ST. LOUIS — A medical marijuana trade group wants Missouri health officials to issue strict vaping regulations as the number of people in the United States suffering from vape-related lung illnesses continues to rise.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association asked the Department of Health and Senior Services in a letter Monday to issue rules on vaping additives, testing and labeling before legal medical pot sales start in 2020.
Federal health officials have said many of the roughly 1,600 people with vape-related illnesses this year were using black-market products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Oct. 15 directed his health, education and public safety departments to develop a public health awareness campaign to discourage vaping called "Clear the Air" within 30 days.
