Dear Cannabis Licensee:
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published new and important information about the vaping-associated illness investigation which needs to be acted upon immediately. A new study has found vitamin E acetate in lung specimens from 29 of 29 patients from across 10 states with vaping-associated lung injury. This finding provides evidence that vitamin E acetate is present at the primary site of injury within the lungs and strengthens the association between vitamin E acetate and lung injury.
Until the relationship of vitamin E acetate and lung health is better understood, the Department of Health (DOH) and Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) are asking cannabis processors to immediately stop adding vitamin E acetate to vapor products and distributing any vapor products containing vitamin E acetate. DOH and LCB are also asking cannabis retailers to immediately stop selling cannabis-containing vapor products known to contain vitamin E acetate. All products available for retail sale are required to have documentation available that lists ingredients. If unclear, please contact the processor from whom you purchased the vapor product.
Next week, the LCB and Secretary of Health will consider whether emergency actions should be taken to ban vitamin E acetate from all vapor products in Washington. LCB will also provide information on what to do with vapor products containing vitamin E acetate that have been removed from the shelf.
While it appears that vitamin E acetate is associated with vaping-associated lung injury, these findings do not rule out other possible compounds or ingredients that may be causing these lung injuries. There may be more than one cause of this outbreak.
We greatly appreciate your cooperation with immediately stopping the production and sale of all vapor-products containing vitamin E acetate.
Sincerely,
John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH Kathy Lofy, MD Rick Garza
Secretary of Health State Health Officer Director
Department of Health Department of Health Liquor and Cannabis Board
|
