LANSING, MI — Michigan marijuana regulators late Friday afternoon recalled nearly 16,000 THC vaping cartridges containing a banned ingredient.
The vaping cartridges, produced by Warren-based RWB Michigan, a subsidiary of Red, White & Bloom, under its Platinum Vape brand name, tested positive for medium chain triglyceride, known as MCT oil.
“MCT oil, commonly derived from coconut or palm oil, is primarily used in oral supplements and food products,” the Cannabis Regulatory Agency said in June when it announced new testing requirements for the substance. “However, when aerosolized and inhaled, MCT oil may pose dangers to respiratory health.”
While MCT oil was already banned for use in Michigan marijuana products, since it’s not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for inhalation, safety testing labs weren’t previously looking for it.
Related: ‘Makes my skin crawl.’ Michigan marijuana customers may be inhaling harmful ingredients
After the testing requirement took effect, the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) received a tip about the recalled vape cartridges, said CRA spokesman David Harns. Harns didn’t reveal further details about the source or content of the tip.
“We had to use multiple private labs to corroborate the information that we were given,” he said.
Once confirmed, the agency identified nearly 14,000 cartridges that had already been sold, some as early as March of last year. They were distributed through more than 100 retail stores and included the garlic cookie, blazing blue, cheese, banana candy and grape valley kush flavors. The CRA ordered the remaining unsold product to be destroyed.
Customers who have purchased and not yet consumed the recalled product are asked to return it to the sales location.
The list of the store locations and tracking numbers are available here.
Related: Are Michigan marijuana customers vaping the real stuff or the results of a science experiment?
Concerns over MCT oil stem from a massive lung illness outbreak in 2019 caused by the use Vitamin E acetate, which manufacturers though to be harmless.
It was proven sometimes deadly and banned after being linked to nearly 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths nationwide, including three in Michigan.
Industry insiders tell MLive the introduction of MCT oil isn’t always intentional. Some producers source ingredients called terpenes that are mixed with THC oils and those may contain the banned ingredient.
Requests for comment submitted through the Platinum Vapes website, as well as a voicemail and email sent to a representative of Red, White and Bloom were not responded to.
“We hold ourselves and our partners to the highest standard possible, to ensure our products are both safe and clean,” the Platinum Vape website says.
The licensed processing facility that created the recalled vaping products opened in Warren in 2022. It previously had a complaint filed against it in January 2024 by the CRA after other products tested positive for banned insecticides and a type of fungicide.
Anyone who has experienced negative health effects that they believe may be a result of consuming the recalled vaping product is asked to report it to the CRA via it’s online submission form or by calling 517-284-8599.
“From a public health and safety standpoint, the potential for adverse effects with MCT oil underscores the importance of safety guidelines for product development,” CRA Director Brian Hanna said in June. “Michigan’s licensed marijuana businesses must prioritize respiratory safety when formulating or using inhalable products, opting for ingredients that have been thoroughly evaluated for their compatibility with lung health.
One new tool the CRA may soon have to improve enforcement and protect consumer health is a state-run marijuana testing lab that it currently under construction and expected to open this year with about $4.4 million allocated through the state budget.
“We’re looking forward to what that lab is going to be able to bring us,” Harns said, “the fact that we’re going to be able to make these investigations happen even more quickly, when we don’t have to rely on third-party labs to do this work for us.”
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