Cannabis regulators in Pennsylvania have recalled hundreds of vape products because they contain ingredients “not approved for inhalation” by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On February 4, the state Department of Health issued a list of over 500 medical cannabis vape products, manufactured by 17 different companies, that must be recalled from dispensaries and medical cannabis providers.
Many of the ingredients that concern the state department are terpenes, the chemicals that are said to give cannabis varieties their flavor. Caryophyllene, humulene, myrcene and many other terpenes are listed in a PA Department of Health spreadsheet of chemicals “not approved for inhalation” by the FDA.
“Although some of these added ingredients may be considered safe in other non-inhaled products, patients safety is the top priority of the Medical Marijuana Program,” the health department wrote in a statement.
Any medical cannabis patient who has used one or more of the recalled products has been advised by the PA Department of Health to consult a medical professional at a dispensary “to help identify which alternative products may be appropriate for you.”
The recall follows a Department of Health review that was first announced on December 1 last year.