In October 2024, Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency banned MCT oil vapes. The state has recalled over 25,000 vapes since the beginning of 2025, and on August 27, the agency announced it’d be recalling 5,765 more. This time, the vapes came from Exclusive Brands’ Kushy Punch brand.
RELATED: Inside Michigan’s Fight for Safe, Legal Vapes
MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides, are fat molecules typically made from coconut or palm oil. Despite MCT being a food-safe ingredient that has many benefits for a range of conditions, scientists say that inhaling MCT oil can lead to bronchitis and pneumonia by way of inflamed lungs. They’re typically added to vapes to make the oil easier to manipulate in the hardware, as well as diluting other cannabinoids.
Last year, the cofounder and CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Lab told the Detroit Free Press that more than 30 percent of the marijuana vapes his Michigan-based lab tested contained either MCT oil, synthetic cannabinoids, or pesticides. The company also has a lab in San Diego.
According to the Free Press, Michigan’s CRA told consumers who purchased “Pineapple Jealousy” Kushy Punch vapes between January 23rd and May 12th of this year to check the recall bulletin to see if their product is subject to recall. If it is, they should return it to the initial sales location or safely dispose of the vape. Any buyers who’ve had harmful symptoms should immediately report their concerns to a health care provider.
Exclusive Brands chief development officer Narmin Jarrous has responded to the recall of his brand’s products, claiming that they aren’t based on any violation of compliance protocols.
“It is our view that no rules or regulations were broken in the production or distribution of this product…Products that were deemed fully compliant and safe under the state’s own rules are now being flagged due to the CRA’s shifting approach,” wrote Jarrous in a statement sent to the Free Press.
Exclusive Brands was one of the first brands to receive a recreational marijuana license in Michigan—it opened its doors to sales on December 1, 2019, the state’s first day of sales.
RELATED: ‘Just smoke’: Why one doctor says you should never use pot vapes
MCT oil was one of the main reasons for the 2019 “VapeGate,” a period during which the federal government cracked down on e-cigarettes and vapes. For the sake of your health and for businesses that properly practice safety, be sure to do your research before partaking.