Pueblo Vape Maker Recalls 49 Products Tainted With Cancer-Linked Solvent
Staycon recalled 49 vape products after a Denver lab detected methylene chloride, a cancer-linked solvent, amid delayed state testing rules.Summary
Staycon, a Pueblo County marijuana company, recalled 49 vape products after Denver's Bona Fides Laboratory detected methylene chloride — a cancer-linked solvent — in products like Grape Gorilla and Maui Wowie. Lab director David Mathis notified Staycon and Colorado officials in August and criticized state regulators for delaying expanded testing rules, which were scheduled for July but pushed to late September. Colorado law prohibits methylene chloride in marijuana manufacturing, yet the Marijuana Enforcement Division has not issued a public consumer alert. Critics note that under current rules, manufacturers still choose both the testing lab and the samples, allowing contaminated batches to go undetected. This is not Staycon's first controversy: in 2024, competitor-hired tests alleged some Staycon products were made from synthetic hemp rather than true marijuana — a claim Jeffrey Whitney denied. Colorado regulators acknowledged earlier in 2024 that illicit practices, including hazardous chemical conversion of hemp to THC, were prevalent. Meanwhile, the EPA's 2024 methylene chloride ban was struck down by the 5th Circuit in September, though Colorado's own prohibition remains in effect.
(Source：Hoodline)
