Tag: news

Flavored Vape Ban in Ukraine Begins Tomorrow

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A ban on advertising e-cigarettes in Ukraine, including heated-tobacco products, goes into effect on July 11. Flavored electronic nicotine-delivery systems (ENDS) products are also banned.
The advertising rule applies to all types of media, including the Internet, social media, public transportation, and public events.
“The advertising, sales promotion and sponsorship of electronic cigarettes, liquids used in them, and devices for consumption of tobacco products without burning them (including IQOS and glo devices) will be prohibited from 11 July 2023,” according to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
“Flavored cigarettes and flavored liquids for ENDS will also be banned at that date. Further, from 11 January 2024, the combined textual plus pictorial warnings will be required to cover 65 percent of both sides of the pack of smoking tobacco products (conventional cigarettes).”
The fine in the case of a violation is UAH30,000 ($812), and for each subsequent violation – UAH50,000. In addition, similar to the general smoking ban, the law prohibits the use of heated tobacco products in all public places and businesses.
In 2021, Ukrainian lawmakers passed the law prohibiting the use of ENDS in public places as well as advertising, sponsorship, and promotion of e-cigarettes. The law also bans the sale of flavored e-liquids other than tobacco flavors.
July 10, 2023
Ghana Makes Vape Sales and Advertisement Illegal

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Ghana has banned all recreational use of vaping and e-cigarette products.
In a press release, the country’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) states that the “sale, advertisement and recreational use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) such as vapes and other non-nicotine tobacco products by the public” is illegal.
However, ENDS can be registered as a prescription-only medicine for the purposes of cessation therapy.
The FDA claims it has sent notice to manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers to remove all advertisements on social media, billboards and neon signs immediately and refrain from the importation of the products.
The FDA states that there “will be repercussions including sanctions” for failure to adhere to the rules.
July 9, 2023
Germany: Minister Plans Ban on Vaping in Cars With Kids
Proposals by the Health Ministry would prohibit e-cigarettes in vehicles carrying children and pregnant women. The ban could also include traditional cigarettes, heated tobacco products and cannabis.
Credit: Tadeas
German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is pushing for a ban to prevent smoking in cars where minors and pregnant women are passengers, German media group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND) reported on Friday.
RND, as well as other outlets, cited a draft by Lauterbach that will be coordinated with other ministries before he presents it to the Cabinet.
Smoking in cars is not currently illegal in Germany. The plan, which is part of Lauterbach’s draft proposal to legalize cannabis, aims to expand the existing Non-Smokers Protection Act.
The expansion of the smoking ban, which already applies in public transport, is intended to “ensure the necessary protection from passive smoking for this particularly vulnerable group of people,” according to the draft cited by RND.
Smoking in cars has been proven to pose higher risks due to the small space volume.
“According to confirmed studies, secondhand smoking also causes many serious illnesses and deaths, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and sudden infant death syndrome,” the draft said.
Many studies have also established a link between secondhand smoking and lung cancer, Lauterbach said.
The draft also includes applying the ban to tobacco cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and cannabis — although such details could be changed during discussions with ministers.
A government statement said a ban on smoking in cars with children would be “unconditionally welcomed.” But with cars representing private, personal space, it warned of constitutional concerns over any such ban.
July 8, 2023
U.K. Black Market for E-Cigarettes Continues to Grow

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If you start to look for something, you will usually find more than when you weren’t looking. Seizures of illegal e-cigarettes in the UK in the first four months of the year were seven times as high as all of 2021.
Research found the UK has been flooded with two million illicit e-cigarettes since the beginning of last year, reports The Mirror.
Local leaders have called for a more vigorous crackdown on counterfeit vapes, with usage is said to be surging among children and adults.
London, the South East and North West were the top three regions for counterfeit vape seizures, according to the analysis.
The findings, uncovered through freedom of information requests sent to 167 local authorities by VapeClub, raise concerns about a booming black market selling products that do not comply with UK regulations and have not been through appropriate safety testing.
“Illicit vaping products have the potential to be dangerous to the user’s health. What’s needed is a licensing scheme so proper age verification tests can be applied to every retailer,” Dan Marchant, director of vaping and e-liquids retailer Vape Club, said.
“There must also be higher fines applied to every breach for the rogue sellers. The UK Vaping Industry Association is calling for the fines to be raised to at least £10,000 ($12,800), which would be a real deterrent.”
July 8, 2023
Ninth Circuit Denies Lotus Vaping MDO Review

Entrance to United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit . Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the Ninth Circuit is by far the largest of the 13 courts of appeals. (Credit: Eric BVD)
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Friday ruled 3-0 to deny Lotus Vaping Technologies’ petition for review of a marketing denial order (MDO) for its flavored e-liquid products. The company could now ask for an en banc rehearing with all Ninth Circuit judges
The FDA issued marketing denial orders for Lotus’ flavored products, finding that the petitioners’ applications lacked sufficient evidence showing that the flavored products would provide a benefit to adult users that outweighs the risks such products pose to youth.
The panel held that the text of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA) authorizes the FDA to require that manufacturers submit comparative health risk data, which necessarily includes comparisons of flavored e-liquids to tobacco-flavored e-liquids, the judges wrote in the denial that is not considered an opinion.
The panel also held that the FDA did not arbitrarily or capriciously deny Lotuss’ applications and that “any error the agency committed by failing to comparisons of flavored e-liquids to tobacco-flavored e-liquids.” The panel also held that the FDA did not arbitrarily or capriciously deny Lotus’ applications and that any error the agency committed by failing to consider Lotus’ marketing plans was harmless
July 8, 2023
PMI Offering Australian Pharmacies Discount Vapes

Credit: Va Butenkov
Philip Morris International announced it has made a deal with some Australian pharmacies to supply its VEEV vaping products below cost, despite the company’s opposition to the government’s new prescription vaping model.
VEEV marketing materials seen by Guardian Australia offer pharmacists an “introductory offer” to supply nicotine pods and devices at a discount.
The offer is also on the condition pharmacies do not sell a packet of two VEEV nicotine pods for more than AUD14.90 ($9.98) or devices for more than AUD19.90 – cheaper than what wholesalers can offer.
The recommended retail price for comparable pod products is AUD24.99. The marketing material for the offer only mentions PMI in fine print at the bottom of the document.
A spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia said it “urges pharmacists to be skeptical of any commercial offer from big tobacco”.
“There are currently no nicotine vaping products registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and no company should be advertising unregulated products to Australian healthcare professionals,” the spokesperson said.
In May, the federal health minister, Mark Butler, announced that the government will ban the importation of nonprescription vaping products – including those that do not contain nicotine. Minimum quality standards for vapes are also being introduced, including restricting flavors, colors and other ingredients.
Vape products will require pharmaceutical-like packaging, and the allowed nicotine concentrations and volumes will be reduced. All single-use, disposable vapes are being banned.
A Philip Morris International spokesman told Guardian Australia; “We have always been open and transparent about the fact we will work within whatever legal and regulatory framework exists for these products in Australia”.
“This is in stark contrast to dozens of other vaping companies who are providing their product via the black market,” he said.
July 7, 2023
New Virginia Hemp Law Forcing Some Shops to Close

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The U.S. state of Virginia recently enacted a law to curb kid-friendly packaging in cannabis products. That law is having hard effects on some local businesses.
Lawmakers have witnessed Delta-8 products sold in packaging that mimic foods that are enticing to kids, but those in the hemp industry say this new crackdown goes too far.
“Were one of hundreds that’s made the hard decision to just shut it down,” Reed Anderson said.
Anderson says he’s shutting down his Goochland hemp business, Kame Naturals, in the wake of a new state law cracking down on THC products like Delta-8.
It limits all hemp products to only two milligrams of THC per package. That’s far lower than most products in many smoke and vape shops. Hemp products must now have at least a 25-to-1 ratio of CBD to THC, according to media reports.
“25-to-1 ratio doesn’t do what we do justice right,” Anderson said. “We started our business as a solventless extraction company, and that over time kind of had to go to the wayside because of the different regulations coming through.”
Breaking the rules could mean fines of up to $10,000.
Anderson said it’s all too much and says lawmakers paid too much attention to the intoxicating effects of THC and very little to the health benefits THC may provide.
“Once you start getting into remediated product and trying to remediate THC out of a product, you lose a lot of the natural quality CBD products offer,” Anderson said.
However, Governor Glenn Youngkin and the law’s supporters said something needed to be done to stop the sale of Delta-8 products. Too many kids were getting sick.
A statement from Gov. Youngkin’s office said in part:
“SB 903 and HB 2294 took critical steps to strengthen consumer safety and regulations around edible and inhaled hemp-derived products as well as delta-8 THC products. Specifically, the amendment continued its efforts to crack down on dangerous THC intoxicants, including synthetic THC products. In addition to the ban on synthetic THC, the limited percentage of total THC allowed in hemp products, the packaging and labeling restrictions, the testing requirements, and the total per package limit for THC, the substitute also requires retailers to register with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to sell any edible or inhaled hemp-derived product. Additionally, the General Assembly established the registration requirement and fees as a necessary operating cost and to create a database of all regulated hemp product retail stores.”
Anderson said while he’s no longer in the hemp business, he will become an advocate and plan to talk with politicians as often as he can to get these laws reformed.
July 6, 2023
Supreme Shares Soar After ElfBar Distro Agreement

Credit: 88Vape
UK vaping giant Supreme saw its shares rise shares five percent yesterday after the company announced it is now the “master distributor” for UK e-cigarette brands, although the company has reported weak annual profits.
The firm has been chosen as the master distributor for two leading UK vaping brands, ElfBar and Lost Mary, which it will supply to major UK retailers such as Tesco, Morrisons and WHSmith Travel.
The London-listed company expects the partnership to generate revenues of £25m to £30m ($38 million) over the next fiscal year ending March 2024, according to media reports.
This comes amid a political crackdown on vape products – especially for those under-age.
Sandy Chadha, CEO of Supreme, said the “sizeable” appointment will allow the group to “fully leverage its unique technical, regulatory, compliance and quality assurance capabilities within the vaping sector.”
“We have seen a hugely positive response from both established and new retailers who view Supreme as an ideal partner to supply these products across the UK,” Chadha added.
Supreme says their strong market presence, distribution network, and compliance capabilities provide ElfBar and Lost Mary with a “readymade blueprint” distribution strategy.
The company will report its sales performance separately from the existing vaping category, which includes their own 88Vape brand.
It comes as Supreme posted a record performance in their vaping division this morning, with nearly doubled revenues up to £76.1m from £43.6m last year, and an £8.6m increase in gross profit.
£76.1 million (FY22: £43.6 million) and increasing gross profit to £28.1 million (FY22: £19.5 million)
In 2023 they ramped up investment in M&A and capital expenditures by £7.5m to “support future growth”.
“As we look to the future, we remain committed to expanding our product set, both organically and via acquisition,” Chadha commented:
July 6, 2023
Maryland Starts Sales of Recreational Marijuana

Credit: Federico Magonio
Maryland began sales of recreational marijuana on Saturday, only eight months after the state’s voters approved a ballot measure to legalize cannabis for adults.
The first day of adult-use cannabis sales brought out lines of customers eager to shop at the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries, which were given the first crack at the newly legal market for recreational weed in Maryland by a bill to regulate adult-use cannabis passed in the spring.
In November, Maryland voters legalized recreational marijuana with the passage of Question 4, a state referendum that was approved with nearly two-thirds of the vote, reports Forbes.
In April, lawmakers passed legislation to regulate adult-use cannabis production and sales beginning on July 1, followed by the signing of the bill by Governor Wes Moore in early May.
Under the measure, all adults in Maryland age 21 and up with proper identification will be allowed to purchase regulated marijuana products including cannabis flower, vapes, gummies and others, with sales beginning at the state’s existing medical marijuana retailers.
The legislation also changed the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, which regulated the production and sale of medical marijuana, to the Maryland Cannabis Administration.
Will Tilburg, the acting director of the new agency, said that regulated sales of cannabis in Maryland are expected to triple over the next year with the launch of recreational marijuana sales.
July 4, 2023
FTC Drops Action Against Altria for Juul Purchase

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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission dismissed a complaint against NJOY parent Altria Group and e-cigarette maker Juul Labs that was brought after Altria bought a 35 percent stake in Juul Labs.
The agency also said on Monday it would vacate an FTC administrative law judge’s decision in favor of the companies in February 2022. Since it has been vacated, it cannot be cited as precedent, the agency said in the statement announcing it was dropping the litigation.
The FTC said in 2020 that Altria’s $12.8 billion investment violated antitrust law because the company acquired the position rather than continuing to compete against Juul in the market for closed-system e-cigarettes, according to Reuters.
Altria had exited the stake earlier this year and had asked the FTC to drop the challenge. As of December, its share of Juul was valued at $250 million, down from $12.8 billion in 2018.
Altria said on Monday it was pleased by the FTC dropping its complaint.
Separate from the FTC action, Juul Labs has fought with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over whether it could sell its Juul e-cigarettes in the United States.
Altria’s MarkTen was at one point the second most popular e-cigarette maker, according to the FTC.
In May, Altria said that it would pay $235 million to settle at least 6,000 lawsuit.
July 4, 2023