If you're new to buying vapes, you might not realize that the FDA now regulates most vape products under the Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) pathway. Since September 2020, any new tobacco product (including vapes) must receive a marketing granted order from the FDA before it can be legally sold. This isn't a suggestion; it's the law.

What changed is that you, as a buyer, now have a way to check whether a product is actually authorized. The FDA publishes its decisions in a searchable public database. That's a big deal because it means you don't have to take a retailer's word for it.