Aspire officially announced the launch of its flagship cannabis brand, Ispire. Ispire offers a full range of vaping devices available exclusively through OEM and ODM strategic partnerships, according to a press release.
Ispire’s main product line, Ducore, features a patented dual ceramic coil delivery system with adjustable airflow along with several other innovative technologies. “These technological advances will reshape the way the user experiences cannabis,” the release states. “Innovations in how a consumer interacts with cannabis has been limited in recent years, and we are leading the industry innovative products that allow consumers to control their own experiences and enjoy their cannabis to the full extent.”
The cannabis industry has historically provided consumers with limited options concerning vaping hardware. All hardware on the market is similar in nature, according to the release. “They all have limitations on the amount of airflow and temperature control,” said Aspire North America CEO Michael Wang. “We created the world’s first dual coil technology, so our products provide the maximum amount of smoke, allowing customers to adjust the air flow to find the air stream that best suits their taste, ensuring a smoother, better taste, that does not burn the throat.”
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has commenced proceedings to delist Pyxus International. Trading in Pyxus’ common stock has been suspended.
The NYSE determined that Pyxus is no longer suitable for listing under after the company filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States bankruptcy code. Pyxus does not intend to appeal the NYSE’s determination.
Pyxus’ common stock began to be quoted on the OTC Pink marketplace on June 17, 2020, under the symbol PYXSQ. Investors can find quotes for the company’s common stock on.
Pyxus does not expect a transition to the OTC Pink marketplace to affect the company’s operations.
“The company can provide no assurance that its common stock will continue to trade on this market, whether broker-dealers will continue to provide public quotes of the company’s common stock on this market, whether the trading volume of the company’s common stock will be sufficient to provide for an efficient trading market or whether quotes for the company’s common stock may be blocked by OTC Markets Group in the future,” Pyxus wrote in a statement.
Finally, some positive news for the vapor industry. The much anticipated premarket tobacco product applications (PMTA) for the Leap pod system and Leap Go disposable were delivered to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday. E-Alternative Solutions (EAS), an independent, family-owned innovator of consumer-centric brands, is seeking authorization for the marketing and sale of its wide-ranging portfolio of Leap and Leap Go vapor products.
“We are pleased to take this important step in demonstrating our commitment to the vapor industry, retailers and adult smokers seeking an alternative to combustible cigarette smoking with our Leap and Leap Go vapor products,” said Jacopo D’Alessandris, president and CEO of EAS.
Jacopo D’Alessandris
“At EAS, we have always held ourselves to high standards, from supplying adult consumers with products they can trust to consistently following ethical marketing practices. We are confident in the strong merits of our PMTAs and want to thank our compliance and research teams for developing and delivering thorough submissions.”
The submission of PMTAs by EAS plays an integral role in supporting the proposition that Leap and Leap Go vapor products are appropriate for the protection of public health, according to a press release. The collective 75,000+ page PMTA submissions for Leap and Leap Go are the result of months of hard work and investigation that included an assessment of the stability of the products over time, toxicological formula reviews, toxicology testing, an assessment of abuse liability, label comprehension studies and behavioral studies.
In addition, EAS undertook an extensive review of available literature on vapor products related to health effects, behavioral factors and toxicological end points. Further, an exacting risk assessment was conducted across many areas of potential risk for Leap and Leap Go products, according to the release.
“Our PMTA submissions provide a robust analysis of the Leap and Leap Go products that will enable FDA to conclude these products are appropriate for the protection of public health,” said Chris Howard, vice president, general counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at EAS.
Chris Howard
“From an industry perspective, the PMTA process sets a high bar and holds companies accountable, ensuring vapor product manufacturers follow the rules and act in good faith. Looking ahead, a robust collaboration with FDA will help build a strong future for both the vapor industry and adult consumers.”
EAS continues to establish a leadership role in the creation of sensible industry standards and regulations as member of the Board of Directors of both the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) and the Vapor Technology Association (VTA), where EAS led the initiative to formulate the VTA marketing standards for membership, according to the release. The company continues to advance the interests of the industry’s consumers, manufacturers, wholesalers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.
KT&G will expand the sales of its Lil Hybrid 2.0 heated tobacco cigarette to all cities in South Korea.
The product debuted in February in major cities, such as Seoul, and expanded to 37 metropolitan areas in April.
The expansion follows a series of inquiries from consumers in areas where the product had not yet been released, according to Lim Wang-seop, business director for next-generation products at KT&G.
“Since the launch of the product, we have continued to expand our sales outlets,” Lim said. “We will continue to lead the e-cigarette market by strengthening product competitiveness and enhancing customer satisfaction through technological innovation.”
Lil Hybrid 2.0 is equipped with a function that automatically warms up when a stick is inserted for the first time. An OLED display provides information on the battery charge, the cartridge level and the remaining number of puffs.
The recommended consumer price is KRW110,000 ($90.27).
Juul Labs Inc has asked a federal judge to dismiss or pause hundreds of lawsuits alleging the e-cigarette manufacturer fueled a youth vaping epidemic, saying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decisions on how it markets its products deserve deference.
Juul, on May 29, asked a federal judge in San Francisco to stay hundreds of lawsuits by consumers and local governments alleging its marketing created a public health crisis while the FDA determines whether it may continue to market its products, according to Reuters.
Altria Group Inc.’s e-cigarette and smokeless tobacco divisions filed suit Thursday against competitor R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. for patent infringement on e-cigarettes and associated products.
Altria owns a 35 percent stake in e-cigarette industry leader Juul Labs Inc., a direct competitor of Reynolds’ Vuse brand of e-cigarettes.
According to a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, Reynolds Vapor, owned by Reynolds American Inc., violated nine patents held by Altria Client Services in producing its Vuse Vapor e-cigarette line, according to a story on Virginiabusiness.com. The suit contends that Reynolds’ Vuse brand of e-cigarettes — including the Vibe and Alto — uses heating technology, mouthpieces, batteries and liquid-filled pods covered by Altria’s patents for its Juul e-vapor products.
Based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Reynolds American Inc. is owned by British American Tobacco plc, which is headquartered in London. “Reynolds Vapor has infringed on Altria’s intellectual property and we are seeking financial damages for each of these violations,” Altria Client Services spokesman George Parman said Thursday, according to the story.
The suit comes weeks after Reynolds filed its own patent-infringement suit against Altria and Philip Morris International Inc. in Richmond’s federal court over its heat-not-burn cigarette line, Marlboro HeatSticks, a competitor of Reynolds’ Eclipse line.
Altria seeks unspecified monetary compensation but asks for “treble damages” — in other words, triple the amount — for “defendant’s willful infringement” of the patents, as well as awards of compensation, supplemental damages after discovery cutoff and attorneys’ fees and expenses. The plaintiffs ask for a trial by jury. No hearing has been set.
A recent report states that the global cannabis beverages market size is expected to reach $2.8 Billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 17.8 percent. The report by Grand View Research looked at alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages using either Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
“By component, the market is segmented into Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The demand of THC infused cannabis beverages is majorly driven by rising product demand from adult consumers for recreational purposes,” the report states. “Rising demand for the therapeutic effects of the component along with the euphoria it provides is expected to bode well for the growth of the segment in the forthcoming years.”
I contrast, the CBD infused cannabis drinks are registered the fastest growth in (prior years). Also, the demand is expected to witness a surge over the forecasted period owing to the non-psychoactive properties of CBD, according to the report. Lack of psychoactive effect in the CBD drinks is widening its scope for usage of the drinks in medical purposes.
Many consumers are considering CBD drinks as a wellness and anti-inflammatory products, such as kombucha-a probiotic drink. This drink can potentially be used for treating chronic pain, anxiety, substance use disorders and central nervous system diseases. These factors are expected to boost the adoption of the product, resulting in the growth of the segment.”
Last week, a London judge granted Philip Morris International (PMI) an injunction prohibiting a Chinese competitor from putting an alleged “knock-off” of its smokeless tobacco-delivery device on the market in the U.K. because of European design protections.
As part of his ruling, High Court Judge Anthony Mann granted the tobacco giant’s request for default judgment in the case since defendants Shenzhen Shunbao Technology Co. Ltd. had not participated in the proceedings. He also granted Philip Morris’ request to extend the intellectual property protections the company currently has for its product under a European Union registered community design so it will remain in effect in the U.K. after Britain leaves the bloc, according to information on law360.com.
“I have satisfied myself that all of the relief included in the order, including the references to various Brexit matters, are forms of relief for which the claimants would be entitled, had they fully proved everything that they had pleaded in their particulars of claim,” Judge Mann said at the conclusion of a video conference hearing.
The smoking device dispute wafts back to November 2018 when Phillip Morris first sued Shenzhen for infringement of its registered design. The product design is for a “smoke-free alternative to cigarettes,” according to Philip Morris, which markets the device under the trademark name IQOS, according to law360. The tobacco-delivery system includes tobacco “sticks and a rechargeable holder that heats up, the registered design relating specifically to that device.”
Phillip Morris filed its claim in the U.K. shortly after discovering the rival company had created a “cheap knock-off” smokeless product called AMO, that was already being marketed in China, according to its written arguments to the court.
No representative of Shenzhen was present at Monday’s hearing. “It is a straightforward case where the defendant has simply refused to engage with the proceedings,” Philip Morris told the court in its filing. Monday marked the second hearing Philip Morris had over its bid for a final injunction. A different judge determined in February that the tobacco company could serve Shenzhen and several individual company representatives by email.
Philip Morris lawyer James Abrahams said his client was unable to deliver documents related to the proceedings to one individual, a Cherry Zhou, as the email sent was “kicked back” and she later informed Philip Morris’ Chinese legal representatives that she had left Shenzhen.
The injunction granted by Judge Mann on Monday prohibits the Chinese competitor from marketing its infringing product. The order would also allow Philip Morris to pursue any profits Shenzhen made with its device in the U.K., although its written argument notes that “it does not currently appear proportionate to pursue an inquiry for damages or an account of profit.” The written filing also notes that a registered community design is seen as an EU right, so it currently only has effect in the U.K. pursuant to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. That will end in the U.K., “as things stand, at the end of the transitional period at the end of this year,” the filing says.
And while a provision of the withdrawal agreement currently provides that at the end of the transition period, holders of registered designs “will enjoy an equivalent U.K. registered design,” Philip Morris asked for — and the court granted — permission to come back to the court if there are any unexpected changes to that as Brexit unfolds.
“We do not know for certain how the law will change at the end of the transition period and the parties ought to be able to apply to the court to deal with such changes,” Philip Morris stated. In a written statement, Philip Morris’ counsel at Bird & Bird LLP emphasized that the injunction will continue to protect the design after Brexit.
“The order granted suggests that the courts are ready and willing to grant Brexit-proof orders where needed,” the law firm said. “This will be a relief to litigants seeking as much certainty as possible with regard to the post-transition period arrangements.” Philip Morris is on the other end of infringement litigation over its IQOS system in the U.S. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. is calling on the U.S. International Trade Commission to probe Philip Morris’ tobacco vaping product imports, claiming the tobacco heating system infringes patents covering R.J. Reynolds’ vaporizers.
Tackling the challenges associated with e-cigarette batteries
Contributed
Despite the rapid advances made in recent years, e-cigarette technology remains a work in progress. Perhaps the area least understood is that of power supply. This article takes a closer look at battery technology.
In e-cigarettes, batteries are used to power the heating elements. The current generation of products typically uses lithium polymer (LiPo) batteries. LiPo batteries are characterized by high energy density, which means they can store lots of energy in a small space. They are a suitable choice for devices that need to work for at least a few hours before requiring a recharge.
That said, a stated capacity of, say, 1,000 mAh doesn’t guarantee smooth operation. The battery must be able to withstand a current more than several times its nominal capacity. Only LiPo cells built for “high-drain” use can handle an e-cigarette’s high current consumption without suffering an excessive voltage drop.
When a normal LiPo is used, the battery’s internal temperature rises and causes dangerous internal structure damage—which can lead to an explosion. It’s not only the discharge current that can cause such problems. When the battery is charged too fast or at a too high-cut voltage, things can go wrong inside the e-cigarette as well.
Instances of exploding e-cigarette batteries have been widely reported, negatively affecting the vapor industry’s reputation. In some cases, the victims were badly burned.
Safe use
All of this raises the question of which batteries are safe to use. First, it’s important to note the steps of proper power management. Physics provides the basic formula: power = voltage x current. Contrary to what some believe, it is not a linear equation—a slightly higher/lower voltage does not equal slightly higher/lower power. Rather, the current relates directly to the voltage and the resistance of the coil. So the current flowing through the system is equal to the voltage divided by resistance of the coil.
The means that lowering the coil resistance to create a higher current and thus more power works only with a constant voltage. With battery power, the effective power increase—or, worse, power decrease—depends on the voltage drop caused by the increased current. In the worst case, the increased current creates dangerous structural damage without providing the expected power increase.
For e-cigarettes, we recommend LiPo batteries as long as they are built for high-drain use. The modern NiMH, LiFePO4 or LTO battery cells are suitable, as well. Regardless of what model is chosen, the device must cope with a voltage drop. This is not a problem as long as the battery can safely withstand the high current.
By choosing the appropriate battery technology and using it wisely according to the laws of physics, we can make the industry safer. This should benefit end users and e-cigarette manufacturers alike.
This article was contributed by tricas Industrial Design & Engineering
