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Tommy Chong says banning flavored vapes is a fool's errand, and the proper response to the recent spate of deaths has been right in front of us the whole time ... marijuana!!!

We got Tommy at the Daytime Beauty Awards in Los Angeles and asked about the federal government's potential crackdown on vaping -- and the avowed pothead said a ban won't do anything to curb use.

Tommy says bans just make things worse, equating the vape ban to the war on drugs. He says once drugs and vapes are forced to the black market, they actually become easier to buy.

The "Cheech & Chong" star also isn't buying the rationale for a ban. He questions why politicians are rushing to ban vapes -- after less than 10 deaths -- while refusing to address gun violence.