Queensland-based medicinal cannabis wholesaler Canngea has agreed to pay close to $60,000 after the Therapeutic Goods Administration alleged the company failed to hand over information it had requested.
The TGA issued the company with three separate infringement notices, claiming Canngea withheld details concerning the supply of therapeutic vaping products.
According to the regulator, this alleged non-disclosure breached "conditions of exemption applicable to the goods".
Canngea has since agreed to pay the penalty, totalling $59,400.
The alleged breaches are understood to concern nicotine vaping products. In a statement, the TGA cautioned that "therapeutic vapes for smoking cessation and the management of nicotine dependence are only available for sale from participating pharmacies, where clinically appropriate".
“As unapproved goods, therapeutic vaping goods are not subject to pre-market evaluation or approval by the TGA but must comply with specified requirements under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989,” the regulator said.
“Under the Act, sponsors of therapeutic vaping goods must retain and on request provide certain information to the TGA.
“The information must be provided in a specified form and within a specified timeframe. This includes information relating to supply, and it is an offence to provide information that is false or misleading.”
The TGA restated that companies sponsoring vaping products carry the responsibility of understanding and meeting their regulatory duties, adding that enforcement action, including civil or criminal proceedings, could follow instances of non-compliance.
This outlet has approached Canngea for comment.