Officials issue recall for over 20,000 vape cartridges for dangerous contamination — here's what you need to know

Officials in Michigan have recalled more than 26,000 marijuana vape cartridges because they contain a potentially unsafe ingredient.

What happened?

According to the Detroit Free Press, the recalled cartridges are from the brands Motor City Cannacarts and RIPZ. Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency said they contained medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and were unsafe to consume.

The strains impacted include Georgia Pie and Confetti Cake, RIPZ vape cartridges, Tropic Thunder, Wedding Cake, Peach Cobbler, and Ice Cream Man purchased after Nov. 1, 2024. You can find a list of what dispensaries sold these cartridges on the CRA's website. The agency said Sky Cannabis, the producer of the vape cartridges, has identified locations that sell the products and is working with stores to remove them from shelves. 

"Sky Cannabis is happy to cooperate with the CRA in this voluntary recall to ensure that all licensed cannabis products meet our strict production, quality and safety standards," Sky Cannabis's attorney, Denise Pollicella, told the Free Press.

Last October, the CRA banned MCT oil in vape pens after a cannabis testing company CEO found that over 30% of pens and edibles he tested in his lab had MCT oil, synthetic cannabis oil, or pesticides. Several vape cartridges containing the oil were recalled shortly after. 

Why is this important?

E-cigarettes have been linked to numerous health conditions, also known as EVALI (e-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury). In 2019, nearly 3,000 people were hospitalized and 68 deaths occurred after users consumed THC-containing vaping products laced with vitamin E acetate. The CDC recommended people stop using vape products, especially those containing THC, because of the outbreak. 

Other health conditions caused by vapes include anxiety and psychosis, and cognitive and motor impairment. 

Vape pens and cartridges are also harmful to the environment, as they contain heavy metals and plastic parts that can leach into soil and waterways — especially problematic are the ones that contain a lithium battery inside, as they can cause additional pollution issues and also spark fires. Many people have even run over vapes on roadways and had to replace bike or car tires. 

Sadly, not everyone disposes of them properly, which creates a big environmental mess and is a nuisance for others to deal with. Making matters worse, e-pens are often hard to recycle because of their complex components, resulting in many ending up in landfills. 

What should customers do with the cartridges?

The CRA explained that dispensaries in Michigan have posted signs telling customers to either return the cartridges to the stores they purchased them from or dispose of them. Disposal is usually harmful unless customers can recycle the vapes, but due to a lack of standardized collection methods, this isn't possible in many areas. But if you have a hazardous waste collection site, you can likely take it there for disposal, which may be even better than returning to the store.

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