Category: China

Hong Kong Bans all CBD Products Beginning Feb. 1

Credit: Proxima Studio
Hong Kong announced that it will ban all products containing cannabidiol (CBD) beginning on Feb. 1. CBD will be added to the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (DDO) and will join over 200 substances already listed in the ordinance (including fentanyl, ketamine, heroin, and many psychoactive compounds, eg lysergamides).
CBD will be added with the already covered “cannabinol and its tetrahydro derivatives (THC); and their 3-alkyl homologues.” Following this change, anyone who possesses or consumes CBD faces up to seven years in jail and fines of up to HK$1 million ($128,000). Manufacturers of CBD may also face life imprisonment, according to Lexology.
While many users around the world have been promoting the anxiolytic and pain-relieving properties of CBD, Hong Kong’s Security Bureau has taken the view that such claims “lack authoritative scientific proof”. This directive appears to be in line with the ban imposed in China last year for the use of CBD in cosmetic products.
From the Government reports it remains unclear as to whether other cannabinoids (e.g., CBG, CBDV, CBC, etc.) will be included in the ban. However, from the Narcotics Division memorandum in November, the main concern of the Government appears to be with CBD products that may contain some THC, either “through decomposition or conversion”, and the lack of international regulations for such products.
“It does appear that with better international regulation and scientific data it is conceivable that the policy around CBD may change again in the future,” the authors write. “Therefore, given that there are no restrictions in Hong Kong for pursuing patent protection for CBD and related technologies, it remains prudent to maintain patents and pending applications in Hong Kong for CBD-related innovations should the position in Hong Kong change, as we have seen in other countries in the region, such as South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.”
January 11, 2023
China Gives 12 Years to Heat-not-Burn Smugglers

China’s Intermediate People’s Court of Fangchenggang City, Guangxi has sentenced a number of people for smuggling the hardware and tobacco sticks used in heated tobacco products.
It’s the first time China has made a judgement in a heat-not-burn smuggling case, according to the Fangcheng Customs Anti-smuggling Branch of the Nanning Customs Anti-smuggling Bureau.
The defendants were found guilty of smuggling ordinary goods and articles (IQOS Heatsticks and hardware), and were sentenced to fixed-term imprisonments ranging from 4 to 12 years and fines ranging from ¥200,000 to ¥1 million. The exact number of people sentenced was not reported.
One defendant was found guilty of money laundering and sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for one year, fined ¥20,000 yuan, and more than ¥420,000 in money laundering illegal proceeds was recovered.
The investigation began on April 21, 2021, under the unified deployment of the Anti-smuggling Bureau of the General Administration of Customs, the Nanning and Hangzhou Customs Anti-smuggling Bureaus, in conjunction with the tobacco departments of Guangxi, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hunan and other places, synchronized in Fangchenggang, Guangxi, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, and Shenzhen, Guangdong, according to the release.
The illicit goods were collected and seized, and three criminal gangs smuggling the illegal products were successfully detained, and about 4,500 heat-not-burn products were seized.

December 2, 2022
Macau Blanket Ban on Vaping Takes Effect Monday
Credit: Sean Hsu
Health authorities in Macau on Thursday sent warnings that any private entity caught breaching the upcoming law that prevents people from carrying e-cigarettes across the border could face a fine of between MOP20,000 ($2,505) and MOP200,000. The new rules go into effect on Dec. 5.
The law, passed by lawmakers in August this yea, is aimed at stamping out vaping among the younger generation. The new law bans all activities associated with the production, selling, distribution, import and export of e-cigarettes, according to media reports.
Violators are liable to a penalty of MOP4,000, with organizations found to have breached the law facing a hefty fine that ranges between MOP20,000 and MOP200,000.
The authorities said that they would beef up education to deter underage people from getting their hands on e-cigarettes.
December 2, 2022
China Set to Restrict Most E-cigarette Shipments

Photo: ikurdyumov
China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) plans to limit the number of vapor products a person can carry on them, reports The Global Times.
According to a notice published Nov. 23, a person can possess a maximum of six “smoking devices,” 90 e-cigarette cartridges and 180mL of e-liquid.
On the same day, the STMA and the State Post Bureau jointly announced restrictions on the delivery of vapor products. Each shipment may contain a maximum of two “sets,” six cartridges and 12mL of e-liquid.
Each recipient is allowed to accept delivery of no more than one shipment of vapor products per day.
In April, China’s tobacco regulator approved mandatory national standards for e-cigarettes that came into effect in October.
November 23, 2022
Snowplus Tech Obtains Production License in China
Snowplus has obtained a production license from China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, which grants the company a quota to produce 80 million pods annually, according to a press release. The company stated that it will now takes on the “challenge and responsibility to help lead the development of a healthy and sustainable vaping industry.”
While the U.S. government has strict regulations for vaping products, there has been a rise in fake or counterfeits of popular brands in the country, which has led to an increase in incidents relating to poorly manufactured variations, according to Snowplus. This highlights the importance of using a reputable, tested and certified vape product.
For Snowplus Tech, a China-based e-cigarette manufacturer, equipment safety and quality are top priority. Snowplus products are designed in-house, developed by experts in specialist R&D centers, and manufactured in one of the largest, most advanced e-cigarette facilities in the world, according to the release.
Established in Jan 2019, backed by investors such as Zhen fund and Sequoia, Snowplus has more than 60 criteria for testing, ensuring highest standards of safety and quality. With three CNAS certified research laboratories, its safety protocols are recognized and interoperable by 65 institutions in 50 countries, according to the release.
“There is an increasing trend for cheap counterfeit vapes on the market, which we find deeply concerning,” said Derek Li, Snowplus co-founder and head of overseas markets. “That is why we have invested heavily in product research to create products that enhance the vaping experience while ensuring it is as safe as possible.”
Snowplus has invested over $2 million in quality and safety research and to help prevent e-liquid from leaking out of products, it conducts impact tests in variable temperature, humidity and pressure conditions, according to the release. In addition, Snowplus’ batteries pass two tests before assembly to “guarantee that devices can operate in different environments.”
November 16, 2022
HK Health Minister Open to Generational Tobacco Ban

Photo: Dmitry Rukhlenko
Hong Kong Health Minister Lo Chung-mau confirmed that banning tobacco sales for future generations will be on the table as a tool to further reduce youth smoking, according to the South China Morning Post.
Earlier news reports suggested authorities were considering a lifetime ban on anyone born in or after 2009 buying smoking products.
With a smoking prevalence of 9.5 percent in 2021, Hong Kong already has one of the world’s lowest smoking rates, but health authorities are keen to bring it down further still.
Lo said the government would look at the experience of other places in stopping young people from taking up the habit and move toward a “smoke-free Hong Kong.” New Zealand plans to phase out smoking through a generational tobacco ban and Malaysia is pondering similar measures.
Henry Tong Sau-chai, chairman of Hong Kong’s Council on Smoking and Health also suggested doubling the tobacco tax to encourage users to quit. This would mean a pack of cigarettes currently priced at HKD60 would rise to around HKD100.
Lo on Tuesday also said the government had also been pushing towards raising the tobacco tax, and tightening regulations on tobacco product advertisements.
Stepping up tobacco control was stipulated in Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s maiden policy address last month. He set a target to further reduce the smoking rate to 7.8 percent by 2025, and a public consultation will be launched next year on its steps.
Last year, the legislature also passed amendments to prohibit the import, promotion, manufacture, sale or the possession of alternative smoking products, including e-cigarettes, herbal cigarettes, or heated tobacco products.
November 10, 2022
Hong Kong Considers Generational Cigarette Ban

Photo: efired
Hong Kong residents who were born in 2009 or after should be banned from buying cigarettes by 2027, the Council on Smoking and Health proposed on Nov. 3, reports the South China Morning Post
The city’s smoking population dropped to 9.5 percent last year—hitting single digits for the first time since tracking began—but Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to lower the rate to 7.8 percent in three years.
Other measures proposed include doubling the current tobacco tax by 2023-2024, which means a pack of cigarettes currently priced at HKD60 ($7.64) would rise to around HKD100. The council said the tax should be further raised in the following two years, so a pack of cigarettes would cost HKD200 by 2025-2026.
The council also recommended expanding the city’s nonsmoking areas to cover taxi and bus stands, as well as spaces that fall within 10 meters of hospitals, schools and community facilities.
Hong Kong currently does not allow smoking on public transport, including its interchanges, in hospitals, schools, parks and indoor areas of restaurants, bars and malls.
Some lawmakers expressed concern about the proposed measures. Representing the wholesale and retail sectors, Shiu Ka-fai, said poorer smokers would not be able to afford the product following the proposed tax increases.
He also opposed the idea of “smoke-free generation” as the policy would limit freedom of choice.
The Long-term Tobacco Policy Concern Group, which represents smokers, opposed the tax hike, saying that consumers might buy illicit cigarettes instead of quitting, and that the measure would impact the city’s economic recovery.
Council Chairman Henry Tong Sau-chai also opposed a proposal to reverse Hong Kong’s ban on the re-export smoking alternatives as a means to boost the economy.
In April, Hong Kong prohibited the import, sale or manufacture smoking alternatives, such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes.
The legislation also prohibits smoking products from being transshipped through Hong Kong when brought in by truck or ship for transport onwards overseas, although air transshipment cargo and transit cargo that stays on a plane or ship are exempt.
Tong worried that the reverse would create a “loophole” where alternative tobacco products would slip to the community.
November 6, 2022
China Bans Celebrities From Endorsing Vape Products

Credit: Vege Fox
In an effort to boost “traditional values” China has banned celebrities from endorsing vaping products. The new rules ban entertainers and influencers from backing the products via social media, television commercials, live-streams and interviews.
The move is part of President Xi Jinping’s campaign to overhaul the country’s corporate and social landscape, according to media reports.
E-cigarettes, traditional tobacco and other nicotine products join private tutoring, health foods, healthcare and medical equipment as some of the targeted industries, according to a notice issued by Beijing’s top market regulator, the State Administration for Market Regulation, along with six other government agencies.
“Celebrities should consciously practice socialist core values in their advertising endorsement activities,” the rules stated. “Activities should conform to social morals and traditional virtues.”
Xi cemented his control with an unprecedented third term as leader of the country at the quinquennial congress of the Chinese Communist party in Beijing last month.
November 1, 2022
Hong Kong: Vape Dollars Make Sense for Ban Reversal
It was all about public health, now it seems to be about the money. Hong Kong may reverse its ban on the re-export of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, reports the South China Morning Post, citing unnamed sources.
Credit: Timothy S. Donahue
In April, the city prohibited the sale, manufacture and trade in alternative smoking products.
Authorities are now reportedly considering amending law, with eye on the billions of dollars that trade generates annually.
Hong Kong is close to Shenzhen, the world’s largest manufacturing hub for vapor devices.
October 18, 2022
China Rules Make Shops Close, Black Market Growing

Before China’s national standards were implemented, vape shops were growing rapidly throughout the country. (Photo: Timothy S. Donahue)
China’s National Standard for Electronic Cigarettes have begun, however, a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily claims many businesses still secretly sell the “fruit flavor” that has been banned from sale, a Chinese news outlet claims.
The report also states that after the implementation of the national standard several vape shops have closed. A reporter from Beijing Daily visited some e-cigarette sales stores or brand counters on October 2 and found that a small number of stores had been closed, and the words “transfer” were also posted.
In stores that are still in operation, only an estimated six brands of vaping products are on display, and there only two or three varieties of products. Some stores have seen the increased sale of combustible tobacco products.
China’s ban on flavored vapor products went into effect on Oct. 1 along with other new vaping product standards that were decided on earlier this year.
In November 2021, Chinese law was amended to bring the vapor industry under control of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, which regulates China’s tobacco products.
Products meant for export will not have to meet Chinese standards unless the destination country does not have its own specific standards.
October 5, 2022