Premium Cigar News and Notes

Look here for current cigar articles, news alerts and more

May 02

Unintended Consequences Threatens Public Health Amidst Regulatory Efforts

Despite concerted global efforts to curb tobacco use through regulatory policies, the proliferation of illicit tobacco products via underground markets presents a significant challenge to public health and law enforcement…

May 02

Vermont’s S.18 & Maine’s LD 1215: Premium Cigars and the Flavored Tobacco Debate

On January 18, 2023, Vermont State Senator Virginia Lyons proposed Senate Bill 18 (S.18), which would eliminate flavored tobacco products in the state. The bill’s preamble highlighted the detrimental effects…

May 02

Massachusetts’ Generational Tobacco Bans Continue To Spread

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently upheld a significant bylaw enacted in Brookline, Massachusetts, known as a generational tobacco ban. This groundbreaking regulation prohibits the sale of tobacco products to…

Apr 17

CRA Files Reply Brief In U.S. Court of Appeals

On Monday, April 15th, Cigar Rights of America (CRA), filed the industry’s reply brief in response to the United States Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA) appeal in Cigar Association of America, Cigar…

Apr 17

The Imperative of Tax Caps for Premium Cigars

When it comes to state taxation policies, few industries face as much scrutiny and inconsistency as premium cigars. As lawmakers grapple with budgetary constraints and revenue generation, the cigar industry…

Mar 27

The Impact of a New Trump Administration’s Policy on Agencies

By Mike Copperman President Biden and former President Donald Trump have secured the necessary number of delegates to clinch their party’s presidential nomination, paving the way for the inevitable rematch…

Cigar News

July 13, 2023

North Dakota: North Dakota lawmakers have already given their blessing to allow cigar lounges throughout the state — but unfortunately, one of the first of these gathering spots can’t open just yet.

July 3, 2023

Connecticut: More cigar smokers in the Nutmeg State will be able to order a drink and light up in the same establishment. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has officially signed SB 905 into law, allowing alcohol-serving cigar bars to return to the state for the first time in over 20 years.

June 21, 2023

Nevada: The state best known for its sinful city and expansive natural landscapes is easing the wallets of local cigar smokers. Nevada is set to join a handful of other states that have instituted a tax cap on cigars as Gov. Joe Lombardo signed AB 232 into law this weekend creating a 50-cent tax limit on the sale of premium smokes.

May 18, 2023

Montana: Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 122 into law on Tuesday, which calls for a 35 cent tax cap on the sale of premium cigars. Sponsored by Montana Sen. Greg Hertz, SB 122 represents a major victory for cigar smokers and retailers in Big Sky Country as the previous tax rate on premium cigars was 50 percent of the wholesale price. The new law will go into effect on July 1.

May 17, 2023

Louisiana: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Shreveport local officials in June 2020 passed Ordinance No. 51, the Smoke-Free Air Act, which extended the indoor smoking ban to casinos and bars. Previously, the city allowed casinos and bars that derive the majority of their revenue from alcohol sales to permit indoor tobacco use.

April 26, 2023

Nevada: Assembly Bill 232 would reduce taxes on premium hand rolled cigars in Nevada. These cigars are defined as cigars that are wrapped fully with tobacco leaves and do not have filters of mouthpieces.

April 19, 2023

California: A legislative bill that would have effectively put an end to the sale of tobacco in the Golden State has been stalled. Last week in the California State Legislature, Assembly Bill 935, which aimed to forever ban tobacco sales—including handmade cigars—from people born after January 1, 2007, was put on hold.

April 13, 2023

North Dakota: Washington, D.C. – Today, the Premium Cigar Association (PCA) and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) celebrate the passage of HB 1229 in North Dakota, which allows the establishment of cigar lounges in the state. Read the Press Release here.

April 13, 2023

North Dakota: Smoking in public places in North Dakota, banned by a ballot measure in 2012, is about to change somewhat.

April 10, 2023

Connecticut: Connecticut could allow new cigar bars for the first in 20 years under proposed legislation at the state Capitol, but health groups are once again lining up against the proposal.