A marijuana dispensary in Southeast Ohio closed after two customers reported what have only been described as “serious adverse health effects” after using a vape pen they bought there.
The Herbal Wellness Center, a Vext Sciences dispensary in Jackson, on Friday said it voluntarily closed shop at the request of the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC).
“At this time, the Company is not aware of any substantiated evidence establishing that any Vext product caused or contributed to either reported medical event,” the company said.
Neither the state nor the company have been willing to describe the two health events or answer whether anyone is reported to have died. A spokesman for the county coroner said a person died at a nearby ER within five or six days of the dispensary’s shutdown, but it’s unknown whether the death is related to any product sold there.
Scott Everett, the company’s general counsel, said in an interview Wednesday the company’s Vapen branded cartridge products are on a “precautionary hold” pending a laboratory review. He said all products undergo testing at independent, state licensed labs before they’re sold.
“Out of respect for the individuals involved and the ongoing review that [regulators are] doing, we’re not commenting on health related matters or specific products,” he said.
DCC spokesman Tom Brockman said follow-up testing on a sample taken from the same product lot as one purchased by a patient who experienced adverse health effects detected no harmful contaminants.
He said that some products have been put on hold from sales or transfer to other stores while additional testing continues. He said follow-up testing was conducted at the regulators’ request at an independent lab, funded by Vext. No contaminants have been detected.
The DCC has declined to provide any information on the nature of the health events or specifics about the product at issue.
“Because this is an ongoing investigation and the product in question has not shown to be contaminated via initial or follow-up testing, the Division is not disclosing any health-related information or specific product details,” Brockman said.
When asked if any fatalities occurred, Brockman referred inquiries to local law enforcement.
Buster Hall, an investigator with the county coroner’s office, said someone died within five or six days of the dispensary’s closure, and it’s too soon to draw conclusions.
“We had a death in Holzer Medical Center ER in that time frame,” he said. “We sent the body for an autopsy. We have no report yet on the cause of death. We don’t know if it’s related or not.”
While health departments are typically responsible for run-of-the-mill food safety investigations, state officials license, oversee and investigate the legal marijuana industry in Ohio. County Health Commissioner Kevin Aston said he had no comment.
“The health department does not inspect nor keep any kind of records on this facility, and my department and I have not been involved with this investigation,” he said.
Vext Sciences, which runs dispensaries in Ohio and Arizona, owns the Herbal Wellness Center. It operates four other locations in Ohio, all of which remain open.
