MEDFORD, Ore.– Flavored vapes will be banned in the state of Oregon starting Tuesday. The executive order signed by Governor Kate Brown is banning all flavored liquids.
Businesses have begun to shuffle their stock, sell off as much as they can and canceling any orders as this ban draws near. Announced two weeks ago, the ban centers on ‘terpenes,’ essentially flavors and scents that can be natural, botanical or artificial.
Those derived solely from marijuana or tobacco won’t be affected. Some stores have based a majority of their businesses around this causing them to make an enormous transition.
“Our business is the vaping juice so we’re going to do everything we can to stay available for our clients,” said Christyna Thomas, manager of Vapor Legends in Medford. The company says it doesn’t have any plans to transition to a new type of business. They’re hoping to ride this ban out for the next six months.
Others had only a few flavored products but have already taken steps to cancel any future orders.
“The ban coming – we anticipated this,” said Bonnie Elliott, operations manager of Cannabiz Experience. “We basically just backed off of our ordering.”
The OLCC says they’ll spend the next six months working to develop regulatory changes at the state level to make sure flavored vaping products aren’t deadly.
However, companies are hoping a solution is found sooner to lift the ban. Many believe the prohibition of flavored products won’t be the answer to this growing issue.
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