September 9, 2019

In light of the alarming reports about vaping-related illnesses and deaths, we want to share the following important points with you.

• As of September 6, 2019, over 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with the use of e-cigarette products have been reported to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) from 33 states and the US Virgin Islands.
• Abatin only carries products that have been tested by state-approved laboratories in accordance with the testing protocols sets forth in California Code of Regulations, Title 16, Division 42. Items that fail such testing have never, and will never, be made available to customers.
• We urge you to limit any and all purchases of cannabis products to those made by California licensed manufacturers that are subject to California testing requirements. Counterfeit vapes products have reportedly been fraudulently sold illegally in the unregulated black market under the name of trusted brands, so it is also critical to restrict your purchases to those made from California licensed retailers.
• As of today, no single element or source has been identified as the source of the problem. According to the CDC: “The investigation has not identified any specific substance or e-cigarette product that is linked to all cases.” However, the CDC added: “Many patients report using e-cigarette products with liquids that contain cannabinoid products, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).”
• Media reports have speculated that a source for such illnesses may be fillers that are either added to vape cartridges or may otherwise be in the raw material from which such extracts are made. Such fillers can include, but are not limited to, vitamin E acetate, propylene glycol (PG), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil.
• Certain carriers, such as MCT oil, are safe and efficient when used as a carrier for a cannabis tincture that is used sublingually in particularly and orally in general. It is unknown what happens to the safety of carriers such as those listed above when they are heated, and, it is also unknown whether there are different risks associated with heating such carriers at different temperatures.
• We have reached out to each of our vape-cartridge vendors to secure representations about the contents of their cartridges. At this time, each of our current vendors has stated generally that it does not add material to its cartridge liquids that are not sourced from cannabis.
• Regarding hardware, The Tzoof! brand vapor cartridges are sourced from a manufacturer that uses ceramic, glass and stainless steel materials that are believed to be the most risk-mitigating materials in the context of the intended use. The manufacturer of this hardware, “Ccell,” conveyed its continued commitment to safety in writing to us and excerpts from that communication are set forth below for your review.

“We want you to know that we have always focused on the safety of our products. Please rest assured that since the inception of CCELL products, even while legislative requirements did not fully exist, we proactively tested and will continue to test each component we produce. These tests include evaluating our products for heavy metals to ensure they are not a health hazard. Since the launch of CCELL, all our components have passed RoHS testing requirements. (RoHS is an acronym for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances — a strict directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electronic equipment, as created by the European Union’s Parliamentary Council) . . . .”

“Consumer safety and product satisfaction is, and will always be, our guiding principal. We will always ensure conformance with regulatory requirements, as we have always placed exceedingly high standards on ourselves. As our great industry continues to evolve, we owe this to our valued customers. We will be sure to send further updates on industry testing regulations as they come to light and how our products will continue to be best-in-class in the industry . . . .”

“Remember, when you choose CCELL, you not only are making the choice to be a part of the original authentic revolutionary ceramic heating technology platform, you are choosing to partner with an industry steward, one that is proud to focus on not only performance, but our customer’s safety as well.”

Please be aware that we, as a licensed cannabis businesses, do not obtain product from unlicensed, untested distributors for both compliance and consumer safety reasons.

We listed some insightful, reliable media references at the end of this note if you’d like to learn more. We hope this answers your questions on the current state of our cannabis products, but please reach out to us if you have anything else you’d like to ask. Get #WeedWise!

Media References

• “Dangerous Pesticide Found in Unlicensed Pot Shop Sparks Lawsuit” NBC 4 Los Angeles, pub. 4/17/19
• “Counterfeit cannabis products stoke black market for California weed” James Queally, LA Times, pub. 8/26/2019
• “How to Spot a Bootleg Cannabis Vape Cartridge” Mary Jane Gibson, Rolling Stone, pub. 8/30/2019