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MARSHALL, Mich. – PRESS RELEASE – Michigan Pure Med, Michigan’s largest vertically-integrated pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis company and parent company of Common Citizen, has urged elected leaders to ban the use of non-natural additives and cutting agents in vape cartridges.

“We urge state leaders to ban the use of non-natural additives and cutting agents in vape cartridges immediately,” said Michael Elias, CEO of Michigan Pure Med. “Manufacturers are cutting corners by using non-natural ingredients as additives in vape cartridges. We urge swift action by elected leaders to ban this potentially hazardous practice.”

Michigan Pure Med also announced that it will remove any and all vape cartridges that don’t disclose ingredients and only sell vape products that are 100-percent free from non-natural additives. Michigan Pure Med has informed all vape manufacturers supplying products to Common Citizen they will be required to detail safety and testing practices, protocols and ingredients so customers can make informed choices.

“Safety is our top priority at Michigan Pure Med, and we are committed to only selling products in our Common Citizen stores that are made from marijuana and all-natural plant material and free from non-natural additives,” Elias said. “As part of our commitment to patient safety, we will be removing any product from our shelves that does not clearly disclose its ingredients or meet the highest safety and quality standards.”

In addition to removing vape cartridges that don’t use natural ingredients or clearly state its ingredients, Common Citizen will only carry products made with natural terpenes found in marijuana and other natural products like lavender (i.e. linalool) and citrus (i.e. limonene). Common Citizen employees will also distribute educational information at its store locations with facts about vaping and how customers can protect themselves from dangerous products that may pose a risk to human health.

As of Sept. 10, there have been as many as 450 cases and six deaths related to vaping, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is likely many of these cases are linked to illicit vape cartridges that contain synthetic ingredients, including synthetic vitamin E acetate, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Experts say vitamin E acetate should not be inhaled.

“Safety is our number one priority and it’s high-time for elected leaders to crack down on black market operators who are selling untested, dangerous products and passing it off as medicine,” Elias said. “We need stronger enforcement for bad actors who are causing people to get sick from tainted vape cartridges and we call upon state leaders and licensed manufacturers to adopt Good Manufacturing Practices to make Michigan a leader in consumer safety.”   

Michigan Pure Med is committed to following Good Manufacturing Practices and applying them to every step of its manufacturing process to ensure products are safe for human consumption. Good Manufacturing Practices ensure products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Elias praised Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, and Sen. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) for their work and leadership in taking the first steps to making GMP a reality in Michigan.

“The recent vaping related illnesses and deaths are unfortunate and show the urgent need to enact Good Manufacturing Practices,” Elias said. “Good Manufacturing Practices require all raw materials going into marijuana products to be assessed for contaminants before they are turned into a final product. We urge elected leaders to apply Good Manufacturing Practices to every step of the marijuana manufacturing process to ensure products are safe for human consumption and we stand ready to support much-needed research to determine the causes of the recent vaping related illnesses.”