Great News for Pipe Tobacco!

[dhizzy]

What is significant is that this Bill adresses RYO specifically and leaves us alone, for now. The FTCA Act that is law, still stands. This may be a meaningful distinction for the future, or it may bring them just one-step closer to implementing the attack on pipe tobacco as the Act prescribes. The Act, as passed, will remain a serious concern as to how and when the Act will be implemented on pipe tobacco. I am pleased to see this distinction, for now.

I'm with Bob. We should not let the fight end. I also would like to see a distinction between so called "pipe tobacco" and real high quality pipe tobacco. I would like to see something that forces those huge @$$ 1 pound bags re-labeled as cigarette tobacco or as roll your own tobacco but certainly not pipe tobacco. I haven't met a pipe smoker on here or otherwise that smokes it in a pipe. If I'm wrong, someone please set me straight!

 

[tekwyzrd]

Before you declare a "victory" you might want to look for the actual contents of that highway bill. Late last year I came across mention of a new tobacco tax plan and read the related portion of the highway bill. It would increase the federal tax on both ryo and pipe tobacco to almost $50/lb and the tax on cigarettes to almost $100/carton.

 

[tiltjlp]

No matter what happens in the future, it's good that the Feds realized the difference between RYO and pipe tobaccos. Anything that delays their attention on pipe tobacco is a plus.

 

[nsfisher]

I haven't met a pipe smoker on here or otherwise that smokes it in a pipe. If I'm wrong, someone please set me straight!

Sorry mate, but I use Drum as a base for all my layered bowls, and that is 90+% . Just a habit I got into yrs ago. I appreciate Penz, Stonehaven, Hal O Wind, etc. much more when it is layered, then when I smoke it as a stand alone. Drum, here in Nova Scotia, is sold as a Pipe Tobacco, even tho it is not.

 

[standardgewehr]

I'm of the "We dodged a bullet (whew!) but there are still five more shots left in the gun" camp. I won't stop cellaring.
Interestingly the import tax on pipe tobacco isn't that high. I think one can bring in about 4 lbs. duty free, and after that it is taxed... at a pretty minimal rate. Here's what I found online from the Tobacco Tax Bureau:
Pipe Tobacco

1 lb.

$2.8311
1 Ounce Tin or Pouch

$0.1769
Next time I'm outside the USA and in a Duty Free Zone or country where tobacco isn't already taxed heavily, I'm stocking up with no fear.

 

[judcole]

No matter what happens in the future, it's good that the Feds realized the difference between RYO and pipe tobaccos

This is the crucial point.

 

[barkar]

Thanks for keeping us informed Kevin!

 

[reichenbach]

Reiterating what someone further up, fisher not withstanding, until RYO can not have 'PIPE TOBACCO' on the bag, all the busy-body, do-gooders are still going to be screaming to raise those taxes too. Were talking about the same people that probably went around throwing out their Calgon and other assorted bubble bath products because of that wholezombie bath salts bru-ha-ha. This is step but it can't be one step forward, two steps back.

 

[lonestar]

Right, because who gives a crap about anyone other than pipesmokers ? They deserve it, cigarette smoking bastards.

I may not be the brightest in the world, but this is a situation of hanging together or hanging alone.

Ultimately, celebrating this "victory" is celebrating a stay of execution. They will come for you just like they came for them, when they damn well please.

And cigarette smokers will celebrate, because finally you share the same burden.

Thats what we have sunk to ?

Celebrating oppressive laws have fallen on our neighbors back instead of our own ?

 

[highstump]

I too am in agreement with Jaysin. My response to the news (at least for the moment) is "better thee than me". However, the reality is that none of us should be treated this way. We will continue to have the anti tobacco folks to deal with and they don't give a rip what form we use it in, they will not be happy as long as tobacco exists. I do believe the one thing that does help us is that governments (federal, state, and some local) understand that at least for now they can't do without the tax revenue tobacco generates.

 

[jndyer]

In part what is needed is actual study showing the true effects of cig smoking vs. pipe smoking. This would potentially be great information to combat the irrational fear that people have about all tobacco. However, what we actually need is for people to adopt a world view that values education and an attitude of you know the risk and can make your own decision.

 

[cigrmaster]

Guys, the end is near, don't kid yourselves. Check out this link that shows the state taxes on tobacco products. Pipe tobacco is considered smoking tobacco. So here in Florida a tin that I can buy on line for 10.90, Benningtons( my local b/m) has to charge 22.00.
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0169.pdf

 

[lonestar]

It is important to raise tax rates on all tobacco products to prevent initiation with or switching to lower-taxed and lowerpriced

tobacco products.

 

[jaysin]

It's like this: I mix some of the tobaccos I find weak with ryo pipe tobacco or do a layer like fisher.

Second, a smoker is a smoker no matter if its a cig, pipe, cigar or Kevin's fav, the winecooler of tobaccos, the hookah :rofl: We need to stand together and strong. Cigarettes today, cigars tomorrow, pipes next week.

 

[mrenglish]

As others have said, keep stocking up while you can. The hammer will fall sooner than later, I think. If not from stupid high taxes then from a ban on Internet sales.
Mike

 

[captainbob]

Wisconsin jumped ahead of every other State when the FTCA passed. If you buy pipe tobacco made in Wisconsin, in Wisconsin, it will cost you upwards of $80 for fourteen ounces! We have a 71% excise tax here on tobacco blended in Wisconsin and sold in Wisconsin. So, I no longer buy Uhle's great tobacco's from Milwaukee. I have found adequate substitute blends from C&D, icluding my own blends that C&D manufactures. Don't kid yourself, the pipe tobacco battle has not even started yet! Once that part of the Act is implemented, pipe tobacco as we know it from our favorite blenders and manufacturers will be done for, "within four years". Those words were spoken to me by Craig Tarler. In the meantime, all the manufactureres are trying their best to educate the implementors of the FTCA in hopes that they see the light. Even if they do, it will take an act of Congress to repeal that portion of the Law, or it must be implemented. Go here to read the Act we are supposedly fighting: http://pipesmokersintelligencer.org/call-to-action/tobacco-control-act

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

[ssjones]

When our esteemed Governor of MD was proposing the OTB tax increase this Spring, I contacted my State Senator. My wife is his legislative aid and I was the sole person to write in and complain. He would never vote for such a tax increase, but is in the minority in MD, so the bill & budget passed easily.

Sadly, non-smokers see pipe tobacco in the same light as cigarettes, that will be a tough job educating our legislators that there is a difference(a younger crop every year, now 95% non-smokers). The cigar lobby did get a break in MD on "Premimum cigars", so perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[highstump]

Guys, the end is near, don't kid yourselves. Check out this link that shows the state taxes on tobacco products. Pipe tobacco is considered smoking tobacco. So here in Florida a tin that I can buy on line for 10.90, Benningtons( my local b/m) has to charge 22.00.
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets/pdf/0169.pdf

According to this ummm..."fact sheet", the idea is to make tobacco products so expensive that kids won't get started. Hard as it is to believe I was a kid once (been about 50 years) but as I recall nothing much stops a kid from trying something they decide they want to do.

 

[judcole]

as I recall nothing much stops a kid from trying something they decide they want to do.

Ain't that the truth.

 

[admin]

@lankfordjl

So after reading the article...my understanding is that cigarettes produced by the RYO machines will be taxed more but not the tobacco bought to pour into the machines. Am I right?

Yes.
We still have the tax parity issue for RYO being sold as fake pipe tobacco, but this is still a big win.
Schmitzbitz is correct as well. It is ironic, but without cigarettes, there would probably not be much pipe tobacco, if any at all.
@tekwyzrd

Late last year I came across mention of a new tobacco tax plan and read the related portion of the highway bill. It would increase the federal tax on both ryo and pipe tobacco to almost $50/lb and the tax on cigarettes to almost $100/carton.

Do you have a link on that, or some clue to help find it?
@tiltjlp

No matter what happens in the future, it's good that the Feds realized the difference between RYO and pipe tobaccos. Anything that delays their attention on pipe tobacco is a plus.

That's not what happened here.
There is still the issue of RYO vis. pipe tobacco, no good definition between the two that the government has yet recognized, and the tax parity issue.
What happened is that RYO Retail stores with automated rolling machines will be re-classified as cigarette manufacturers, and taxed as such.
That will likely put most or all of them out of business, thus removing a huge sales incentive for the RYO masquerading as pipe tobacco ... and satisfying Big Tobacco's gripe and getting them out of the picture.