Tag: Pittsburgh

  • TSA Agents Find THC Vapes Hidden in Peanut Butter

    TSA Agents Find THC Vapes Hidden in Peanut Butter

    Credit: TSA

    This story has too many puns. Officers from the Transportation Security Administration said a traveler tried to hide marijuana vape cartridges in a jar of peanut butter. The agents at Pittsburgh International Airport in Pennsylvania discovered the cartridges in a traveler’s checked bag after it “triggered an alarm,” a TSA spokesperson wrote in a tweet.

    “When a @TSA officer investigated why it alarmed, three vape canisters with marijuana that were wrapped in plastic bags were pulled from the jar,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein stated in the tweet.

    “TSA isn’t searching for drugs, but when they are discovered during routine screening, the police are contacted,” Farbstein added, as reported by Insider. “The traveler told officials that the canisters were for medical purposes, but still thought he should try to conceal them. Not a good decision.”

    It remains unclear if any charges were filed against the traveler caught with the marijuana. TSA made light of the situation with dad joke-style warnings to other travelers.

    “When our baggage screening officers @PITairport discovered this jarring find, you butter believe this passenger found themselves in a crunch. We’re going to spread this awareness on really thick!” an account for the TSA said on Instagram.

    Travelers can bring vape cartridges in their carry-on luggage so long as they are not “filled with THC, like the e-liquids pictured,” the TSA said in the post.

    “Well, don’t get roasted by packing them in peanut butter, it’s just best to leave them at home. While our officers aren’t directly searching for those vape highs, if found they’re ganja have to report it to law enforcement,” the agency said on Instagram.

  • Pittsburgh Latest City to Sue Juul Labs for Marketing

    Pittsburgh Latest City to Sue Juul Labs for Marketing

    More than 70 school districts across the United States have filed lawsuits against Juul Labs for its marketing practices.

    The Pittsburgh Public School district gave approval last week for the district to enter into a contract with the Frantz Law Group of San Diego, the firm filing the lawsuits against Juul Labs in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, where the company is headquartered.

    “It’s very similar in concept to the tobacco litigation of some 20 years ago except this is not a class action,” district solicitor Ira Weiss said during a school board meeting Wednesday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

    The lawsuit seeks damages for the cost of installing vaping detection devices in school restrooms as well as funding for educational programs for students and families about the health risks of vaping.

    Weiss said about 70 school districts nationwide have filed similar lawsuits, including several other school districts in Pennsylvania.

    Austin Finan, a Juul spokesman, said in a statement that the corporation would respond to the allegations in the complaint through the appropriate legal channels, according to the story. In the meantime, Finan said the company would “seek to earn the trust of society by working cooperatively with attorneys general, legislators, regulators, public health officials and other stakeholders to combat underage use and transition adult smokers from combustible cigarettes.”

    “As part of that process, the company reduced its product portfolio, halted television, print and digital product advertising and submitted a Premarket Tobacco Product Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration including comprehensive scientific evidence to support the harm reduction potential of its products and data-driven measures to address underage use,” he said.

    The lawsuit is a contingent fee case, meaning it will cost the district nothing if the district does not win. The Frantz Law Group would receive 20 percent of any settlement if the case is decided in 2020, or 25 percent if the case is settled in 2021 or later, the story states.

    Board member Terry Kennedy said it was a “wise” decision for the district to file the lawsuit.

    “We don’t have any upfront expenses, and there’s no risk to the taxpayers,” Ms. Kennedy said. “There’s a lot of benefit to our students if they understand what’s going on related to Juul and the others.”