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On November 27, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed An Act Modernizing Tobacco Control into law. The new law restricts the sale of e-cigarettes and nicotine vaping products as well as flavored tobacco products.

Specifically, the law immediately restricts all flavored nicotine vaping products to licensed smoking bars where they may only be consumed on-site. Additionally, the law restricts the sale of all vaping products with a nicotine content over 35 milligrams per milliliter to licensed, adult-only retail tobacco stores and smoking bars. …
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On October 16, the Montgomery County Council publicly authorized its lawsuit filed in federal court on October 11, against Juul Labs and Altria Group for alleged violations of Maryland and federal law based on claims of aggressive marketing of e-cigarette products to minors.

Council President Nancy Navarro remarked, “The Council authorizes taking legal action against Juul Labs and Altria Group. This lawsuit supports our ongoing efforts to protect our community members from the public health impacts associated with e-cigarette products and vaping. …
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On October 7, 2019, Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi introduced the “Ending Nicotine Dependence from Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Act of 2019” (or “END ENDS Act”), which was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. According to the bill, the Act would “amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a tobacco product standard prohibiting any e-liquid with a concentration of nicotine higher than 20 milligrams per milliliter” in an attempt to reduce adolescent use of ENDS. …
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On September 24, 2019, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared a public health emergency, and Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel ordered the sale or display of vaping products in retail establishments, online, or through other means, to be prohibited in the Commonwealth. The moratorium “takes effect immediately and shall remain in effect, unless extended with the approval of the Governor and the Public Health Council, through January 25, 2020, or until the declared public health emergency is terminated, or the Order is otherwise rescinded by [the Commissioner], whichever happens first.”…
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California recently issued a Special Notice, which changes how the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) will apply the OTP excise tax to the wholesaler’s cost basis when an out-of-state California licensed tobacco products distributor sells tobacco products to wholesalers, retailers, or consumers located in California.  …
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Today, the Trump Administration announced that it is instructing the Food and Drug Administration to “finalize a compliance policy in the coming weeks that would prioritize the agency’s enforcement of the premarket authorization requirements for non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes, including mint and menthol, clearing the market of unauthorized, non-tobacco-flavored e-cigarette products.” …
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In a press release dated September 3, 2019, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced her administration would be introducing emergency rules to ban the sale of “flavored vaping products” in retail stores and online, and ban “misleading” marketing of vaping products, including the use of terms like “clean,” “safe,” and “healthy.” …
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Last Thursday, July 18, 2019, Mark Herring, Virginia’s Attorney General, called again for marijuana regulatory reform in light of new data showing arrests rose in the Commonwealth last year. The Attorney General noted that in 2018 marijuana arrests accounted for 59 percent of all drug arrests in Virginia.  Herring favors the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of marijuana, action to address past convictions for simple possession and a move towards legal and regulated adult use in Virginia.  The Attorney General’s press release was followed the next day by a tweet from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam also urging the decriminalization of marijuana.…
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