A Georgia lawmaker is seeking for the state to create a registry of vape products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The goal is to let retailers and consumers know what’s legal and what’s not. The bill was introduced in committee.
Lawmaker Houston Gaines showed several examples of vape products that are illegal. Media reports also state that if you check on the back, they say, “Made in China.” Nearly all vaping hardware products, legal or otherwise, are produced in China.
The FDA does not approve them, so Gaines said Georgia shouldn’t either. The FDA does not approve vaping products for sale; it only authorizes them.
The state agriculture department would maintain and publish the list. Any product not on that list could not be sold legally in the state of Georgia.
At a Monday afternoon committee hearing, there were so many people that the committee chairman agreed to hold a second one so everyone could have their say, and some pushed back hard.
One of those who got their say Monday was vape store owner Dillon Gilbert, who insists this bill will destroy their industry.
“I own vape stores in Savannah and Columbus,” Gilbert said. “We want common sense regulation, but unfortunately, this bill is a death blow to our industry.”
But Gaines insists the bill will help keep vape products laced with fentanyl or THC off the shelves. No nicotine vaping product has ever been found to be laced with fentanyl. The GFDA does not regulate THC products.
Under the bill, any store caught selling these unapproved vape products could face serious fines and possible suspension of their licenses.
Louisiana’s passed a law that bans retailers from selling vape products not listed on a state-approved registry, known as the V.A.P.E. Directory. Alabama and Florida use the same list. Nebraska is also seeking to pass a bill to create a vape registry in the state.