The US is gradually legalizing cannabis and various cannabis products, including cannabis vapes. New legalizations make it easier for vape shops to sell cannabis vapes and related cannabis products to customers. Unfortunately, selling cannabis products creates cannabis waste. Cannabis waste requires specific waste management that some vape shops aren’t aware of. Keep reading to learn what vape shops need to know about cannabis waste.
Cannabis Waste Includes Paraphernalia
Vape shops may assume that cannabis waste only includes the cannabis product, such as the cartridge that contains cannabis oil. However, this is an incorrect assumption. Cannabis waste is any paraphernalia that is part of cannabis processing and use. That means even the packaging the cannabis oil arrives in is cannabis waste, and you must dispose of it accordingly.
All Waste Must Be Unusable and Unrecognizable
Whether the cannabis waste is a cannabis product or related paraphernalia, you must make the waste unusable and unrecognizable. No one looking at your vape shop’s waste should be able to reuse or recognize anything related to cannabis. This is to prevent people and criminals from attempting to make black-market cannabis products appear legitimate. While breaking down cannabis waste takes extra time, remember that your shop is doing so to help protect people. The extra effort is worth it to keep cannabis legal and safe.
You Can Partner With Waste Professionals
If your vape shop doesn’t have the time or staff to dedicate to cannabis waste, that’s okay. You can still sell cannabis products. You will then need to partner with waste professionals who understand cannabis waste laws and regulations. Find professionals who can follow a quick guide to cannabis waste disposal and work locally. The locality is important because local areas may have additional laws and regulations compared to state or country-wide rules.
There is a lot of information that vape shops need to know about cannabis waste before they offer cannabis products. While we are glad to help you start exploring the information in this field, you will need to do additional research on your local area to determine whether your shop is ready to sell and maintain cannabis products and waste. Once you are prepared, you can grow your customer base with this new, much-needed product.
