I think a lot of places pulled vermiculite off of their shelves when it was discovered that virtually all of it in North America contained a high amount of asbestos (which is a carcinogen) Vermiculite is a mineral that has been expanded with heat, it doesn't by itself contain any asbestos but the mine that formerly produced all vermiculite in North America was found to be contaminated with asbestos so sellers have needed to find other sources of the mineral, I'm sure it hasn't been easy finding a steady supplier. However you can usually find it online at gardening supply websites.