Several branded THC cannabis vape cartridges, packaged to look like ordinary consumer vaping products, were seized during an intelligence-led operation in Campbellville Housing Scheme, Georgetown, on Thursday, prompting the Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU) to issue a National Early Warning Alert.
CANU said the discovery signals what it described as an “emerging shift” toward the importation of high-potency cannabis concentrates disguised as vape products.
Investigators noted that the boxes were colourful, professionally printed and seemingly designed to appeal to youths, raising concerns about rapid spread if circulation is not contained.
Officials cautioned that the chemical composition and potential contaminants in the cartridges remain unknown. Samples from the seizure have been earmarked for laboratory analysis.
CANU stressed that the products are illegal in Guyana “regardless of packaging, branding, or foreign ‘medical use’ labels.” The agency cited the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, Cap. 10:10, under which cannabis and its derivatives are listed as controlled substances, including cannabis resin, extracts and tinctures of cannabis, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and any product containing THC.
CANU said THC vape oil and “live resin” fall under prohibited cannabis resin and extracts, making possession, trafficking, importation or sale unlawful.
The agency also warned that “for medical use only” labels have no legal standing in Guyana, and said none of the branding reflects approval or verification by the Guyana Food and Drug Department, any local licensing authority, GFSL testing, or any legal cannabis framework in Guyana.
On the public health side, CANU said cannabis vapes can expose users to high concentrations of THC and unknown additives, with potentially serious short- and long-term effects, risks it noted are higher when products are unregulated or counterfeit.
The alert was issued through Guyana’s Early Warning System (EWS), which is housed within CANU. The EWS monitors trends, packaging styles, chemical profiles and trafficking patterns linked to concentrated cannabis products, and once threats are flagged, the system issues alerts, guides frontline officers and feeds intelligence into enforcement operations.
CANU is urging members of the public to report information confidentially via 592-227-3503 / 592-226-0431 or email guyana_ews@canu.gov.gy.
