FDA regulations.

travelergypsy · May 23, 2016

So, I am very new to this whole pipe smoking business, and would love to see it continue for some time. I keep hearing about the impending FDA regulations, and affects this would have on the tobacco availability. Try as I might, I can't find a comprehensive summary of the impending regulations. Can someone give me a quick, consolidated summary of what is in the workings so I can get caught up to date, and not feel like I just crawled out from under a rock?

edgreen · May 23, 2016

Try Brian's radio show from two weeks ago or youtube. Both have provided me with a much clearer understanding.

travelergypsy · May 23, 2016

This seems very vague. Very very vague. Am I understanding this right? That much of the fear is about what could happen, rather than the FDA actually taking certain things off the market? Obviously, there is a very really possibility of things going bad, but is anything actually written to that affect? What I found on youtube sounded like the FDA is trying to figure out a way to monitor tobacco production, not necessarily eliminate it.

Also, how does this affect the importation of tobacco produced in Europe or elsewhere overseas? What about Big Tobacco companies (ie: British American Tobacco)?

From what I see, it's all about the money. The thing is though, tobacco still produces a significant amount of revenue for the United States. Thus the FDA may regulate it to an extent, but I find it hard to envision Big Government allowing regulations that might jeopardize a significant financial contributor.
(Sorry, I am really interested in this. And I like to think, even more when I have a bowl of C&D burning under my nose.)

aldecaker · May 23, 2016

Don't put it past any government to cut off it's nose to spite it's face.

jmatt · May 23, 2016

Here's the simple version:
1) After August 2016, no new products may be released before FDA approval, a process expected to take up to three years and cost $300,000 to 3 million per product.
2) Any product not already being marketed as of August 2007 must submit to the FDA approval process. (see costs above). If they don't submit, they cannot be sold. They can stay on the market for up to 3 years unless/until approved or denied.
3) Any product that has been actively marketed since at least 2007 is fine, so long as it meets new labeling and manufacturing standards.
What does that mean?
1) New tobacco blends are doubtful.

2) Continuation of blends created after 2007 is doubtful

3) Continued import of tobacco from some of the smaller producers could be curtailed (Esoterica/Germains anyone?)

lordofthepiperings · May 23, 2016

What we do know is that this is law as of now. What we don't know is when or how it'll be fought and what will come of those battles.
The vape industry has already filed an injunction to delay the law until their legal teams can get a clearer understanding of the law and figure out the best next step to take.
As far as the cigar industry goes they're rallying trying to sign a petition for support of some bill currently on the floor that would exempt premium cigars from regulation. My guess is it doesn't include pipes or vaping with it, but I couldn't say for sure.
Haven't heard anything about the fight strictly on the pipe side, unless you count a statement from the IPCPR that they intend to battle the law to help the pipe and cigar industries.
The major thing is that blenders have 2yrs to comply, so you have until then to try newer blends and stock up on them. Hopefully in the meantime legal teams can convince the FDA and or Congress that this is all hogwash and the pipe industry should go on as normal without these regulations.

cosmicfolklore · May 23, 2016

I can't even fathom why the cigarette industry would want the pipe tobacco companies without the cigar industry. We are fly speck to them, chump change. So, if cigars get exempt, I'd wager pipes get out too.

griffonwing · May 23, 2016

I am hoping this is the case. I can't see how Pipes and Cigars come anywhere close to Cigarettes in the "Harmful" category. Anyone who does ANY kind of research can see that.
But this is not about common sense or honesty. Its about control and greed.

jmatt · May 23, 2016

Pipe tobacco is in because RYO tobacco was "mislabeling" RYO tobacco as "pipe tobacco." How to fix that? Regulate all pipe tobacco.
Cigars are in because cigarette companies made oversize chopped-leaf cigarettes and labelled them as "mini cigars." How to fix that? Regulate all cigars.
Vaping is in because......well, because its vaping.

jacks6 · May 23, 2016

well said, jmatt. That explains it very well.

michiganlover · May 23, 2016

From the documents I've read, the FDA seems to think all pipe tobacco is basically the same. They are expecting new blends to fit into an exemption category that basically says they are similar enough to a blend produced in 2007.
It all remains to be seen how this shakes out,.

brian64 · May 23, 2016

3) Any product that has been actively marketed since at least 2007 is fine, so long as it meets new labeling and manufacturing standards.

And what, pray tell, are the "new manufacturing standards"? The Devil is always in the details.

jefff · May 23, 2016

I think this means I will have to stock up on Mcc Anniversary. The latest iteration came out in 2010.
The devil is in the details.

phil67 · May 23, 2016

No sense in one getting their respective shorts in a bind as there isn’t squat you can do it about it at this juncture. There is bound to be a great deal of litigation by both the e-cigarette industry as well as the cigar manufactures, and possibly (hopefully) the pipe tobacco manufactures. I’ve never been one to cellar a shit load of tobacco in all my life and I’m not about to start now. Either way, I think I’ll survive all of the panic and life will go on.
As a rule, what is out of sight disturbs men's minds more seriously than what they see. ~ Julius Caesar

deathmetal · May 23, 2016

Idiocracy. Overthrow.

anthonyrosenthal74 · May 24, 2016

I was under the impression that congress was pushing for amendments and that the grandfather date could be raised from 2007 up to 2016. Which still means that tobacco blends and vaping products produced after 2016 would be very limited. Regardless of what happens, the ruling is a blatant overreach by the FDA which could shut down many businesses and put many people out of work. I understand regulation to keep underage use down. But what the FDA is doing is ridiculous.

hiplainsdrifter · May 24, 2016

I think I’ll survive all of the panic and life will go on.

x2

metalheadycigarguy · May 24, 2016

I love how people are literally freaking out about this. I've seen people stocking up on tobacco manufactured before 2007 thinking it will go away for ever. Heck, if you're going to stock up it should be the new blends that might be at risk... might be. I've seen people buy briar blocks to start making their own pipes thinking that the pipe manufacturers are going away. LOL Don't give into the fear mongers. Cigars and pipe tobacco companies will continue to go on. For those smaller companies that can not survive these regulations; if and when they do come, they will sell their companies to the larger companies and many of those blends will be continued to be sold under a different manufacture. We've seen this before and its nothing new.
The US government makes to much money for them to cut off tobacco altogether. With pending lawsuits coming, these regulations will be a long time coming, and I have a feeling that 2007 date will change to a more current date, and the cost for permits will be greatly reduced. Don't panic people it will all be okay.

tennsmoker · May 24, 2016

My cellar is deep and wide. Probably wide enough to tide me over for years. I have been stocking up working on aging tins in the beginning in which I'd buy two tins to four tins and smoke one or two of them.
Then when all the talk of the Tobaccoapocalypse was possible, I began to seriously stock up. My hero was Peck!
I also believe that the FDA is going to keep tobacco under its thumb in the future and that won't be a pretty picture.
Call me a fear monger, but I continue to hold a great deal of mistrust of a federal government that harangues about the evils of tobacco and allows antibiotics in our food chain and genetically-engineered crops, which some people say is not all that bad for you. I just don't want to eat the stuff.
It is too much power in the hands of zealots. And we know how that can turn out!

brian64 · May 24, 2016

What the FDA is doing is, under color of law, handing over control of tobacco revenue to the big cartels that have the resources to pay it off comply with the costly regulatory process imposed to put the pikers out of business.

+1

I continue to hold a great deal of mistrust of a federal government that harangues about the evils of tobacco and allows antibiotics in our food chain and genetically-engineered crops

Exactly. The FDA rubber-stamps and protects the practices of the GMO industry and the pharmaceutical industry and yet still pretends its actions are motivated by safe-guarding public health. Yet hardly anyone seems to question why all forms of pediatric chronic illness (especially cancer, autism and diabetes) are up thousands of percent from what they were not long ago.
EDIT: The same FDA that approved aspartame for public consumption. You're better off chain-smoking cigarettes than ingesting that poisonous shit every day.

FDA regulations.

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