No state reacted more swiftly or more decisively to the\u00a0still-ongoing outbreak of lung illnesses, injuries, and deaths connected to vaporizer use\u00a0than Massachusetts.<\/p>\n
In September, a few weeks after the first of what is now 39 deaths and counting nationwide were reported, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker\u00a0in September imposed<\/a>\u00a0a four-month ban on legal sales of all vapes, cannabis and nicotine alike.<\/p>\n What impact Baker\u2019s ban has had on public health is unclear. Nearly all available evidence now points to underground, illicit vaporizer products as the vector, an early hypothesis now supported by the federal Centers for Disease Control, but medical cannabis patients, at least, could see that ban lifted as soon as Nov. 12.<\/p>\n However, as\u00a0Boston-based WBUR reported<\/a>, vaporizer cartridges may yet be subjected to stricter controls, including bans.<\/p>\n Baker\u2019s ban was immediately challenged in the courts. Earlier this week, a state Superior Court judge\u00a0ruled<\/a>\u00a0that Baker exceeded his authority when imposing the ban. Only the state Cannabis Control Commission had the authority to regulate or halt sales of cannabis products and during its public meeting on Thursday, the CCC declined to do that.<\/p>\n Instead, the CCC\u2019s five commissioners voted to revamp state cannabis regulations, which means that for medical cannabis patients, the ban is now set to expire on Nov. 12. At that time, medical cannabis patients should be allowed to purchase flower-based vaporizers, which are currently not suspected in any lung-injury.<\/p>\n For everyone else (and for anyone jonesing for a Juul pod or other nicotine vaporizer) the ban now expires Dec. 24.<\/p>\n It\u2019s still possible that Massachusetts cannabis customers, recreational and medical alike, will be unable to purchase vaporizer cartridges next week and beyond, pending the outcome of an appeal on the earlier ruling filed by the Baker administration.<\/p>\n Over the long-term, however, state regulators will now attempt to craft rules \u201cbased on science\u201d following public input, according to Commissioner Shaleen Title, who was quick to denounce Baker\u2019s initial ban as a reactionary over-reach.<\/p>\n Future rules could mean bans or restrictions on various cannabis products, depending on potency or formulation. Or not! It all \u201cdepends on what the evidence shows,\u201d\u00a0as Title posted on Twitter today,<\/a> or what the state Legislature chooses to do.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is possible that there may be enough credible evidence to warrant a quarantine of non-flower THC vapes,\u201d she wrote. \u201cEither way, regulations with appropriate public input are in process.\u201d<\/p>\n