If you haven't been affected by the current cannabis vape crisis, you may be at some point in the near future.  Individual states are taking their own actions, some more expedient than others.  Massachusetts has banned ALL vape cartridges for four months and Oregon has officially banned any non-marijuana terpene-containing (NMTC) flavored cartridges as of late last week. (Editor's Note:  This ban has been halted by the Oregon Appeals Court since the time this blog was posted) The good news for the regulated industries is that the latest report shows the illicit market is the culprit for the current crisis. 

Cannabis businesses are facing a growing challenge: Compliance. So far, 9 U.S. states have legalized recreational marijuana and 29 U.S. states have legalized medical marijuana. As the cannabis industry continues to grow and mature, however, states are ratcheting up their oversight and expectations, and there is an increasing need for consistency in regard to the quality of the product and the operations that surround it. 

Change is not only coming, it’s already here. In case you’ve missed some key highlights recently while celebrating 4/20, consider this:

Domestically in the United States, licensed cannabis business owners are working hard to deliver superior value to their customers while also maintaining compliance with state and local agencies. To say the least, the challenges facing these businesses can be both daunting and uncertain. Not only is there very little, if any, assistance for these companies, everyone is walking on egg shells to ensure their licenses are not revoked and they are not fined large sums of money.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded the Obama-era position of the Federal government to not intervene in states that have legalized marijuana. Whether this ends up being a major, minor, or non-issue remains to be seen. This does, however, further encourage individual states and the owners/operators of canna-businesses to focus on compliance.