Regulations

The governor is looking to make sure Maine no longer has the lowest tobacco tax rate in New England. For a cigar with an MSRP of $9.50, it would mean an increase of more than $2 in taxes.

Washington stands to be one of many states that could approve a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco. The bill also introduces the term “entertainment vapor product.”

Three years after a similar ban was approved but vetoed by the mayor, the Denver City Council is once again close to making it illegal to sell flavored tobacco products in the Mile High City. The ordinance now heads to Mayor Mike Johnston, who has said he is in support of it.

There are just 40 days until the Trump administration takes over, meaning this is more a PR stunt than an actual attempt at getting the rule to become law. It’s unclear whether would apply to only cigarettes though it likely applies to other tobacco products except “premium cigars,” at least for now. Yes, it’s both complicated and also likely irrelevant.

The new bill appears to have the exact same text as a bill that was introduced in November 2023. Despite a hearing on Tuesday, the bill did not get a vote.

Introduced last year, the bill would prevent courts and the executive branch from recognizing a trademark claim to a brand that was confiscated. The big question is whether this will apply to Cohiba.

The new recommendation asks member countries to look at expanding existing smoking bans to include outdoor areas as well as updating existing smoking laws to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes. This language is a recommendation and not a proposed law.

If passed, the updated Tobacco and Vapes Bill would make the U.K. one of the most anti-tobacco countries in the world. However, the updated version of the bill does not include a ban on outdoor pub smoking.

In 2020, Brookline, Mass. introduced its own generational tobacco ban, preventing anyone born after 1999 from ever legally purchasing tobacco and vapes. Next year, a similar proposal will be introduced in the legislature.

Trump has chosen Dr. Martin Makary, a surgeon, as his nominee to be the next commissioner of the FDA. Russell Vought has been selected to once again lead the Office of Management and Budget.

A law going into effect next year will create a list of unflavored tobacco products that are legal to sell in California. An unintended consequence of this law is that many cigars that aren’t unflavored—especially limited edition cigars and products from smaller companies—might no longer be sold in the state.