Missouri recalls hundreds of vape pens amid dispute over required testing procedures

A fight over Missouri's marijuana testing rules has put hundreds of recalled vape pens back under scrutiny.

At issue is whether the products were tested in the form consumers actually purchase them, or only as bulk THC concentrate before the oil was loaded into cartridges.

What happened?

According to the Missouri Independent, Missouri regulators recalled hundreds of vape pens produced by Kansas City-based Local Cannabis Co. after determining the products were tested as bulk THC concentrate rather than after being filled into finished cartridges.

Local Cannabis chief operating officer Tyler Pugh told the Independent that the issue was tied to "evolving testing requirements for final form administration" and added, "This matter is not related to the quality or safety of our products."

Pugh said the state issued new testing requirements on April 30 and that Local Cannabis was working to make changes to satisfy them. 

But state regulators reject that explanation. Lisa Cox, a spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said, "The testing rules did not change on April 30."

Cox said the recall was set in motion when another licensee challenged a certificate of analysis for a Local Cannabis product.

She said investigators then identified "discrepancies between the COA and the testing results," which indicated the products had been tested "earlier in the manufacturing process than required by rule."

Why does it matter?

Missouri requires vape products to be tested once they are in their final form, in part because the cartridge itself can affect the oil inside.

Ross Bearman, director of lab operations at Fleur de Lis Analytical Laboratories, told the Independent that final-form testing is meant to check for "leaching" from the cartridges.

Testing products too early in the manufacturing process can raise concerns about whether the finished item matches what was certified.

Vaping has been linked to nicotine addiction and other negative health outcomes, especially among young people, and cannabis vaping products carry their own safety risks when oversight breaks down.

Disposable vapes also contribute to growing waste problems through single-use plastics, toxic electronic waste, and improperly discarded lithium batteries that can spark fires and contaminate the environment.

The timing has also brought extra attention. The Missouri Independent reported that the recall arrived less than a month after Local Cannabis and another manufacturer sued Good Day Farm and affiliated companies on antitrust claims, intensifying scrutiny of Missouri's rapidly expanding marijuana market.

The Independent received no comment from Pugh on the timeline of the recall and lawsuit.

What's being done?

Local Cannabis said it is working with regulators and retailers to address the issue.

Pugh said, "We are proactively coordinating with our retail partners to replace affected inventory with newly compliant, fully tested products as quickly as possible."

Regulators, meanwhile, said they used Missouri's track-and-trace system to identify other affected products after the initial discrepancy was flagged.

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