Marijuana retailers pull vape products in Oregon
Following nationwide cases of severe illnesses and deaths related to vaping products, marijuana retailers are pulling vaping products from their stores in Oregon. According to the Associated Press, “The move came after the agency that regulates Oregon’s cannabis industry told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it will soon begin asking retailers to voluntarily review their vaping offerings and pull those that spark concern. Kind Leaf Pendleton, a pot retailer with the largest inventory in Oregon, said it has already pulled 68 vaping products from 15 brands amid uncertainty over what is causing the lung-related illnesses.” In New York, manufacturers of the compound that were suspected of causing the illnesses were subpoenaed.
Obama-era water protections revoked by Trump administration
The Environmental Protection Agency has dropped Obama-era waterway regulations. According to the Associated Press, “The 2015 Waters of the United States rule defined the waterways subject to federal regulation. Scrapping it “puts an end to an egregious power grab, eliminates an ongoing patchwork of clean water regulations and restores a longstanding and familiar regulatory framework,” Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler said at a news conference in Washington, D.C. The repeal of this act opens up waterways to be more easily polluted.
EPA approves harmful pesticides
Beekeepers are suing the Environmental Protection Agency over the reauthorization of insecticides that have been linked to a decrease in bee populations. According to the New York Times, “That chemical, sulfoxaflor, is absorbed into plants, where it can be ingested by pollinating bees. When the bees return to the hive, they can transfer the chemical to the colony. This affects the bees’ ability to breed and survive according to studies cited by Earthjustice, whose lawyer Gregory C. Loarie is representing the petitioners.” Insecticides like this have been banned from usage since 2016 due to its effect on honey bee populations.
