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  • Thailand Turns Up Fight Against Vapes

    Thailand Turns Up Fight Against Vapes

    Thailand’s Office Minister Jiraporn Sindhuprai chaired a meeting with 20 government agencies for the second consecutive week, discussing measures to curb the spread of e-cigarettes. Sindhuprai said they are focusing on three key strategies: strict law enforcement cracking down on illegal e-cigarettes, preventive efforts to curb their spread, and related legal reforms. She also said a proposal to set up a special committee overseeing these efforts has been submitted.

    Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry blocked more than 9,000 web pages illegally selling e-cigarettes and is working with entrepreneurs to prevent search terms related to such products and shut down websites that attempt to sell them. They are also increasing enforcement on logistics companies that are required to display clear notices prohibiting the shipment of e-cigarettes and accessories, have enhanced security measures, scan suspicious packages, and retain sender data for at least 30 days.

    According to Royal Thai Police, there were 666 vape-related cases between Feb. 26 and March 4, with 690 suspects arrested and 454,958 items worth over 41 million baht ($1.2 million) seized.

  • Cresco Labs Making Mark in KY Cannabis Market

    Cresco Labs Making Mark in KY Cannabis Market

    Chicago-based Cresco Labs Inc. today (March 11) announced it received a management services agreement with a Tier 3 Cultivation License in Kentucky, allowing it to operate a cannabis cultivation facility with up to 25,000 square feet of canopy. It is only the second such license issued in the state.

    Cresco offers cannabis in all forms nationally under brands such as High Supply, FloraCal, Good News, Wonder Wellness Co., Mindy’s, and Remedi, and sells under its Sunnyside brand dispensaries.

    “The Cultivation License allows for the construction of a state-of-the-art cultivation facility with up to 25,000 square feet of canopy, enabling us to deliver the quality and scale we are known for,” said Charlie Bachtell, CEO of Cresco Labs. “We’ve spent the last two years focused on solidifying the core and increasing our free cash flow. Kentucky is our first of many opportunities to reinvest that free cash flow back into high ROIC growth initiatives as we continue expanding into new markets.”

    Launched on Jan. 1, 2025, Kentucky’s medical cannabis program allows for a maximum of 115,000 square feet of approved canopy space and 48 retail licenses. Industry analysts predict the state’s market will generate $135 million in revenue by 2026 and grow to $228 million by 2028.

  • France Wants EU to Raise Tobacco Taxes in Luxembourg

    France Wants EU to Raise Tobacco Taxes in Luxembourg

    Believing higher cigarette prices directly correlate to lesser use, France has continued to tax nicotine products in hopes of reducing smoking in the country. Though the number of cigarettes purchased in the country declined 26% between 2017 and 2022, the same can’t be said of the smoking rate which remains at 29.2%, a slight improvement from 33% in 2017. The problem is that consumers, predictably, will seek out better deals, and in this case need only to cross the border into Luxembourg.

    A pack of 25 cigarettes in Luxembourg costs €8, whereas the same pack across the way in France costs  €15. A recent study by the French Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies shows that the sales drop for cigarettes at the border is even more dramatic, at 46.2%. As such, French officials are petitioning the EU to level the playing field.

    “Public health policies aimed at reducing tobacco consumption see their effect limited, in particular, because of the development of the parallel market,” French MP Frédéric Valletoux said in a recent motion for a resolution calling for changes to anti-smoking regulations at the European level.

    “Aligning tobacco taxation across the 27 Member States would reduce price disparities and limit cross-border purchases,” according to a report on tobacco published in March 2024 by a European Parliament working group. The report acknowledged the challenges of achieving this goal, as taxation remains outside the EU’s jurisdiction, and price differences between member states continue to widen.

    Another solution being pushed by the French would be to impose tobacco delivery quotas within the EU, as outlined in the World Health Organization protocol to eliminate illicit trade in tobacco products. The quotas would limit tobacco deliveries to each country based on domestic consumption. For example, Luxembourg receives three billion cigarettes annually, despite its domestic consumption being only 600 million.

    Luxembourg is raising the prices on the cheapest cigarettes in its market by €0.30 but otherwise isn’t likely to take more aggressive actions as its Customs and Excise Administration says cigarette sales reached 4.9 billion units in 2024, generating €1.4 billion in revenue for the country. This figure is expected to rise to €1.6 billion in 2025 and €1.9 billion by 2028.

  • CAPHRA Accuses “Foreign Billionaires” of Influencing Tobacco Policies

    CAPHRA Accuses “Foreign Billionaires” of Influencing Tobacco Policies

    The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today (March 10) called for greater transparency in global tobacco control governance, citing evidence of external influence in domestic policymaking across Asia-Pacific. The organization has documented patterns suggesting Bloomberg Philanthropies has exercised inappropriate influence over tobacco harm reduction policies in the Philippines, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Vietnam. 

    Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA’s Executive Coordinator, expressed concern with what the organization perceives as ideologically driven approaches. “When foreign billionaires shape national health policies through strategic funding while excluding regional experts, we must question whether public health remains the priority,” Loucas said. “Our investigations reveal instances where domestic policies appear directly influenced by external funding priorities rather than evidence-based approaches.” 

    In February 2025, CAPHRA joined with ARDT Iberoamerica, and CASA Africa in requesting clarification from the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Harm Reduction regarding comments in their report on tobacco harm reduction. The coalition received no response. 

    “The continued silence from the Special Rapporteur underscores a pattern of dismissing stakeholder concerns when they don’t align with predetermined positions,” Loucas said. 

    CAPHRA highlighted the upcoming COP11 as a critical moment for reasserting national sovereignty in tobacco control policy, emphasizing countries that have implemented progressive harm reduction frameworks—such as the Philippines, Japan, and New Zealand. 

     “It’s time to hold global public health institutions to their core mission of protecting health based on science rather than ideology,” Loucas said. 

  • My Father Cigar’s Honduran Factory Rolling Out Cigars

    My Father Cigar’s Honduran Factory Rolling Out Cigars

    My Father Cigars’ Honduran cigar factory is fully operational and expects to be shipping product by late May or early June, Jaime Garcia, a master blender and key figure in the family-owned company, told Cigar Aficionado in an interview. The “My Father Blue” line will be offered in four sizes: Petit Robusto, (4.5 inches by 50 ring gauge), Robusto (5.25 by 52), Toro (6 by 54), and Toro Gordo (6 by 60).

    The 78,000-square-foot factory with a capacity of up to 200 rollers was completed in November and production began in February. Located on 890 acres in Talanga, the property was purchased three years ago in what was previously untouched, overgrown land

    “You couldn’t see the soil,” Garcia said. “It was all bushes but it’s surrounded by rivers. You had richness. When we saw those soils, we had a flashback to Cuba and San Luís. It’s virgin soil and was not a tobacco farm. There are three types of soil on the farm so you can grow stronger and softer tobaccos.”

  • Opinion: Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Chain Needs to Come Together

    Opinion: Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Chain Needs to Come Together

    Zimbabwe’s tobacco marketing 2025 season opened last week with the first bale selling for $4.65 per kg. That price was predictably down from last year’s $4.92 as the El Nino drought created a shortage in the tobacco market. Last year’s output was 235 million kilograms, down from 2023’s record 296 million kg. For 2025, projections are in the 280 million kg region, however, more plantings and favorable weather keep the National Development Strategy’s ultimate 300 million kg goal a possibility.

    While growers are doing their part in the system, Obert Chifamba wrote in his opinion piece for The Herald that more needs to be done as a nation to make the cash crop profitable for the people doing the work.   

    “Just two seasons ago [we were] close to the target of 300 million kg,” Chifamba wrote, “which means production-wise, we have achieved our intentions, hence the need to identify and address the issues now standing between the country and its target.

    “Delays in disbursing the $60 million tobacco revolving fund meant to localize the crop’s funding and support growers have not made the situation any better, with the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said to be working on the modalities of disbursing it. Local funding should take care of 70% of the cost of production. This is also one of the strategies the government is pushing to effectively implement to ensure the country stops relying on foreign capital for the crop, which will see the funders taking between 80 and 90% of the money generated from tobacco out of the country leaving producers with very little.”

    Chifamba also points out that 95% of the tobacco produced gets exported out of the country raw, allowing countries that import and process it to reap the majority of the profits, and that local growers are often taken advantage of by foreign sponsors with “notorious price ceilings” and incomplete purchase contracts. 

    “It is critical for the tobacco industry to do some self-introspection and see where the wheels are always coming off,” Chifamba wrote. “Maybe it will take the intervention of the government or some independent observer to pinpoint where the tobacco juggernaut needs revitalization to function more fluidly and profitably for all parties involved.”

  • Pakistani Growers Getting Squeezed as Cultivation Begins

    Pakistani Growers Getting Squeezed as Cultivation Begins

    Growers in Pakistan started cultivating Virginia and white Patta tobacco last week, but news for them was not all good as purchasing companies have again slashed their quota. The quota was 85.5 million kg in 2023, 77.3 million in 2024, and now reportedly 74.8 million kg for this year. Making the matter worse, according to Liaqat Yousafzai, central president of Tobacco Growers Association Pakistan, is that purchasing companies again didn’t notify growers of their intentions, causing farmers to spend time and money growing surplus crop that will be thrown away.

    “The big issue is that the companies’ demands are decreasing while the tobacco production is increasing,” Yousafzai said. “It is the only cash crop with which the full-year expenditures of the farmers are linked. The companies have reduced their quota for the current year like 2024 without informing the growers in advance.”

    However, when contacted by reporters for The Dawn newspaper, officials for purchasing companies said they had made clear previously that the farmers who failed to execute agreements with the buyers of their choice should give up growing tobacco.

  • Philippines Looks to Tighten Vape Import Laws 

    Philippines Looks to Tighten Vape Import Laws 

    Potential new requirements have been drafted in an administrative order to tighten measures against the illegal trade of vape products, promote consumer safety, and streamline import procedures in the Philippines. Today (March 10), the Department of Trade and Industry asked the public and stakeholders to help provide insights for its amended documentary requirements in the issuance of a Statement of Confirmation (SOC) for product importers. The SOC is a mandatory certification that verifies the legitimacy and compliance of imported vape products and tobacco items.

    In the proposed order, importers would need to submit an expanded set of documents consisting of a packing list, commercial invoice, bill of lading/airway bill, production batch details, and a valid Philippine Standard License. Additional compliance requirements include a P150,000 ($2,550) surety bond, a valid certificate of registration from the Bureau of Customs, proof of billing and ownership, or lease of warehouse space, and an excise tax return with a Bureau of Internal Revenue stamp.

  • Vietnam Told Gradual Tax Hike Will Prevent Illicit Tobacco Surge 

    Vietnam Told Gradual Tax Hike Will Prevent Illicit Tobacco Surge 

    Vietnam is reviewing new tax policies for tobacco products, with experts recommending a gradual tax increase every two years instead of higher annual hikes. The Vietnam Tax Advisory Association (VTCA) has raised concerns that sharp, sudden tax hikes may backfire, leading to higher illicit cigarette trade and reduced tax revenue.

    According to the draft law, the government plans to impose a hybrid tax system on tobacco products, combining the current 75% ad valorem tax with a specific absolute tax increase on each pack of cigarettes. The VTCA submitted its recommendations for two proposed scenarios:

    The first scenario suggests an annual increase of VND 2,000 ($0.08) per pack starting in 2026, leading to a total tax hike of VND 10,000 ($0.40) per pack by 2030.

    The second scenario proposes a VND 5,000 ($0.20) increase in 2026, followed by an additional VND 1,000 ($0.04) increase per year from 2027 to 2029, also culminating in a total increase of VND 10,000 ($0.40) per pack by 2030.

    VTCA has urged policymakers to be cautious, citing examples from other countries where abrupt tax increases led to unintended consequences, mainly that smoking rates didn’t drop as consumers turned to cheaper illicit products.

    If this proposal is not accepted, VTCA has recommended that lawmakers adopt the first scenario, which calls for an annual increase of VND 2,000 ($0.08) per pack starting in 2026, reaching VND 10,000 ($0.40) by 2030.

  • Canadian Tobacco Settlement a Step Closer to Complete

    Canadian Tobacco Settlement a Step Closer to Complete

    After years of mediation to resolve long-pending tobacco product-related litigation in Canada, the court-appointed Mediator’s and Monitor’s Plan of Compromise and Arrangement was today (March 7) sanctioned by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in the ongoing proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The sanctioning was a significant step in finalizing the $22.7 billion settlement agreement with Imperial Tobacco Canada (a BAT subsidiary), JTI-Macdonald Corp., and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (a PMI subsidiary). The settlement has been in negotiations since March 2019.

    Following a judicial hearing on the proposed plan, the three companies reached a consensual resolution of all outstanding objections to it. The plan will resolve all Canadian tobacco litigation and provide a full and comprehensive release to the companies.

    “We are pleased that the Court has sanctioned the Mediator’s and Monitor’s Plan of Compromise and Arrangement, a critical milestone in the CCAA process, Imperial Tobacco Canada wrote in a statement. “We look forward to the successful implementation of this plan, which maximizes value for claimants, resolves outstanding tobacco litigation, and allows us to emerge from CCAA protection. While there are still some steps that must be taken to implement the settlement, Imperial Tobacco Canada is committed to continue working with the relevant parties to complete this process as quickly as possible for the benefit of all stakeholders.”