Taiwan Police Arrest 5 for Illegal Cannabis Vape Products
Credit: NTCDH
In a stern reminder to its citizens that vaping and cannabis products are illegal, Taiwan law enforcement and health officials arrested five people in the city of Taipei last week. Taipei police stated that they had broken up a criminal organization, whose members have been accused of selling vaping products containing cannabis extracts, according to the Taipei Times.
“After surveilling the premises for several days, police officers carried out a raid at a motel in Taipei’s Wanhua District last week, in which 94 vaping cartridges and 23 pouches of unknown powdered material were seized,” the story states. “Preliminary lab testing revealed that the cartridges contained cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active ingredients in cannabis. The pouches contained ketamine, which is a controlled substance.”
A 25-year-old woman allegedly led the criminal ring. One modified handgun, 11 bullets and an undisclosed amount of cash were also seized. Investigators said that Liu’s group had been selling the vaping cartridge oil for the past year and has profited an estimated NT$10 million ($359,544) in illegal proceeds.
The suspects face charges of contravening the Narcotics Hazard Prevention Act and for possession of illegal firearms in contravention of the Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act. Ring members allegedly promoted their products to youth via social media and online platforms.
The CBD and THC oil were branded as “Cookies,” “Sherbet,” “Dream,” “Skywalker” and other names. Officials at the Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday said that e-cigarette and related vaping devices have not been approved in Taiwan, and their use therefore is illegal, regardless of their contents.
CBD in pharmaceutical products has received approval for medicinal use in Taiwan, when prescribed by a physician and the request is approved by authorities. However, general sale of CBD is not permitted. Such products can contain THC at less than 10 parts per million, but would otherwise be scheduled as a Class 2 illegal drug, officials said.
