The Colorado legislature is expected to join its contemporaries in Maryland, Utah and Vermont, debating whether to raise the minimum age to purchase and consume tobacco products from 18 to 21. 

Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, and Rep. Beth McCann, D-Denver, will sponsor the House version, while Sen. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins, and Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, will introduce it in the Colorado Senate.

Part of the argument for the increase is that alcohol, gambling and the recently-approved recreational marijuana are all restricted to those 21 and over in the state.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.