(update!) OPPOSE AB 762 / Vape Ban

Laura Braden
Apr 14
2 min read

Updated: Apr 29

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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CHALLENGE: Assembly Bill 762 (Irwin/Wilson) would prohibit the sale, distribution, and offering for sale of disposable, battery-embedded vapor inhalation devices—including integrated cannabis vaporizers—beginning January 1, 2026, undermining recent regulations that already address environmental concerns and inadvertently empowering the illicit market. This ban would create significant barriers for medical cannabis patients who rely on these devices for accessibility reasons, while doing nothing to actually eliminate these products from the market, merely shifting sales from regulated to unregulated channels.

SOLUTION: Rather than implementing a counterproductive ban that would endanger public health and strengthen the illicit market, California should focus on 1) enhancing education about proper disposal methods established by AB 1894 (2022), 2) expanding regulated collection programs, and 3) directing enforcement resources toward unlicensed operators who sell untested, potentially harmful vaporizers with no environmental or safety standards.

WHY THIS BILL IS PROBLEMATIC

Undermines recently enacted regulations from AB 1894 (2022) that already require proper disposal labeling and education
Empowers the illicit market by pushing consumers toward untested, unregulated products with no environmental or safety standards
Endangers public health by eliminating access to lab-tested products that are free from harmful additives like vitamin E acetate
Creates accessibility barriers for medical cannabis patients with arthritis or mobility impairments who rely on these easier-to-use devices
Unfairly characterizes these products as "single-use" when they typically deliver 150-300 doses over weeks or months
Reduces tax revenue that funds youth programs, public health services, and environmental restoration