Following the decision by Congressional leaders to not include an exemption and predicate date change for the regulation of premium cigars by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the Fiscal Year 2018 Omnibus Spending Bill, the cigar trade associations issued a public response. Both organizations expressed disappointment; but with the industry’s lawsuit against […]
Congress appears to have come to an agreement on what will be in its 1.3 trillion dollar Omnibus spending package – and it will not include an exemption, nor grandfather (predicate) date change from regulation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for premium handmade cigars. The Omnibus Spending Bill specifies what government programs […]
As promised, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking a closer look on how to regulate flavored tobacco. Today the agency announced an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) to solicit input into how this should be done. While aimed at cigarettes and e-cigarettes, premium cigars are very much a part of […]
It was the public relations move the premium cigar industry was most in need of as Rocky Patel, owner and founder of Rocky Patel Premium Cigars, was a guest on Tucker Carlson Tonight. It was the opportunity to take the cigar industry’s battle with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to a wider audience. […]
Yesterday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rule Making (ANPRM) concerning setting limits on maximum nicotine levels in tobacco products. This was part of a comprehensive plan by FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb announced last July to reduce nicotine levels down to non-addictive levels. As a part of […]
Back in July, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb announced plans for a program aimed at reducing nicotine levels in tobacco products. As a part of the program, the question of whether premium cigars should be regulated differently was posed. As a result, the FDA announced it was extending the deadline […]
The United States Senate has confirmed Alex Azar as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The appointment should be of particular interest to the cigar community as HHS oversees the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – the organization that regulates premium cigars. Azar comes from the pharmaceutical industry, where from 2012 […]
The battle against Warning Label Regulations for premium cigars issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is going to get some more attention in 2018. Last week, a group of businesses filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas stating that the FDA’s Warning Label requirements are in violation […]
On December 14th, 2017 oral arguments in the cigar industry’s case against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were held in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with Judge Amit Mehta presiding over the hearings. This hearing comes after several months of filing legal motions and various scheduling deadlines being implemented. The […]
Last week, 29 members of the United States House of Representatives sent a letter to White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney urging him to exempt premium cigars from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation. All 29 members are GOP Party Members. As for Mulvaney, he has previously co-sponsored legislation […]
