(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)Mike Mulholland | MLive.com LANSING, MI — Michigan marijuana regulators late Friday afternoon recalled nearly 16,000 THC vaping cartridges containing a banned ingredient.
The vaping cartridges, produced by Warren-based RWB Michigan, a subsidiary of Red, White & Bloom, under its Platinum Vape brand name, tested positive for medium chain triglyceride, known as MCT oil.
“MCT oil, commonly derived from coconut or palm oil, is primarily used in oral supplements and food products,” the Cannabis Regulatory Agency said in June when it announced new testing requirements for the substance. “However, when aerosolized and inhaled, MCT oil may pose dangers to respiratory health.”
While MCT oil was already banned for use in Michigan marijuana products, since it’s not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for inhalation, safety testing labs weren’t previously looking for it.
Related: ‘Makes my skin crawl.’ Michigan marijuana customers may be inhaling harmful ingredients
After the testing requirement took effect, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) received a tip about the recalled vape cartridges, said CRA spokesman David Harns. Harns didn’t reveal further details about the source or content of the tip.
“We had to use multiple private labs to corroborate the information that we were given,” he said.
Once confirmed, the agency identified nearly 14,000 cartridges that had already been sold, some as early as March of last year. They were distributed through more than 100 retail stores and included the garlic cookie, blazing blue, cheese, banana candy and grape valley kush flavors. The CRA ordered the remaining unsold product to be destroyed.
Customers who have purchased and not yet consumed the recalled product are asked to return it to the sales location.The list of the store locations and tracking numbers are available here . Related: Are Michigan marijuana customers vaping the real stuff or the results of a science experiment? Concerns over MCT oil stem from a massive lung illness outbreak in 2019 caused by the use Vitamin E acetate, which manufacturers though to be harmless.It was proven sometimes deadly and banned after being linked to nearly 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths nationwide, including three in Michigan.Industry insiders […]
Tainted THC vapes sold to Michigan customers for nearly a year before detection
