Michigan Updates Label Rules for Cannabis Vape Products

According to foreign media reports on February 10, Michigan’s cannabis regulatory agency issued updated rules on cannabis vaping products on Thursday, February 6.

The agency now requires testing for potentially deadly vitamin E acetate in any vaping product that contains ingredients sourced from outside the regulated market. Any inactive ingredients that require approval from the Food and Drug Administration for inhalation must also be listed on the product label.

After a deadly lung illness outbreak spread nationwide earlier this year, THC cannabis oil used to fill interchangeable cartridges for inhalation through vaping devices became a key focus for cannabis regulators.

The Centers for Disease Control linked THC vaping products containing vitamin E acetate closely to the illness that caused 60 deaths, including 3 deaths in Michigan and more than 2,700 hospitalizations.

The CDC said that while vitamin E acetate may be safely used in topical products and foods, inhalation may interfere with normal lung function.

Cannabis cartridge manufacturers added vitamin E acetate as a cheap, inconspicuous filler to dilute THC oil, increasing product volume and thereby boosting profits.

Although the lung disease outbreak peaked in September, and Michigan recorded its first death on October 2, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency remained silent on the issue until November 22, when it banned the sale of all existing cannabis cartridges until they were tested.

After the ban was issued, the agency began requiring licensed processors to submit signed statements certifying any ingredients in newly manufactured vape cartridges. In addition, any new vaping products purchased by licensed businesses from medical cannabis caregivers must be tested before being distributed to adult-use cannabis stores or medical cannabis provisioning centers.

Starting March 1, THC oil or finished cartridges will no longer be allowed to be sold into the licensed market. Sales will be limited to cannabis flower only.

Although the CDC and cannabis regulators focused their attention on black-market products containing vitamin E acetate, once testing began, contaminated products were also found in Michigan’s regulated market.

In December, cannabis regulators recalled 65,000 cartridges suspected of containing vitamin E acetate, followed by another 9,380 cartridges recalled on January 22.

Because of policies that prohibit cannabis regulators from tracking transfers and sales by registered medical cannabis caregivers, the agency did not disclose the source or manufacturer of the recalled vaping products.

The cartridge manufacturing process involves using extraction techniques to remove active tetrahydrocannabinol from the cannabis plant. The oil can then be mixed with terpenes and non-THC plant extracts to create the flavor and aroma of the vaporized oil.

Previously, terpenes were required to come from cannabis. The new rules allow the addition of terpenes from any plant source.

Lev Spivak-Birndorf, chief science officer and co-founder of Ann Arbor PSI Labs, said THC is typically sold at a purity of 65% or higher.

The cannabis regulatory agency’s latest rules clarify that even if the oil is produced within the licensed market, if it is mixed with terpenes from caregivers or suppliers, the finished product must still be tested for vitamin E acetate.

Cannabis vape products rival traditional cannabis flower and are among the most popular products in Michigan retail stores and dispensaries.

According to the cannabis agency’s December report, while the November 22 ban interrupted sales at many stores for several weeks and may have held the figure back, more than 20% of all cannabis purchases in December, both medical and recreational, were cannabis cartridges.