Vaping company expands as feds investigate lung disease

Boca Raton distributor Greenlane plans to open more stores this year

As U.S. health officials put out an alert about severe lung disease associated with vaping, a vape distributor and marketer in Boca Raton is expanding.

Greenlane on Thursday announced an expansion of stores throughout North America, news that came just days after health officials put out an alert saying they are investigating 215 possible cases of severe lung disease associated with vaping.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also issued a warning letter to San Francisco-based Juul Labs, a well-known maker of vape pens, for marketing unauthorized tobacco products, including a presentation given to youth at a school.

Greenlane, a marketing partner to Juul, couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday on its expansion plan or connection with Juul.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration called for a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, citing the growing use by teenagers.

Juul put out a statement concerning the White House announcement: “We strongly agree with the need for aggressive category-wide action on flavored products. We will fully comply with the final FDA policy when effective.”

Greenlane Holdings, a global seller of cannabis accessories, CBD and liquid nicotine products, on Thursday announced an agreement with real estate company Jamestown for the strategic North American expansion of its Higher Standards stores.

Higher Standards, Greenlane’s retail store, opened a flagship store at New York City’s Chelsea Market (formerly owned by Jamestown) in 2017, followed by a store at Jamestown’s Ponce City Market in Atlanta in March 2019.

Greenlane expects to have four Higher Standards stores operating in North America by year’s end.

ROBERT F. BUKATY/AP Efforts to ban flavored e-cigarettes and reduce their appeal to young consumers have sputtered under industry pressure this year. On Wednesday, the Trump Administration called for a ban on flavored e-cigarettes.