Month: May 2021

Residents in several states support cannabis legalization, per a new poll.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Cannabis Council, a special interest group working to end the federal government’s prohibition on cannabis, released the results of a new poll that shows a supermajority of residents in states likes Arizona, Utah, and West Virginia want an end to federal cannabis prohibition during this congressional session.

“We’ve reached an apex in our fight to end federal cannabis prohibition, and it’s clear from these overwhelming figures that Americans in Arizona, Utah and West Virginia support legal cannabis and want their federal and state representatives to do the same,” said Steven Hawkins, the interim president, CEO, and founding member of the council.

“In anticipation of the bill from Senators Booker, Wyden and Schumer, and with the bipartisan vote in favor of legalization in the House last Congress, we are at a critical juncture in our country’s complex journey with cannabis,” Hawkins said.

“We urge government representatives on both sides of the aisle to consider this bipartisan public demand and vote favorably on federal cannabis reform.”

Here are the following results, via the press release sent to Vaping Post:

Arizona

• 72% of registered Arizona voters support federal cannabis legalization generally
• 74% support Senators Sinema and Kelly voting to legalize cannabis federally this year
• 79% support the US Congress legalizing cannabis this year in light of foreign nations already doing so
• 64% support expungement of non-violent crimes
• 86% support allowing medical cannabis to be prescribed in VA facilities

Utah

• 66% of registered Utah voters support federal cannabis legalization generally
• 69% support Senators Lee and Romney voting to legalize cannabis federally this year
• 69% support the US Congress legalizing cannabis this year in light of foreign nations already doing so
• 55% support expungement of non-violent crimes
• 86% support allowing medical cannabis to be prescribed in VA facilities

West Virginia

• 70% of registered West Virginia voters support federal cannabis legalization generally
• 77% support Senators Manchin and Capito voting to legalize cannabis this year
• 77% support the US Congress legalizing cannabis this year in light of foreign nations already doing so
• 44% support expungement of non-violent crimes
• 89% support allowing medical cannabis to be prescribed in VA facilities

The Mississippi Supreme Court voided a voter-ratified medical cannabis measure.

JACKSON — Earlier this month, the state Mississippi Supreme Court on Friday struck down a medical marijuana legalization initiative that voters had overwhelmingly approved last November, which is shattering a potential market worth more than $250 million.

This is unfortunate because the court order voided a citizen-backed vote that passed the entire state’s electorate by a nearly 3 to 1 margin in favor of the reform measures.

“The Mississippi Supreme Court just overturned the will of the people of Mississippi,” said Ken Newburger, the executive director for the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, in a statement to trade publication to MJBizDaily.com.

Newburger said: “The court ignored existing case law and prior decisions. Their reasoning ignores the intent of the constitution and takes away people’s constitutional right.”

“It’s a sad day for Mississippi when the Supreme Court communicates to a vast majority of the voters that their vote doesn’t matter.”

This is also the second time in less than a month that a supreme court from a Deep South state ruled against constitutional marijuana legalization measures.

The other case involved the high court in Florida rejecting an adult-use measure to legalize pot for the 2022 general election ballot.

Elsewhere in the United States, other state courts take on the claim that marijuana legalization efforts shouldn’t be decided by voters.

This also includes politicized justices that ruled against a similar measure with the South Dakota high court.

Matthew Schweich, the deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, also called the high court’s decision a “deeply flawed ruling” that marks a “cruel and tragic day for sick and suffering people in Mississippi.”

“The legislature must take action to fix the ballot initiative requirements and honor the will of their constituents by enacting Amendment 65 into law through the legislative process,” Schweich wrote in a press statement to the publication MJBizDaily.com.

Florida Supreme Court Kills 2022 Marijuana Legalization Initiative

MANILA — The House of Representatives for the Republic of the Philippines is prepared to move forward with a proposed landmark bill that would regulate the sale and manufacture of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products to curb cigarette smoking.

154 co-authors in the 300-man chamber for the House would develop the Vaporized Nicotine Product bill that seeks to establish a clear and effective regulatory framework to monitor product manufacturing standards and prevent sales to minors.

According to the English-speaking Manila Standard, the legislation regulates these products further to avoid “unintended or potential adverse consequences on the use of these products.”

“Although the country is already experiencing a proliferation of sale and use of HTPs and vaping products among Filipino consumers, we do not have a clear and effective law and regulation, including product standards that should govern these products,” said Rep. Sharon Garin, representing Quezon City, is the principal sponsor for the legislation before the House. “Thus, through the passage of this bill, we fill this gap on regulation.”

Garbin argued that more than 75 other countries worldwide had passed laws regulating the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping products. This metric also includes the United States, London, New Zealand, Australia (more aggressively), Canada, and others.

The number of countries that revoked the ban of e-cigarettes also went down in 2020, with Garbin citing that Norway is the latest country to reverse its policy from a ban.

“The governments of Canada and New Zealand have now also recognized the potential benefit smokers can gain when switching to vaping,” Garbin said.

“Their decision to adopt such policies is anchored on decades of research on the subject of nicotine, e-cigarettes, tobacco and harm reduction.”

Contradicting all the scientific research indicating the benefits obtained by switching from smoking to vaping, the WHO keeps using World No Tobacco Day to push its anti-vaping agenda. In total contrast with other health entities such as Public Health England (PHE), in 2020 the WHO inaccurately claimed that ENDS and smokeless alternatives do not help smokers quit smoking; are more harmful than combustible tobacco; and that nicotine is equivalent to heroin in terms of addictiveness.

A year later, in a press release titled “Quit tobacco to be a winner,” the WHO is at it once again. It insists that the tobacco industry has “promoted e-cigarettes as cessation aids under the guises of contributing to global tobacco control.” Insisting on referring to the vaping industry as the tobacco industry, the WHO added that it employed “strategic marketing tactics to hook children on this same portfolio of products, making them available in over 15,000 attractive flavors.”

“We must be guided by science and evidence, not the marketing campaigns of the tobacco industry—the same industry that has engaged in decades of lies and deceit to sell products that have killed hundreds of millions of people,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “E-cigarettes generate toxic chemicals, which have been linked to harmful health effects such as cardiovascular disease and lung disorders.”

WHO claims that evidence on e-cigs as cessation aids was “inconclusive”

The agency went to on to claim that the scientific evidence on e-cigarettes as cessation aids was “inconclusive,” and that “switching from conventional tobacco products to e-cigarettes is not quitting.” Sadly these statements couldn’t be further from the truth as there are countless peer-reviewed studies conducted by independent public health experts which indicate otherwise.

“The WHO has taken this anti-vaping position—repeatedly—in the past and seemingly continues to ignore a burgeoning body of evidence to the contrary. Despite including “harm reduction strategies” in its definition of “tobacco control,” the agency remains steadfast in denying the expert opinions of an expanding number of academics and scientific bodies—like the UK’s Royal College of Physicians and the US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine—that vaping is much less harmful than smoking,” points out an article on Filter.

Tobacco Harm Reduction Group About “Concerning” WHO Report

Meanwhile, in a recent letter the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), has urged the WHO Executive Board to address concerns over the lack of transparency in a report, regarding the Tenth Meeting of the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation. The group explained that the report failed to consider all the scientific evidence in favour of tobacco harm reduction strategies, such as the use of electronic cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

“The recommendations in this report may further hinder effective access to lower-risk products as a result of the Study Group’s Report in a region of the world with the most harm from combustible and unsafe oral tobacco use,” said CAPHRA.

The group’s Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas, said the Study Group Report reviewed nine background papers and two horizon scanning papers, however they did not share the actual papers, or share reference links. Similarly, the Report also stated that their recommendations were assisted by discussions with “invited subject-matter experts”, however once again, the names of these experts were also not made known.

Asia-Pacific Groups Create Petition Urging WHO to End Lies About Vaping

Tobacco harm reduction advocates are encouraged to send their submissions on New Zealand’s Government Smokefree action plan.

Falling on the 30th of May, just a day before World No Tobacco on May 31st, the AVCA is reminding Kiwi ex-smokers and vaping advocates, that more action is required to achieve the Smokefree Aotearoa goal. More submissions on the Government’s action plan could go a long way in highlighting the importance of including vaping products in the

“World Vape Day is a celebration of personal stories of smokers who have found an incredibly effective way out of smoking, thanks to the advent of innovative smoke-free products,” said AVCA co-director Nancy Loucas.

She added that sadly, despite the global success and data available in favour of vaping, the World Health Organisation (WHO) continues to condemn the products. In fact, the WHO is once again using World No Tobacco Day to push its anti-vaping agenda.

In total contrast with other health entities such as Public Health England (PHE), the WHO keeps claiming that ENDS and smokeless alternatives do not help smokers quit smoking; are more harmful than combustible tobacco; and that nicotine is equivalent to heroin in terms of addictiveness.

Study found no teen vaping “epidemic” in New Zealand

Moreover, added Loucas, in New Zealand there is an increasingly negative media narrative about an alleged teen “vaping epidemic.” However, a peer reviewed study found no such thing.

“After examining a survey of over 27,000 secondary school students, University of Auckland researchers last year confirmed there was no youth vaping epidemic in New Zealand. They found that only 0.8% of 14 and 15-year-olds, who had never smoked, were regular vapers. It’s important we stay focused on the evidence, not the emotion,” said Loucas.

Earlier this year, Loucas explained that while it’s clear that vaping has helped many Kiwis quit tobacco, Maori and Pacific people sadly remain decades off becoming smokefree unless significant interventions and actions are taken soon.

NZ should follow the UK’s example

She has emphasized that just like the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has been an effective catalyst for switching smokers to vaping, educating smokers about the relative benefits of vaping is key. She added that the government’s recent decision to refrain from hiking tobacco tax was a progressive step in the right direction.

“It’s great the Government wasn’t tempted to hike tobacco tax. It’s terribly regressive, hitting the vulnerable the hardest with the high Māori smoking rate budging little. AVCA believes education remains key, as does ensuring vaping is an accessible and appealing alternative.”

New Zealand: Smokefree 2025 Plan Considers Nicotine And Age Restrictions

A study by North Dakota State University finds that vape shops in the state disobey smoke-free laws.

FARGO — Public health researchers at the North Dakota State University found that vape shops in the state overwhelmingly disobey the statewide smoke-free and clean air laws.

Kelly Buettner-Schmidt, a professor of nursing, led a research team that conducted a public policy compliance analysis measuring compliance.

The other researchers include Donald R. Miller, professor of pharmacy practice; Megan Orr, associate professor of statistics; Katelyn Rykal and Missy Berry, NDSU School of Nursing; and Kathleen Swanson, assistant professor of practice NDSU School of Nursing.

The study was published in the May edition of the peer-reviewed journal Public Health Nursing. According to Buettner-Schmidt et al., the study was designed “to determine compliance with North Dakota’s smoke-free law in vape shops and other tobacco specialty shops selling electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or e-liquids.”

The study was also structured to include 35 vape retailers that sell devices and liquids that contain nicotine and don’t contain nicotine. The study’s results showed that vaping occurred inside five shops, or 14.3 percent of the ones observed. 5.7 percent, or two shops, permitted smoking and aerosols within the required smoke-free areas.

When it came to indoor and outdoor signage requirements, 11.4% of shops complied with indoor signage, and 48.6% complied with outdoor signage requirements, notes NDSU.

“Overall compliance remained low, although much of the noncompliance was related to signage,” notes the study’s official conclusion.

“Classifying ENDS as tobacco products would require tobacco licensure of shops selling ENDS and e-liquids, aiding in identification of the shops for education and enforcement efforts to ensure compliance with the law and to improve public health protection.”

“When viewed overall, compliance remained low,” said Buettner-Schmidt in a press statement released by North Dakota State University’s communications office.

“North Dakota has one of the strongest laws in the United States to protect citizens from secondhand smoke,” she added. “Even though the state’s smoke‐free law has been in effect since 2012, vaping and smoking still occurred in required smoke‐free and vape‐free areas, according to our most recent study.”

US: Two Vape Shop Staff Caught Selling Class A Drugs in Store

PMI product sees movement.

WASHINGTON — The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said that Philip Morris Products S.A.’s modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) application for the latest iteration of the IQOS heat-not-burn system holder and charger. The Center for Tobacco Products at the FDA recently opened up the Federal Register for public comments on the MRTP application.

“PMI is fully committed to a smoke-free future, one where we completely replace cigarettes with scientifically substantiated smoke-free alternatives that are a better choice for adults who would otherwise continue smoking,” said Jacek Olczak, the chief executive officer of Philip Morris International. “Our commitment to a science-based future is unmatched, having invested more than $8 billion since 2008 on smoke-free products.”

Olczak added: “This application underscores PMI’s on-going commitment to make new innovations available to American adult smokers through the FDA process; the confidence we have in our science; and our belief that public scrutiny and open engagement with governments is vital to achieving a smoke-free future.”

PMI and its North American products subsidiary submitted the application with the intention of scoring an MRTP status similar to the one granted to the IQOS 2.4 system on July 7, 2020.

The IQOS 2.4 system is the only electronic nicotine delivery system to be granted marketing authorization as a modified tobacco product with a less harmful characteristic than smoking.

“To authorize MRTP consumer communications, the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products is required by law to conclude that a product is appropriate to promote the public health,” states a press statement from PMI.

IQOS is sold in the United States by PMI, through a special agreement with Altria Group.

The device is popular all over the world, especially with product variations in Japan. Heated tobacco products are also considered less harmful forms of nicotine delivery than traditional cigarettes or other combustible tobacco products.