(update!) CaCOA Opposes Vape Ban: Testimony Highlights Environmental and Public Health Concerns

UPDATE: On April 29, 2025, the Assembly Business and Professions Committee pulled AB 762 due to a lack of support. This is a significant win for cannabis consumers, patients, and the entire legal cannabis industry in California.

LEARN MORE: Victory for Cannabis Consumers and Retailers: AB 762 Pulled from Committee

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The California Cannabis Operators Association (CaCOA) recently opposed Assembly Bill 762 (Irwin/Wilson), which seeks to ban integrated vaporizer devices in California. 

Executive Director Amy O'Gorman Jenkins presented testimony before the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee, highlighting several key concerns with the proposed legislation.

• Read and watch Jenkins' testimony

• Urge your legislator to oppose AB 762

• Explore resources and legislative letters

Jenkins emphasized that while CaCOA shares lawmakers' commitment to environmental and consumer protection, banning integrated vaporizers would likely exacerbate existing challenges without solving the intended problems.

"We share your commitment to environmental safety and consumer protection,” testified Jenkins. “And yet, banning integrated vaporizer devices will not achieve those goals—it will only deepen an already growing problem: the illicit market… The public health risks are real.

The Centers for Disease Control linked the 2019 EVALI outbreak to illicit-market vape cartridges. Removing compliant, tested products from legal shelves does not protect consumers—it exposes them to far greater harm."

A critical point in CaCOA's opposition centers on patient access to medication. Jenkins highlighted how these devices serve essential needs for medical cannabis patients:

"Patients depend on integrated vaporizers that are safe, accessible, and long-lasting. These devices are especially important for medical cannabis patients managing chronic pain or mobility impairments—people for whom connecting cartridges to batteries may be difficult or impossible."

Jenkins also clarified a common misconception about these products:

"Labeling these as 'single-use' is misleading: a half-gram device delivers around 150 doses, and a full gram provides more than 300. These are used over weeks or months, not discarded after one session. Under California's strict product safety laws, they are not refillable to protect against contamination."

Jenkins noted that recent legislation addressing the proper disposal of cannabis vaping products deserves a chance to work:

"AB 762 will also not solve the problem it aims to address, and is also premature. As of July 1st, cannabis licensees are now complying with AB 1894, authored by Luz Rivas and enacted in 2022. That legislation mandates disposal instructions and directs consumers to appropriate recycling resources. That law deserves time to work."

This opposition comes at a challenging time for California's regulated cannabis market. As CaCOA has highlighted in other advocacy efforts, the legal cannabis industry faces significant pressure from high taxation, illicit competition, and regulatory hurdles.

CaCOA has emphasized that policy decisions must consider these market realities to avoid further destabilizing the legal cannabis ecosystem that Proposition 64 intended to create.

No action from members is required at this time, and we will continue to provide updates on this legislation.