Tag: Shop Talk

New York City Cracks Down on Illegal Cannabis Shops

Credit: Rob
The illicit marijuana market in New York City is thriving. In a renewed push to snuff out the city’s growing illegal cannabis market, Mayor Eric Adams and Manhattan’s top prosecutor announced last week that they would go after landlords who allow hundreds of illicit shops to operate.
During a news conference with the mayor, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said his office has sent notices to more than 400 smoke shops that illegally sell cannabis, warning them of potential eviction proceedings. If shop owners do not cease operation, his office would seek to force property owners to evict the shops, reports the Associated Press.
It was the latest effort by authorities to force the closure of illegal dispensaries that could undermine the state’s nascent legal cannabis market, which began rolling out in recent months and is expected to quickly grow as more state-sanctioned shops open.
When the state legalized recreational marijuana two years ago, “many people took it that you can just open up a location any way you want,” Adams said.
Unauthorized pot shops have cropped up in droves, operating out in the open — and offering cheaper prices than the legal stores, where the products are highly taxed. The number of illegal shops across New York’s five boroughs could exceed 1,200, according to some estimates.
February 13, 2023
ElF Bar Pulled From UK Shelves for E-Liquid Volumes

Elf Bar vapes are being sold with e-liquid volumes more than 50 percent over the UK’s legal limit, an investigation has found, according to reporting in Metro.
The Chinese vaping giant admitted “inadvertently” breaking the law and ‘wholeheartedly apologized’ following lab tests of its 600 brand of disposable vape pens.
E-cigarettes bought at branches of Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons contained between 3ml and 3.2ml of e-liquid, when the legal limit is 2ml (the article states the liquids were over nicotine limits, but there is no evidence of that. The UK limits nicotine strength to no more than 20mg/ml).
The brand, which only launched in 2021, sells 2.5 million Elf Bar 600s in the UK every week, accounting for two in three of all disposable vapes. The devices cost £5.99 each.
An Elf Bar spokesperson insisted the “highly regrettable situation” did not affect the safety of its vapes.
Mark Oates, director of the consumer advocacy group We Vape, said, “The Mail’s findings on Elf Bars are deeply worrying, and it is clear there have been failings on multiple levels.
“Not only are the levels of e-liquid too high, but checks to make sure these guidelines are adhered to either haven’t occurred or are insufficient. Anyone supplying vapes in the U.K. market should be following the legislation.
“It is incredibly frustrating when major players in this sector appear to behave in a way that damages the reputation of something as beneficial as vaping, and we expect the matter to be fully investigated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).”
February 6, 2023
Milwaukee, Wisc. Wants to Ban New Vape Shops

Credit: FellowNeko
Leaders in the U.S. city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, debated a proposal for an ordinance Tuesday that would prevent some electronic cigarette sales across the city in the future.
“The explosion of vape shops, particularly when concentrated in a small geographic area, may have harmful impacts on the public health, safety, and welfare of our residents,” said Milwaukee’s District 3 Alderman Jonathan Brostoff, according to CBS58.
Part of the Milwaukee Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee meeting Tuesday morning discussed a plan to prevent new vape shops from doing business in the city.
The proposal would prevent new shops from selling e-cigarettes for six months.
During this trial period, officials would also prevent other businesses from opening if they plan on selling e-cigs.
“Part of the goal of this is going to be, ultimately, to look at both concentration and location–for example, proximity to schools, things of that nature,” added an Alderman.
Neighborhood Services Commissioner Erica Roberts said this request would be complicated for a number of reasons.
“There are many different types of uses that would sell this type of product, everything from grocery stores to gas stations, convenience stores…” Roberts expressed.
February 1, 2023
Juul2 Wins UK Retailer’s Product of the Year Award

Taking Retail’s Product of the Year 2023 for the Vaping and Heated Tobacco Products category has been awarded to Juul Labs’ new Juul2 system following an independent nationwide survey of 8,000 adult consumers.
Juul2 was launched in April 2022 following a successful pilot launch on the brand’s website, according to Talking Retail. The rechargeable pod-based system was updated from previous versions with new technologies and features, which the brand said includes the capability to combat potentially harmful and compatible pods.
“We are extremely proud that our commitment to product quality and innovation has been recognized by the voters who awarded Juul2 this accolade,” said Efe Abebe-Heywood, senior director of communications and brand at Juul Labs UK. “Our new Juul2 system has marked a step change in vapor technology, providing adult smokers with a product that more closely resembles the consistency and experience of combustible cigarettes to support them on their switching journey.
“Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the UK, and we remain committed to our mission at Juul Labs to transition even more adult smokers from cigarettes, while combating underage use.”
The award also coincides with the launch of a new Juul2 Blackcurrant Tobacco variant – a classic tobacco flavor with ripe blackcurrant notes, which further extends the Juul2 portfolio in the UK.
The new Blackcurrant Tobacco Juul pods launched on the brand’s website in January and will be rolled out across all major retailers nationally from early February.
In the U.S., Juul2 is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
January 27, 2023
New Chicago Vape Shops will Need Permit From City

Credit: Stephen VanHorn
New businesses in the U.S. city of Chicago that get 20 percent of their income from the sale of vaping products will now be required to obtain a special city license. There is no moratorium clause.
The ordinance from 41st Ward Ald. Anthony Napolitano, which passed by voice vote Wednesday, also restricts how closely such shops can operate from each other.
“The devil is always in the details, but a model that permits new stores to open appears more consumer-friendly than the possibility of moratoriums,” said Gregory Conley, director of legislative and external affairs for the American Vapor Manufacturers Association.
Napolitano’s original proposal would have given the City Council authority to place moratoriums in specified areas on future tobacco retail licenses, which are required in Chicago to sell cigarettes, vapes and other smoke products.
The newest legislation, which exempts existing vape shops, comes as the city has moved to crack down on electronic cigarettes, which have lately been a target of a broad coalition of aldermen and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
But those working in vape shops have countered that their products have helped many adults quit traditional cigarettes, and existing constraints have failed to keep the electronic ones out of children’s hands. They worry the legislation would further hurt small businesses without making a dent in preventing youth addiction.
January 21, 2023
Juul’s Market Share Still Falling, Vuse Continues Growth

Credit: Golib Tolibov
The top-selling Vuse electronic cigarette of R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. continued to expand the market-share gap with Juul in both monthly and yearly comparisons.
Vuse’s market share rose from 40.7 percent in the previous report to 41.1 percent, compared with Juul declining from 27 percent to 26.7 percent. For 2022 overall, Vuse’s market share was 35.7 percent, compared with 30.1 percent for Juul.
No. 3 NJoy slipped from 2.8 percent to 2.7 percent, while Fontem Ventures’ blu eCigs was unchanged at 1.4 percent.
Juul’s four-week dollar sales in the latest report have dropped from a 50.2 percent increase in the Aug. 10, 2019, report to a 23.7 percent decline in the latest report, according to media reports.
By comparison, Reynolds’ Vuse was up 32.7 percent in the latest report, while NJoy was up 0.1 percent, blu eCigs down 33.4 percent and Japan Tobacco’s Logic down 15.1 percent.
As recently as May 2019, Juul held a 74.6 percent U.S. e-cig market share.
On Sept. 30, Altria Group Inc. cleared the way to re-enter the e-cigarette marketplace after choosing to permanently end its non-compete agreement with Juul Labs.
January 12, 2023
Upscale U.K. Grocer Ends Sales of Single-Use Vapes
Credit: Cerib
The upscale U.K.-based grocer Waitrose has halted sales of single-use vaping products due to the impact on the environment and the “health of young people.”
Two types of single-use e-cigarettes have now been removed from sale as a result, Waitrose said.
Waitrose said it has de-listed vaping products containing lithium, which it has historically sold under the Ten Motives label, according to the Daily Mail.
Waitrose commercial director Charlotte Di Cello said the company is “driven by doing the right thing,” and selling single-use vapes is not something Waitrose could justify given the impact on “the environment and the health of young people.”
“We had already decided it wasn’t right to stock the fashionable bright-colored devices, which are seeing rapid growth – so this decision is the final jigsaw piece in our clear decision not to be part of the single-use vaping market,” she said.
January 1, 2023
Vuse Market-Share Lead Over Juul Continues to Grow

The Vuse brand of e- cigarette is widening its market-share gap with Juul in both monthly and yearly comparisons.
The latest Nielsen analysis of convenience-store data, released Tuesday, covers the four-week period ending Dec. 3 and found that the R.J. Reynolds Vapor Company’s Vuse brand vaping product’s market share grew from 40.4 percent in the previous report to 40.7 percent.
Juul Labs’ former market leading Juul device saw its market share shrink from 27.6 percent to 27 percent. Vuse expanded its year-over-year advantage to 34.9 percent to 30.7 percent compared with 34.4 percent to 31.5 percent in the previous report, according to media reports.
According to Barclays, Nielsen largely covers the big chains. For the smaller chains, the group extrapolates trends, which is why trend changes don’t appear immediately in Nielsen.
Juul Labs recently agreed to pay $1.7 billion to settle more than 5,000 lawsuits by school districts, local governments and individuals, which claimed that its e-cigarettes were more addictive than advertised, according to people with knowledge of the deal.
December 14, 2022
FastTech Falls as China’s Vape Rules Slow Sales

Credit: Nikolay N. Antonov
Chinese online retailer FastTech is closing in the wake of strict new vaping regulations, reports Vaping360.
In a Dec. 5 post on its customer forum, the discounter blames restrictions introduced after the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration took control of China’s vaping business. The new measures have increased uncertainty, preventing the company from remaining competitive, according to firm.
China outlawed domestic online vape sales in 2019. The measure was followed by a licensing and sales regulations, along with the new tax scheme. Hong Kong’s ban on importing Chinese vape products for air shipping to export destinations—which is currently being reconsidered—may also have affected FastTech, which shipped many of its products through the city.
FastTech sold Chinese-made vape products, including many semi-legal clones and copies of well-known products, to overseas customers at sometimes near-wholesale prices, and shipped them inexpensively
According to Vaping360, there remain a number of FastTech competitors in China operating on a similar business model.
In October, a reporter from Beijing Youth Daily claimed many businesses closed because of the implementation of China’s National Standard for Electronic Cigarettes have begun.
December 9, 2022
New York Issues First Retail Licenses for Marijuana
Credit: Spyrakot
New York regulators last week issued the first 36 marijuana retail licenses for an adult-use market that officials insist will open by year’s end.
That timeline took a positive turn when the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced it would allow qualifying businesses to launch delivery services before opening their retail stores, a significant change from other recreational markets, according to MJBizDaily.
“This will help jumpstart sales and enable these small business owners to generate capital and scale their operations,” the regulatory agency tweeted Monday.
New York adult-use retailers are projected to generate $1 billion-$1.2 billion in sales next year, growing to $2.2 billion-$2.7 billion by 2026, according to the 2022 MJBiz Factbook.
Regulators said 28 of the retail license winners went to individuals with marijuana convictions or family members who’d been arrested for cannabis.
The other eight licenses went to nonprofits.
The first group of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license winners include:
Capital District Cannabis & Wellness.
Essential Flowers.
Kush and Kemet.
Gotham CUARD.
NYCCABUDS.
The agency is reviewing 903 CAURD applicants, the state’s version of social equity, to issue the first 150 adult-use licenses, as well as helping them lease and fund operations through a proposed $200 million social equity cannabis fund.
November 26, 2022