Tag: news

California Governor Proposes Total Hemp THC Ban

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Gov. Gavin Newsom fired a direct attack Friday on the booming hemp industry, filing emergency rules that would completely ban THC — an intoxicating compound found in cannabis — from hemp products in the state.
Hemp products are sold outside of regulated cannabis stores and can be purchased online or at retail locations like gas stations throughout the state. Newsom said in a statement Friday that the emergency rules were needed to protect children, media reports state.
“We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores,” Newsom said. “We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products.”
The emergency rules would require that all hemp products in California have “no detectable amount of total THC ” and that customers be over 21 to purchase them. The rules still need the approval of the California Office of Administrative Law before they go into effect.
Reg title: DPH-24-005E-Emergency Regulations for Serving Size, Age, and Intoxicating Cannabinoids for Industrial Hemp has been proposed. Click here to read the proposed regulations. Click here to read the “Finding of Emergency” on which they are based.
Most notably, under the proposed regulations the definition of “THC” is expanded to include “THC or comparable cannabinoids” and adds over 30 cannabinoids to the list of “THC”. Additionally, the amount of THC allowed in a serving is “no detectable amount.”
Cannabis attorney Rod Kight said, “This is an “all hands on deck” moment for the entire cannabis industry to stop this nonsense. If you have business interests in California, stop what you’re doing and call the Governor’s office and your state representatives now.”
September 9, 2024
Philippines Bans 5 Vaping Products for Violations

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The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the Philippines on Saturday said it removed five vape brands from shelves pending an investigation into alleged violations of the law.
The DTI identified the brands Shft, Dr. Freeze, Areogin, Don Bars and Chillax as the subjects under the order.
“The trade suspension, effective immediately, is in accordance with section 11 of Executive Order No. 913 (1983) and will remain in place pending resolution of the formal charges,” the DTI said in a statement.
The government agency cited that the trade suspension was in response to the formal charges filed against the said brands for violating Section 4(d) of Republic Act No. 11900, or the Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act.
In addition to the trade suspension, the DTI said it has suspended the Philippine Standard licenses for the same brands.
September 9, 2024
Cigarette Alternatives Gaining Ground in Europe

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Cigarette sales declined across Western Europe in 2023, but increased slightly at a regional level due to the strong growth in Turkey, where illicit trade was falling and the smoking population was growing, according to a new report published by Research and Markets.
Sales of next-generation products continue to grow in Western Europe, with even an upcoming ban on disposable vapes in the U.K., their biggest regional market, not expected to significantly impact this trend, with Italy remaining the leading market for heated tobacco products regionally.
Rising prices, due to the global inflationary environment and ongoing tax hikes, increasing health awareness and competition from next-generation products is resulting in declining unit volume sales of cigarettes across most of Western Europe, with little likelihood of this changing over the forecast period.
Although slower than in the two previous years, closed-system single-use vaping products were still recording growth in the U.K. in 2023. However, with concerns about the throwaway nature of disposable vapes as well as their attraction to underage smokers, the U.K. government announced a ban on these products from early 2025, which force industry players to shift their focus toward open and other closed vaping products.
The nicotine pouches category is expected to see strong growth over the forecast period. Sweden will continue to be the leading country market in Western Europe, but Finland is expected to take over from Denmark as the second biggest in the region over 2023-2028. This is due to the Finnish authorities deregulating the sale of these products in mid-2023.
Heated tobacco products will be accounting for just over half of overall smokeless tobacco, e-vapor products and heated tobacco sales at the end of the forecast period, having recorded further growth in the coming years. Philip Morris International continues to drive the development of the category, rolling out its new IQOS Iluma devices and Terea sticks across the region, with the other tobacco giants also present with devices like Ploom (Japan Tobacco International), Glo (British American Tobacco) or Pulze (Imperial Brands).
September 9, 2024
UKVIA Welcomes Support for Vape Licensing Plan

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The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) welcomes Baroness Merrion’s support for introducing a vape licensing scheme this week.
During a House of Lords debate on youth vaping, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care said the government was “actively considering” a vape licensing scheme.
According to a press release, the UKVIA has long supported the introduction of vape licensing to fund a nationwide Trading Standards enforcement program to clamp down hard on rogue retailers who sell illicit products or sell to those under 18.
“Will the government consider the impact of [the] lack of enforcement and introduce a licensing system with substantial fines for those who sell vapes without a license and for all outlets who sell to children, as well as any unlicensed vaping products?” Baroness Walmsey asked.
Baroness Merron replied: “Licensing may well be beneficial for strengthening enforcement, supporting legitimate businesses, deterring rogue retailers and ultimately supporting the mission of improved public health. It is an area that we are actively considering for inclusion in the [Tobacco and Vapes] Bill.”
UKVIA Director General John Dunne said: “We have been calling for a robust and effective vape licensing scheme – backed up by fines of at least £10,000 for those who sell for children – for years now, but this fell on deaf ears with the previous Conservative administration. Such a scheme could generate upwards of £50 million annually to fund a much-needed national Trading Standards enforcement program at no cost to the Treasury.
“The Sunak government tried to rush through the Tobacco and Vapes will without proper debate and I am very much encouraged at the message given by Baroness Walmsey. I am delighted that serious thought is being given to amending the proposed legislation to include vape licensing so that youth vaping can successfully be tackled and the focus of vaping can once more return to helping adult smokers quit.
“I look forward to meeting with ministers to discuss this and other ways to close the loopholes that allow illegal products to enter the supply chain here in the UK.”
September 6, 2024
NYTS: Youth Vape Use at Lowest Level in Decade

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Half a million fewer U.S. youth reported current use of e-cigarettes in 2024 compared to 2023, according to new data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The nationally representative data featured in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) includes findings on e-cigarette and nicotine pouch use among U.S. youth, two categories of tobacco products the FDA and CDC are monitoring closely, particularly regarding youth use and appeal.
NYTS is an annual school-based, self-administered survey of U.S. middle (grades 6–8) and high school (grades 9–12) students conducted Jan. 22 to May 22, 2024. Findings showed there was a significant drop in the number of U.S. middle and high school students who reported current (past 30 days) e-cigarette use – a decrease from 2.13 million (7.7%) youth in 2023 to 1.63 million (5.9%) youth in 2024.
This decline was primarily driven by reduced e-cigarette use among high schoolers (1.56 million to 1.21 million), with no statistically significant change in current e-cigarette use among middle school students within the past year. According to an FDA release, the number of youth who used e-cigarettes in 2024 is approximately one-third of what it was at its peak in 2019, when over five million youth reported current e-cigarette use.
“The continued decline in e-cigarette use among our nation’s youth is a monumental public health win,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products (CTP). “This progress is a testament to the relentless efforts by the FDA, CDC, and others, particularly over the past half-decade. But we can’t rest on our laurels, as there’s still more work to do to further reduce youth e-cigarette use.”
Among youth who currently used e-cigarettes, 26.3% reported using e-cigarettes daily. The vast majority of youth who currently used e-cigarettes used flavored products (87.6%), with fruit (62.8%), candy (33.3%) and mint (25.1%) being the top three most commonly used flavors. Disposable e-cigarette products were the most common product type used; however, the most popular brands included both disposable and cartridge-based products.
Among youth who currently used e-cigarettes, the most commonly reported brands were Elf Bar (36.1%), Breeze (19.9%), Mr. Fog (15.8%), Vuse (13.7%) and JUUL (12.6%).
Over the past year, a substantive drop occurred in youth reporting use of e-cigarette products under the Elf Bar brand – from 56.7% in 2023 to 36.1% in 2024. Elf Bar is not authorized by the FDA and has been the subject of focused compliance and enforcement actions by the agency since early 2023, including more than 1,000 warning letters and 240 civil money penalties to retailers and others in the supply chain.
The FDA has also issued import alerts that include products under the Elf Bar brand, which places them on the “red list” and allows the agency to detain products without conducting a full inspection at the time of entry.
Youth nicotine pouch use did not show a statistically significant change from 2023 (1.5% in 2023 and 1.8% in 2024). Of the nearly half a million middle and high school students who reported current nicotine pouch use, 22.4% used them daily.
The most commonly reported brands among that group were Zyn (68.7%), on! (14.2%), Rogue (13.6%), Velo (10.7%) and Juice Head ZTN (9.8%). Among those who currently used nicotine pouches, the vast majority used flavored products (85.6%), with mint (53.3%), fruit (22.4%) and menthol (19.3%) being the most commonly used flavors.
“While it’s encouraging to see these numbers currently remaining relatively low, the bottom line is that we are concerned about any youth appealing tobacco product,” King said. “Our guard is up. We are aware of the reported growing sales trends for nicotine pouches and are closely monitoring the evolving tobacco product landscape for threats to public health, particularly when it comes to kids.”
September 6, 2024
Lawsuit Alleges ID for ‘All’ Nicotine Sales Illegal

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Many retailers in Oregon have implemented universal ID checks for alcohol or nicotine products. That means they’ll card you — even if you’re 50, 60 or 70 years old. Retailers explain that the point is to eliminate guesswork and make sure kids don’t drink or smoke.
A pair of class action lawsuits are looking to undo those policies, alleging they violate Oregon law.
“I understand their reasoning. Trying to protect themselves from selling to underage kids,” said Scott Dale of Molalla, a plaintiff in one of the lawsuits. “But you can’t do that when there are privacy laws in place.”
Oregon law prohibits swiping a driver’s license except under certain circumstances, including the sale of age-restricted products if there is any reasonable doubt that the person is 21, according to media reports.
According to Oregon Administrative Rules, reasonable doubt exists if the person appears to be under the age of 26.
“The law does not allow a business to swipe every driver’s license on every transaction,” said Portland attorney Michael Fuller.
The law, passed by the Oregon legislature in 2009, was intended to prevent data collection from driver’s licenses and ID cards.
“The concern is privacy,” said Fuller.
Plaid Pantry and WSCO Petroleum, which owns Astro gas stations, are both being sued in separate class action lawsuits over their universal card-swiping policies.
Fuller argued state law is clear, and violations can result in hefty penalties. The law allows an individual to recover actual damages or $1,000, whichever is greater. If the violation is intentional, the court can triple damages.
“The Oregon Legislature made a policy decision and decided that it wasn’t going to allow corporations to scan drivers’ licenses unless there was a reason for it in hopes of reducing the risk of a future data breach,” said Fuller.
Retailers claim the government encourages the scanning of ID and driver’s licenses to help prevent the sale of alcohol and tobacco to kids.
September 6, 2024
Baltimore Settles Suit With Juul Labs for $7.5 Million

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Baltimore, Maryland, Mayor Brandon Scott has announced a lawsuit settlement with Juul Labs. According to the City of Baltimore, the e-cigarette company must pay $7.5 million by the end of 2024 or make three separate payments of $8 million by October 2026.
The lawsuit was initially filed in 2020 for “deceptive marketing campaigns” aimed towards minors, as well as endangering the health of city residents and costing the city for having to push back against the e-cigarette marketing schemes, as stated by the City of Baltimore, according to media reports.
“Since taking office, my administration has done everything in our power to invest in Baltimore’s young people to ensure they can reach their full potential. Achieving that aim means focusing on every aspect of their lives – including their health,” said Scott.
According to the City of Baltimore, the settlement was reached after they declined to participate in a global resolution that would have only recovered $1.9 million for the city.
“We have and will continue to refuse settlement offers that do not fairly compensate Baltimore City for the harms that the misconduct of these companies brings on us,” said City Solicitor Ebony Thompson.
September 5, 2024
Vape, Crypto Project PuffPaw Raises $6 Million

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An upcoming vape-to-earn project wants to use token incentives and blockchain-enabled vapes to make nicotine addictions additions go up in smoke.
Called Puffpaw, the project intends to sell specialty vapes that record their user’s smoking habits on the blockchain. It will reward them in their tokens for gradually reducing their nicotine intake.
Puffpaw is among a cadre of startups betting on the yet-to-launch Berachain blockchain, a venture capital darling.
The quit-smoking project itself raised $6 million in seed funding led by Lemniscap Ventures. Lemniscap General Partner Shaishav Todi said the investment is a bet on decentralized physical infrastructure, commonly known as DePIN, according to Coindesk.
“By building at the crossroads of culture and crypto and health, Puffpaw is making DePin accessible and practical, and has huge potential for mass adoption, particularly given increasing consumer demand for health-conscious vaping solutions,” Todi said in an email statement.
Using token incentives to support healthier behavior isn’t new in crypto.
Puffpaw’s leader Reffo Tse compared aspects of his gambit to StepN, a run-to-earn app on the Solana network.
Puffpaw’s model attempts to create a self-supporting ecosystem of smokers who try and buy its products while weaning themselves of nicotine.
Users can only take a certain number of puffs per day from their specialty vapes. They earn more tokens for taking hits of lower-nicotine level vape cartridges.
They can then use those tokens to buy more vape cartridges from Puffpaw.
September 5, 2024
San Fran Seeks End to Online Flavored Pouch Sales

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San Francisco is cracking down on the online sale of flavored nicotine pouches. The new lawsuit targets a handful of online retailers that the city says are violating its prohibition on flavored tobacco products.
Unflavored versions of the product, which are sold at corner stores and tobacco shops in the city, will remain available for online purchase.
“The tobacco industry has gone to tremendous lengths to reinvent their products to addict young people,” said City Attorney David Chiu. “We aren’t going to allow these companies to disregard the law and unravel decades of progress on preventing youth from using tobacco.”
The Standard obtained a draft of the complaint, which was filed Tuesday in San Francisco County Superior Court. The suit alleges that Northerner Scandinavia, Lucy Goods, Rogue Holdings, and Swisher International sell flavored nicotine pouch products online to San Franciscans despite the ban.
“Tobacco companies market nicotine pouches as discreet — the ‘perfect way to enjoy the nicotine you love without getting noticed, and without the risk of staining your teeth’; and claim that they are smoking cessation devices that help users ‘focus better, think deeper, chill out smoother, and inspire creativity,’” the complaint states.
September 5, 2024
Study: Vape Products Among ‘Top 3’ Quitting Aides

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E-cigarettes are among the Top-3 most effective tools to stop smoking, according to a new review of evidence by a team of scientists. The other strategies are Varenicline, a prescription drug sold under brand names such as Chantix and Champix, and Cytisine, a plant-based compound sold as an over-the-counter natural health product in Canada and throughout central Europe and eastern Europe, and available under prescription in the United Kingdom.
These tools for quitting work best when combined with behavioral support, such as counseling, according to the authors. Bupropion and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are also effective, especially NRT patches combined with fast-acting forms like gum.
“For behavioral support, evidence is strongest for counseling and for programs that reward people for stopping smoking,” said senior author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, assistant professor of health policy and management in the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences, in a statement.
Published Sept. 4 in the journal Addiction, the review was conducted by the non-profit Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (CTAG)
CTAG’s summary outlines the key findings from 14 Cochrane reviews that CTAG published between 2021 and 2023.
The latest Cochrane review of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation concluded that there was high‐certainty evidence that e-cigarettes with nicotine increase quit rates compared with NRT, and moderate‐certainty evidence that they increase quit rates compared with e-cigarettes without nicotine.
The 2023 Cochrane review of pharmacological and e-cigarette interventions for smoking cessation included all drugs licensed as treatments for smoking cessation anywhere in the world, as well as e-cigarettes with or without nicotine. The review included 319 studies (157,179 participants). The most effective interventions were nicotine e‐cigarettes, varenicline and cytisine, all of which had high-certainty evidence, closely followed by combination NRT.
September 5, 2024