NEWS
A rundown of the latest
developments and
research making the
news worldwide.
By Róisín Delaney
loud
Cloud
No to vapes, yes to tax
Vaping is still prohibited in Australia, but
the cost of cigarettes is on the rise once
more. While the government down under
maintains its reluctance to legalise nicotine
e-liquids, the tax on cigarettes went up again
by 12.5 percent in September and it’s set
to increase again in September 2019. Prior
to this tax hike, Australia already held the
title for being the most expensive place
in the world to buy cigarettes. While the
country says it is aiming to reduce the adult
smoking rate among Aussies, it has yet to
acknowledge vaping as a less harmful
alternative. E-liquids containing nicotine are
banned in the nation, as liquid nicotine is
classed as a poison there.
Closer to home
Vaping is Personal in Devonport was the
subject of a recent police raid. According
to the Plymouth Herald newspaper, CBD
‘buds’ or hemp flowers were among the
products seized from the shop under the
Misuse of Drugs Act. While CBD e-liquids
can be sold freely, the legal status of flowers
and buds remain a contentious issue.
A supplier to the shop, Trevor Dodd
of thcfreewedd.com said, “CBD-related
products are totally, 100 percent legal in
the UK.” However, the Cannabis Trades
Association (CTA) believes that suppliers
of CBD flowers are misinterpreting the
laws, saying: “Full flower or bud is illegal
unless processed legally by a licensed
company.” The owner of the raided shop,
Ashley Cole, said he felt “victimised”
and told Vapouround, “there have been
some clear unlawful actions, we still sell are
[sic] products at www.cbdlabsuk.com They
even allowed us to refill our store just
hours later and haven’t returned.” Devon
and Cornwall Police said, “enquiries
continue into the matter.” No arrests have
been made.
More raids stateside
Authorities in the US have discovered
fentanyl in a ‘CBD’ e-liquid on sale in a vape
shop. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics
has warned the public to be wary when
buying e-liquids after a bottle sold as CBD
was tested and found to contain the deadly
drug. The liquid was seized as part of an
investigation into the illicit sale of synthetic
cannabinoids, commonly known as ‘spice’
which can mimic the effects of cannabis
but can also be far more dangerous. A
total of nine businesses were investigated,
seven individuals have been arrested
and $350,000 has been seized in bank
deposits following the raid.
10 | VM19
Street wise
Can vape shops save the great
British high street? Perhaps if recent
research by the Centre for Economic
and Business Research (CEBR) is any
indication. According to a new report by the
economic forecaster, the vape economy
is having a positive effect on the wider
economy as 40 percent of vape shops
were found to be trading on premises that
previously lay vacant. Almost 6,000 people
are employed by vape shops in the UK
and the number of shops has grown by
more than 100 percent at the same time
as retailers that have traditionally been a
staple of the high street such as grocers,
down 15 percent, and electrical goods stores,
down 26 percent.