Bill introduced to create vape registry. Store owner calls it a business killer

ATLANTA — An Athens lawmaker wants the state to create a kind of registry of Food and Drug Administration approved vape products.

The goal is to let retailers and consumers know what’s legal and what’s not.

Channel 2′s Richard Elliot was inside the committee room Monday where so many people signed up to speak about the bill that the chairman agreed to come back at another meeting to hear them all.

The basic question: What’s in that vape cartridge you’re smoking?

Athens lawmaker Houston Gaines showed several examples of vape products that are illegal, and if you check on the back, they say “Made in China.”

The FDA does not approve them, so Gaines said Georgia shouldn’t either.

“Customers don’t know what’s legal and what’s not. What’s approved by the FDA. And it’s important that consumers and retailers know what they’re getting has been regulated and the FDA has approved it,” Gaines told Elliot.

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So Gaines wrote a bill that would create an official registry, a list of all the vape products approved by the FDA or has its approval pending.

The state agriculture department would maintain and publish it. Any product not on that list could not be sold legally in the state of Georgia.

At a Monday afternoon committee hearing, there were so many people, that the chairman agreed to hold a second one so everyone could have their say, and some pushed back hard.

One of those who got their say Monday was vape store owner Dillon Gilbert, who insists this bill will destroy their industry.

“I own vape stores in Savannah and Columbus,” Gilbert said. “We want common sense regulation, but unfortunately, this bill is a death blow to our industry.”

But Gaines insists the bill will help keep vape products laced with fentanyl or THC off the shelves.

“You want to make sure that what you’re using has been tested and approved and is not going to kill you. You have examples of fentanyl-laced or THC-laced vapes that have killed young people,” Gaines said.

Under the bill, any store caught selling these unapproved vape products could face serious fines and possible suspension of their licenses.

This bill will have to move fast in order to pass. Crossover day is next week.

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