FDA Rejects 4.5 Million Vape Products

On Aug. 9, the FDA issued a Refuse to File (RTF) letter to JD Nova Group LLC, which owns Vapolocity, because “the company’s applications for these products lacked an adequate Environmental Assessment.”

The letter notified the company that their Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTAs) that are associated with approximately 4.5 million of their products do not meet the filing requirements for a new tobacco product seeking a marketing order. 

Vaping manufacturers had until September 9, 2020 to submit a “premarket tobacco product application” (PMTA) for each of their products, including e-liquid flavors and components, for them to remain legal to sell. 

Affordable Cannabis Insurance on the Horizon

U.S. legal cannabis sales jumped 45% last year and are expected to hit $41 billion in 2026, But the industry only wrote about $250 million in insurance policies last year with a handful of carriers offering limited property and liability coverage.

New policies cannot come soon enough for cannabis business owners, who say coverage is often hard to find and expensive. Cannabis dispensary owners told Reuters, for example, that their premiums are 20 to 30 percent higher than an ordinary retailer would pay. Some types of business-use vehicle coverage can cost four or five times more, they said.

Some large insurers, such as Progressive Corp, Farmers Insurance, Liberty Mutual and AXA SA, are offering coverage as more states legalize. They often sell via subsidiaries and work with CannGen or others, state licensing records show.

Can THC Take You to the Gym?

A new survey of 1,004 adults – 45 percent of whom identified as both CBD and THC users – shows more people than ever turning to cannabinoids to boost their motivation for working out.

More than a quarter of respondents said they smoked the herb through a pipe. Joints, bongs and vapes were each preferred by just over 14 percent of respondents, while edibles nearly reached 12 percent. Lesser-preferred options included cannabis topicals and tinctures.

Just over one-third of THC users preferred to run during their workouts, compared to less than one-quarter of CBD users. The latter group preferred to lift weights.

Kratom Legalized — in Thailand

Kratom can now be grown and sold commercially in Thailand without the threat of prosecution. 

Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, and used as a ‘traditional medicine’ for centuries by locals, was reclassified as a legal herb under the newly amended Narcotics Act, after it had been listed as a Type-5 narcotic under previous iterations of the law.

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) recently approved 19 million baht to fund Kasetsart University’s research project, in which chemical compounds in kratom will be used to treat opioid addict in lieu of morphine.

Vaping Mimics Smoking to Help Quitters

Recent survey data from over 30,000 e-cig users across the country, revealed that former smokers had the highest intentions and interest in quitting cigarettes.

The study titled, “Interest in Quitting E-Cigarettes Among Adult E-Cigarette Users with and Without Cigarette Smoking History,” revealed one interesting connection between vaping and smoking: Rather than being addicted exclusively to nicotine, most smokers are addicted to the habit of smoking. Hence the hand to mouth gesture of vaping which mimics the one of smoking, makes it easier for smokers to transition from smoking to vaping.

Marijuana Linked to Violet Crimes in Washington DC

Washington D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee thinks marijuana is “undoubtedly” a factor in the city’s rise in violent crimes. There have been 2,039 violent crimes in D.C. this year as of July.

“When you have something where people get high reward and the the risk for accountability is very low, that creates a very, very, very bad situation because those individuals get robbed. Those individuals get shot at,” Contee said. “Unlawful marijuana pop-ups, and unlawful distribution of marijuana in communities is a bad recipe for disaster.”

Contee blamed local prosecutors for enabling the situation by not holding people accountable when caught with an illegal amount of marijuana, which is over two ounces for individuals over the age of 21 according to D.C. law.