U.S. Supreme Court Will Not Hear Challenge to California’s Flavored Tobacco Ban
The U.S. Supreme Court opened up the week by announcing that it would not hear R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., et al. v Robert Bonta, et al., the case filed by R.J. Reynolds against the state of California. a challenge to California’s ban on the sale of almost all types of flavored tobacco and nicotine products. This means that the ban that went into effect on Dec. 21, 2022 will stay in place.
Flavored tobacco sales bans figure to be one of the top legislative stories of 2024, and I have to think that this will only empower more states and municipalities to either begin work on or ultimately pass their own bans, knowing that if they craft legislation similar to California’s, it has a pretty decent chance of being upheld. If I had to make a prediction, I’d expect to see a good number of stories about flavored tobacco sales bans in the coming year.
Ecuador Under State of Emergency Due to Drug Cartel and Prison Gang Violence
In a fairly quiet week for the cigar industry, this has been one of the biggest stories that could affect premium cigars and one that is certainly not good for a country that has had a challenging last year or so due to adverse weather affecting tobacco crops and sparking concerns not just about how much tobacco might be available from recent crops, but how much it might cost, as some cigar makers have told halfwheel that prices for some leaves have doubled in the last year so.
The situation came to a head after Adolfo Macías, a notorious gang leader involved with international drug cartels, disappeared from prison, setting off violence in the streets, as well as an armed takeover of a television station during a news broadcast. The story has developed several times over the week as hundreds of individuals identified as members of drug cartels and related gangs have been arrested, while earlier this week, the president declared a 60-day state of emergency, imposing a nationwide curfew and tasking the military with patrolling streets and overseeing prisons.
As for what this means for the premium cigar industry, it is uncertain at the moment. I have been told by a prominent grower that farm operations continue as normal but that the situation is chaotic and ultimately fluid. A manufacturer who uses a good amount of Ecuadorian tobacco expressed concern about the availability and cost of the tobacco in the near-term future, largely because of the developments this week but also the uncertainty of how the coming weeks will play out.
Depending on what happens in the coming weeks, this could be a significant story for the premium cigar industry, as numerous manufacturers and brands use Ecuadorian-grown tobacco in their blends, and if that tobacco suddenly becomes unavailable or spikes in price, they will be forced to adjust or possibly suspend production of certain blends. It is far too early to tell and certainly far too early to panic, but this will be a must-follow story.
Cigar News
- CAO Amazon Basin Returns for 2024
- Davidoff Winston Churchill The Late Hour Petit Panetela Returns, Two New Humidors Added
- Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Begins Shipping Polpetta
- E.P. Carrillo Raising Prices Next Month
- Haso Taiji Cigar Cutter Coming to U.S. Retailers This Month
- HVC Increasing Prices in February
- J.C. Newman’s José Gaspar Cigar Gets New Shape for 2024
- JM Patriarch Announces Reblend and Repackaging of Core Lines
- Luciano Cigars Now Available in New Zealand
- Oliva Year of the Dragon Heads to China Duty Free
- Rebellion Cigars Plans Sweeney Todd for September
- Tony Gomez Joins Jake Wyatt Cigar Co. as Director of Sales
- Vector-KGM Announces New Cielo Lighter
Reviews
- HVC Black Friday 2023
- La Colmena Black Honey (2023)
- Long Live the King 11/07 Oscuro
- Tatuaje 20th Miami Reserva RL22
Regulations
International
- Latvia Increasing Smoking Age to 20 Next Year — via LSM.lv
State
- Colorado Legislator Introduces Bill to Allow Counties to Create Their Own Tobacco Sales Laws
- Kentucky House Bill Would Toughen Penalties for Selling Vape, Tobacco Products to Kids — via Kentucky.com
Local
- Hallowell, Maine Holds Public Hearing on Flavored Tobacco Ban, Votes to Move Forward to Third and Final Reading — via BangorDailyNews.com
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