The Herbal Wellness Center, a marijuana dispensary in Jackson, Ohio, closed Friday after two customers reported serious adverse health effects from a vape pen purchased there. The company said it closed at the request of the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control and stated it has found no substantiated evidence that any of its products caused or contributed to the reported events.
Ohio marijuana dispensary closes after two customers report serious health effects
The Herbal Wellness Center, a marijuana dispensary in Jackson, Ohio, closed Friday after two customers reported serious adverse health effects from a vape pen purchased there. The company said it closed at the request of the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control and stated it has found no substantiated evidence that any of its products caused or contributed to the reported events.
The dispensary is operated by Vext Sciences, which also runs four other locations in Ohio that remain open. According to Scott Everett, the company's general counsel, the Vapen branded cartridge products involved are on a precautionary hold pending laboratory review. Everett said all products undergo testing at independent, state-licensed labs before sale.
A person died at Holzer Medical Center emergency room within five or six days of the dispensary's closure, according to Buster Hall, an investigator with the county coroner's office. Hall said the body was sent for autopsy and no cause of death has yet been determined. He stated it is unknown whether the death is related to any product sold at the dispensary.
Tom Brockman, spokesman for the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, said follow-up testing on a sample from the same product lot as one purchased by a patient who experienced adverse health effects detected no harmful contaminants. He said some products have been put on hold from sales or transfer while additional testing continues. The follow-up testing was conducted at an independent lab funded by Vext at regulators' request.
The state has declined to disclose details about the nature of the health events or specifics of the product involved, citing the ongoing investigation and the absence of detected contamination in initial and follow-up testing. The county health department said it has no involvement in the investigation and does not inspect or maintain records on the facility.
- The source does not describe the nature of the serious adverse health effects reported by the two customers.
- The source does not state whether the death at Holzer Medical Center ER is confirmed to be related to marijuana product use or whether it involved one of the two customers who reported health effects.
- The source does not name the two customers who reported adverse health effects or provide details about when they reported these effects.
- The source does not specify which Vapen product lot or specific cartridge type was involved in the adverse health events.
- The source does not state the date of the death at Holzer Medical Center ER or provide a timeline clarifying the exact sequence of events relative to the dispensary closure.
Read the original at Marijuana Moment