INDIANAPOLIS -- The rules could soon change for the vaping industry in Indiana, and manufacturers of e-liquids will likely feel the impact the most.
Senate republicans have pledged to scale back the strict regulations put into place last year that have been blamed for nearly two dozen businesses closing up shop,
Mason Odle owns Just Vapors in Fishers. Odle said he’s cautiously optimistic about the new proposal and the impact it could have on the industry in the state.
Two years ago, Odle decided to invest $100,000 in a second facility so he could create the liquid devices for himself.
“We thought it would be the best case scenario for us,” said Odle.
But that facility never opened its doors. Odle said he couldn’t meet the heavy security requirements and he’s not the only one. Nearly two dozen others e-liquid manufacturers have moved out of state.
The law includes many requirements that aren’t necessarily out of the ordinary: E-liquids must be manufactured in a clean facility, have childproof caps and detailed bottle labels with traceable batch numbers.
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But the part that hurts manufacturers in the state is the security requirement that requires any e-liquid manufacturer selling in the state of Indiana to be certified by an approved security firm.
But that’s not the tough part, those security firms must also meet certain requirements.
They must have:
- An employee who has been a certified locksmith by the Associated Locksmiths of America for at least one year.
- An employee who has worked at the firm for at least one year and holds an Architectural Hardware Consultant certification from the Door and Hardware Institute.
- An employee who has worked at the firm for at least a year and holds a Rolling Steel Fire Door Technician certification from the International Door Association or the Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accreditation.
- One year of experience operating a security monitoring station with ownership control and use of a redundant offsite backup security monitoring station.
- One year of experience operating a facility with authority to modify commercial hollow metal doors, frames, and borrowed lights.
Only one Indiana company has met all of the law’s very specific requirements.
State Republicans say that wasn’t the intent of the law, and they’re now aiming to get it changed.
“We need to open this up, because we don’t want these regulations to be a barrier for entrepreneurs or barriers for employment,” said Senator Randy Head.
Senate President Pro tem David Long says he expects lawmakers to resolve the issue during their current session.
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