California Unflavored Tobacco Law Registration Deadline Passes- Dunbarton pulls out!

[AreBee]

Manufacturers had until October 9th to register every marca AND vitola on the "Unflavored Tobacco List" and take the following steps in order to sell a product in California on January 1, 2026:

• Pay a $300 application fee for the first year. A $150 annual renewal fee will be required to remain on the list.
• Submit a box of the product to the California Attorney General’s office.
• Provide the California Attorney General’s office with basic details about the product, such as length, ring gauge, weight, quantity, etc.
• Certify that the product meets California’s law that bans most products from having characterizing flavors other than tobacco.

Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco pulls ALL his product out of the state rendering his cigars contraband in California.

Robert Connelly on Instagram: "Dunbarton deciding to PULL OUT of Commiefornia due to the new implementation of the Unflavored Tobacco List. I’m sure Steve Saka and DTT WONT be the last either. @dunbartontobaccoandtrust @stevesaka @thatdavelafferty"

La compañía Dunbarton decide retirarse de California debido a nuevas regulaciones para tabacos. El nuevo reglamento implica la implementación de una lista de tabacos sin sabor y las empresas han expresado su oposición a estas medidas.

www.instagram.com

A judge denied a temporary restraining order by the industry hoping to prevent the law from going into effect on January 1, 2026.

Some exemptions to the law:

• Flavored premium cigars with a wholesale price of $12 or more
• Flavored shisha/hookah tobacco sold in licensed stores that allow only people ages 21 or older F
• Flavored loose-leaf pipe tobacco

 

[cynyr]

A wise man once said "1776 is the answer to 1984"

Good for Mr Saka. It would serve them right if all retailers did the same.

 

[Auxsender]

I wonder what this will do to his bottom line.
He’s really socking it to CA though.

 

[Auxsender]

A wise man once said "1776 is the answer to 1984"

Good for Mr Saka. It would serve them right if all retailers did the same.

“Them” being the people that want to buy his product or “them” being the people that run the fourth largest economy in the world?
Either way, seems like the only people that are losing here is Steve and his customers.

 

[AreBee]

“Them” being the people that want to buy his product or “them” being the people that run the fourth largest economy in the world?
Either way, seems like the only people that are losing here is Steve and his customers.

If more manufacturers follow suit, it's really going to impact retailers too.

 

[Auxsender]

If more manufacturers follow suit, it's really going to impact retailers too.

Yeah, I’d imagine it would.
Seems like a lot of harm to cause because Steve wants to take his ball and go home.

 

[litup]

It's exhausting to live in this state.

 

[Auxsender]

It's exhausting to live in this state.

I can’t even imagine.
I’m from CA and I love where I’m from but there are definitely some significant problems.
The cost of living is insane.

 

[woodsroad]

There is no way to win this.

 

[cynyr]

“Them” being the people that want to buy his product or “them” being the people that run the fourth largest economy in the world?
Either way, seems like the only people that are losing here is Steve and his customers.

Well, you're right. I was chuckling at the prospect of a half-million cigar smokers crawling across the desert to Vegas just for a whiff of a fine stick. But even given that image, the do-gooders will prevail and the customer and retailer will be the ones to suffer.

 

[LOREN]

Manufacturers had until October 9th to register every marca AND vitola on the "Unflavored Tobacco List" and take the following steps in order to sell a product in California on January 1, 2026:

• Pay a $300 application fee for the first year. A $150 annual renewal fee will be required to remain on the list.
• Submit a box of the product to the California Attorney General’s office.
• Provide the California Attorney General’s office with basic details about the product, such as length, ring gauge, weight, quantity, etc.
• Certify that the product meets California’s law that bans most products from having characterizing flavors other than tobacco.

Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco pulls ALL his product out of the state rendering his cigars contraband in California.

Robert Connelly on Instagram: "Dunbarton deciding to PULL OUT of Commiefornia due to the new implementation of the Unflavored Tobacco List. I’m sure Steve Saka and DTT WONT be the last either. @dunbartontobaccoandtrust @stevesaka @thatdavelafferty"

La compañía Dunbarton decide retirarse de California debido a nuevas regulaciones para tabacos. El nuevo reglamento implica la implementación de una lista de tabacos sin sabor y las empresas han expresado su oposición a estas medidas.

www.instagram.com

A judge denied a temporary restraining order by the industry hoping to prevent the law from going into effect on January 1, 2026.

Some exemptions to the law:

• Flavored premium cigars with a wholesale price of $12 or more
• Flavored shisha/hookah tobacco sold in licensed stores that allow only people ages 21 or older F
• Flavored loose-leaf pipe tobacco

Will it be illegal to own a Dunbarton or just illegal to purchase one in CA?

 

[anotherbob]

Will it be illegal to own a Dunbarton or just illegal to purchase one in CA?

sell.

 

[woodsroad]

Now we get down to some true idiocy here:
Will there be a list of approved cigars that are the only ones that can be shipped to California?
My money is on "yes". Retailers across the world will now have to comply to an insane level of minutia, keeping track of what can, and what can not, be shipped there. A retailer could opt to not ship to California (which the legislators and regulators would applaud), but lose all that business. A no-win situation, to be sure.

 

[VDL_Piper]

It is unfathomable that Politicians and policy makers are gaining so much power under the premise of looking after your well being, public safety et al. Here in Australia we really have let the Fox in the hen house on so many issues and civil disobedience seems to be the last great hope and that in and of itself is a damn shame that people feel pushed to act like this. It sure is a brave new world we live in.

 

[warren]

Steve Saka of Dunbarton Tobacco pulls ALL his product out of the state rendering his cigars contraband in California.

Boy! That'll show 'em. Reducing sales is one way to get their attention I suppose. Dunbarton must be making profits hand over fist!

 

[woodsroad]

Boy! That'll show 'em. Reducing sales is one way to get their attention I suppose. Dunbarton must be making profits hand over fist!

No, see, what’s going to happen is that the proletariat, deprived of their favorite hand rolled extravagance, will rise up and topple the system. I can see baby carriages rolling down the steps of the California Supreme Court now. Yes, most definitely.

 

[Brad H]

Now we get down to some true idiocy here:
Will there be a list of approved cigars that are the only ones that can be shipped to California?
My money is on "yes". Retailers across the world will now have to comply to an insane level of minutia, keeping track of what can, and what can not, be shipped there. A retailer could opt to not ship to California (which the legislators and regulators would applaud), but lose all that business. A no-win situation, to be sure.

List of approved cigars?? No.
Will simply be a nice polite message on the online retailers.
“We don’t ship to CA”.

 

[fireground_piper]

I'm surprised most of the required information doesn't exist with the company (any company) already honestly. I figured points 3 and 4 was probably already part of internal documentation on all SKUs a company produces.

Really the only shady thing is point 2 - submit a box to the AGs office? Kind of sounds like a great coup by some cigar smoker in the office wanting free boxes of every cigar blend in the state. That's a way to build a cigar cellar! Not single cigar, or a 5 pack......a BOX. Nice. Someone is going to have a nice collection over there.

 

[Servant King]

Here in Australia we really have let the Fox in the hen house

Here in California, they bring the fox in first, then build the hen house around it. It costs more (why bother getting a deal when it's someone else's money?), and "free market" capitalism can always be blamed for the ensuing carnage.

@OzPiper what goes better with hen, a Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc?

 

[daveinlax]

I know and like Steve. I’m a big fan of him and his cigars. He’s a hot head who I’ll bet will turn the outrage into to a sales.