct inspections at processing facilities. Manufacturers will also be required to disclose all additives.

So even if you ARE able to find vaping products with THC, the state Department of Health and Human Services is advising the public not to use them. Particularly if they came from the black market.

Extensive Testing Is Well under Way

There is currently only one business in Michigan that’s licensed to test recreational marijuana products.

The test takes about 20 minutes to complete and is conducted independently of other vaping product tests that are required by the state.

But the testing lab was only approved last week, so there’s a lot of product to be tested. Since the business opened, they’ve been tearing through the backlogs. Thus far, they’ve only found vitamin E acetate in unlicensed, black-market vaping products.

So there’s that.

Just When Will Vaping in Michigan Return Then?

The truth is, no one can say for certain when vaping products will be widely available again.

Arbors Wellness in Ann Arbor is actually planning to have some of the tested products back on the shelves this week. And Exclusive Brands, also in Ann Arbor, is looking at a week to ten days before product returns to their store.

Meanwhile, Greenstone Provisions – a smaller dispensary than the two mentioned above –  is still awaiting test results and has no clue when the process will be complete. This is a point of frustration given that they have numerous customers calling and asking about vaping products.

Finally, Michigan Supply and Provisions (a fourth retail location that opened on Sunday evening in Morenci, Michigan) have found themselves rotating stock back to the lab for retesting.

This can create additional complications and tie up vaping products for even longer.

In fact, in cases that involved batches separated and disturbed to dispensaries across the state, the testing can become so complicated that it ends up being more expensive to test it than to just dispose of it.

But at least the dangerous vitamin E acetate issue is being resolved.

As for the rest, we’ll just have to keep living with the growing pains.

Is Your Cannabis Company Experiencing Growing Pains?

If you have a cannabis business, the return of vaping in Michigan is bound to be good news.

Even so, if your business is struggling, then it’s time to look at your current marketing and public relations strategy.

Contact us today. We specialize in cannabis marketing and public relations. And we can help.

The post The Return of Vaping in Michigan? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

According to the Center for Disease Control, vape-relating illnesses have shown up in over 500 people now – with seven resulting in death.

It’s some scary stuff. And it’s definitely sent a ripple through the cannabis industry.

Of course, it’s given fodder to the anti-marijuana community who are instilling fear into the masses with strange words like VapeGate and Vitamin E acetate.

But there’s no arguing there’s a legitimate problem here.

What Is Going on?

The CDC hasn’t yet verified the specific cause of this fiasco, but those in the know are saying that all fingers are pointing toward Vitamin E acetate.

Sounds harmless enough, right? You might even take a Vitamin E tincture or capsule each morning.

That’s because your digestion system has the chops to handle Vitamin E. But your respiratory system isn’t equipped to process it. Inhaling Vitamin E can cause pneumonia.

It’s not surprising that none of the vaping illness cases were linked to legal THC vape products though. In order pass compliance, they’re subject to a battery of extensive testing. But CBC vapes are not.

Furthermore, Vitamin E acetate is used by many illicit manufacturers as a cutting agent. It saves them from having to use as much pure cannabis oil.

So while all fingers are pointing at Vitamin E acetate, they’re also pointing at the black market.

Meanwhile, the FDA is in the midst of a criminal investigation and have already arrested sellers from illicit markets in Arizona and Wisconsin.

The Reign of the Black Market

Unfortunately, none of this has come as a big surprise to many cannabis executives. The dangers of an unregulated market have long been a concern. Where there are illicit happenings there are bound to dangers.

Now they’re exploding like fireworks.

And what the message across the sky is saying is that a regulatory framework is essential. There MUST be testing in place to ensure that products are safe.

It’s also telling those who keep turning to the black market for products such as these are taking a huge risk.

The Reaction to VapeGate and Vitamin E Acetate

In their usual proactive manor, cannabis companies are aggressively rising from the fall-out.

A company in Michigan is encouraging consumers to bring black market vapes to any of their locations. Their primary objective is to get the illegal black market cartridges off the streets, so they’ll happily trade them out for a free CBD or THC cartridge.

Another company has developed anti-counterfeiting technology that is being utilized by the state of Utah. It serializes and encrypts every legal cannabis package so buyers and sellers can track every box from sale to self through their app.

A third company has so finely calibrated its industrial hardware that nothing can be heated past the point where it becomes a toxic substance.

There is even an app that allows consumers to verify a product’s authenticity, understand its effects, offer usage recommendations, view test results, scan reviews, and track their own experience.

Ah, technology. It could be just the thing to finally dismantle the black market.

So take that, VapeGate.

Do You Have Your Own Fiasco?

While it may not be at the level of VapeGate and Vitamin E acetate, if your marketing is suffering, then so too is your cannabis business.

Is it time to take a second look?

If so, contact us for a consultation. We’re cannabis marketing specialists and we know what it takes to survive in this industry.

The post VapeGate and Vitamin E Acetate appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.

Honestly, we find the whole vaping vs. smoking marijuana argument to be tiresome at times.

And our objective here is certainly not to provide scientific research to help you score a more serious high.

That being said, new research from a single study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association would indicate that vaping marijuana does seem to deliver a stronger high.

So why are we writing about this?

Medical Marijuana Is Now Legal in 33 States

And recreational marijuana is legal in ten of those states – including the most recent addition of Michigan.

So although we don’t anticipate that hundreds of thousands of people will suddenly take to toking, there is bound to be something of a surge in marijuana usage.

Add to that the increased popularity of vaping, and users who are new to vaping and/or marijuana might want to at least take note of the results of the study.

What the Recent Vaping Vs. Smoking Marijuana Study Found

Here’s how it worked.

Researchers recruited 17 people who’d partaken in herb in the past year, but had abstained from it for at least a month prior to the study.

The subjects participated in six sessions that lasted eight and a half hours each. During three of the sessions they smoked marijuana with THC concentrations of 0mg, 10mg and 25mg. The other three sessions they vaped those same concentrations.

After each session, the participants filled out questionnaires to self-report their experience. Then the researchers administered a series of physical and cognitive tests, and analyzed their blood.

Obviously, the 0mg concentration had no physical or psychological effect.

But once it was upped to 10mg and then 25mg—the participants were pretty stoned. Some felt pleasant and sleepy. Others were anxious or paranoid. And three participants even vomited after consuming the 25mg concentration.

So What Does This Mean?

Well, it doesn’t mean that 25mg of cannabis will render you a cookie tosser.

But after compiling the research results, the authors of the study DID find that the vaporized cannabis “produced significantly greater subjective drug effects, cognitive and psychomotor impairment, and higher blood THC concentrations than the same doses of smoked cannabis.”

And while others argue that past research delivered different results, that was probably participants were permitted to adjust their THC dose. This study specifically found that when you hold the THC dose constant, vaping seems to be a more efficient delivery system. This may be due in big part to the fact that the combustion required to smoke marijuana can deplete THC.

This Is Not the Quintessential Study

How could it be? Vaping is still relatively new and there’s plenty of research yet to be conducted.

But the results present relevant information to new or infrequent cannabis consumers who are trying to decide between vaping vs. smoking marijuana. Especially those who are using marijuana for medicinal purposes. If they experience negative effects, they may be resistant to using it again.

So the main message here is, “if you opt for a vaporizer, go low and stay slow.” Although really, that’s good advice in either case.

In the mean time, if you’re looking to boost your cannabis marketing efforts for your cannabis business, contact us today. Whether your product will be vaped or smoked, we’ll get you on the map.

The post Vaping vs. Smoking Marijuana – Which Gets You Higher? appeared first on GROW Cannabis Marketing.