http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/business.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.vanvoice.com/article/20275-medical or small business http://tobacco.org/news/292276.html Michael Dresden holds high expectations for Washington’s marijuana trade. Dresden’s vision is to use local, sustainable and highly taxed micro-crops of marijuana to eliminate the state’s deficit and fight international terrorism. Despite Dresden’s lofty goals, many may view the twenty-something Vancouver resident as a simple drug dealer with delusions of grandeur. Dresden, whose name and date of birth varied on each of the six Washington state ID cards he presented during a recent interview, uses a straight forward business model. Dresden collects what he describes as “surplus” marijuana from state licensed medical marijuana growers and distributes it to recreational cannabis users at a sizable mark up. . . . Dresden’s greatest business fear is a tobacco industry take-over of the marijuana trade. “Sooner or later, the tobacco industry will get tired of its dwindling profits and will use its entire army of lobbyists to control the marijuana trade” Dresden stated. Dresden fears tobacco companies will lobby for laws and regulation that give exclusive marijuana grow rights to mega-corporations. “I think what will happen is that congress will place so-called ‘safe-guards’ in a future legalization [of marijuana] bill that really just give large international corporations a monopoly of marijuana.” Dresden’s concerns of a tobacco industry takeover have been around for decades and gained credibility when a 1976 document surfaced during a 1990’s lawsuit against the tobacco industry. A 1976 confidential tobacco industry forecast prepared by Forecasting International, Ltd for Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation made direct references to national trends in recreational marijuana use and the tobacco industry’s ability to offer marijuana as a retail product. “[Marijuana] also has important implications for the tobacco industry in terms of an alternative product line. [Tobacco industries] have the land to grow it, the machines to roll it and package it [and] the distribution to market it… Estimates indicate that the market in legalized marijuana might be as high as $10 billion annually." the report stated. . . . Dresden believes a tobacco industry changeover to marijuana would pose insurmountable competition for Northwest marijuana growers. “When the tobacco industry starts to switch over to marijuana, it will use the same locations, equipment and tactics that is has used for tobacco… Southern states will get the employment and tax benefits and the traditional Northwest trade will be destroyed.” Dresden stated. Dresden’s concerns also include product quality and environmental impact. “Look at what large corporations did to tobacco, the additives, the genetic modification, the use of environmentally harmful fertilizers and pesticides; do we really want them to be in charge of future marijuana farms?” Dresden asked rhetorically. The idea of switching over tobacco farms to hemp or marijuana has gained momentum in the face of declining tobacco sales and the current economic recession. Vancouver Voice Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.bradenton.com/living/story/1836015.html http://tobacco.org/news/292266.html For those who find traditional church a little stifling, Sunday morning services at Cork's Cigar Bar at 425 Old Main St. in downtown Bradenton could be just the place to get a good shot of Christianity. It's called the Church of the Faithful Few, and when the preaching is over, attendees can hang around and enjoy a cold one and a smoke, no questions asked. "We do things a little different here," said Jim "Cork" Miller, co-owner of Cork's. "We're not judgmental." Church of the Faithful Few was started by the Rev. John Rogers, the father of an acquaintance of Miller's. Rogers got the idea for Church of the Faithful Few after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in New Hampshire. At the time, Rogers was with the International Evangelists for Heaven's Saints, a motorcycle ministry started by former Hell's Angel Charles "Barry" Mayson. Bradenton Herald /personas?plckUserId=@Nyx.Key (WENDY DAHLE) Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jKdYE3UEXb9ZfiXoS43vCQyzBUgAD9BQ6BJG1 http://tobacco.org/news/292260.html The Food and Drug Administration said Friday that it has warned several companies to stop selling banned flavored cigarettes to U.S. consumers online. The agency sent letters this week to more than a dozen Web-based companies saying they are violating a new ban and asking the companies to describe in writing what action they have taken to comply. The FDA banned candy-, fruit- and clove-flavored cigarettes in September. Federal health authorities and regulators say those products appeal especially to young people and are thought to attract new smokers. "FDA takes the enforcement of this flavored cigarette ban seriously," Dr. Lawrence R. Deyton, director of FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement. "These actions should send a clear message to those who continue to break the law that FDA will take necessary actions to protect our children from initiating tobacco use." AP Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/06/BAIS1AFR2O.DTL&type=health http://tobacco.org/news/292244.html Now San Francisco entrepreneur Stuart Skorman, founder of the now defunct holistic-oriented drugstore chain Elephant Pharmacy, wants to make pharmacies the only places that sell tobacco products. Skorman, who on Thursday launched a nonprofit organization called HealthyPharmacies.org to promote his idea, believes that restricting cigarette sales to pharmacies would not only control the distribution and visibility of the product, but also give pharmacists the opportunity to counsel customers about quitting. The idea would also prevent kids from going down to the corner store to buy cigarettes from a clerk who may not check identification, he said. "Keeping tobacco away from 12-year-olds saves lives and billions of dollars from the health care system," he said. Skorman advocates testing the concept in some cities and then comparing the impact on smoking with those that have banned the sale of tobacco products in drugstores. He said he's in discussions with city officials interested in the idea, but declined to name the cities. "If limiting distribution and limiting the visibility of this dangerous product reduces smoking in communities, we believe pharmacists would be more than happy to be part of the program," he said. The problem? Most pharmacists and health experts interviewed for this story found the idea downright unhealthy. San Francisco Chronicle vcolliver@sfchronicle.com ( Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.virginiabusiness.com/index.php/news/article/star-scientific-plans-to-introduce-a-new-product/202361/ http://tobacco.org/news/292209.html Star Scientific Inc. plans to introduce a nutraceutical in 2010 that would help adult smokers maintain a nicotine-free metabolism. The Petersburg-based company announced today that CigRx, developed by its subsidiary Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, will be marketed and sold in partnership with inVentiv Health, Inc. . . . The product, a dietary supplement, does not contain nicotine. It would be taken orally like a throat lozenge, dissolved and swallowed, according to Sara Machir, Star's vice president of communications and investor relations. CigRX would be directed at people who are trying to quit or who already are abstaining from smoking, she said. Virginia Business Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.omaha.com/article/20091105/ENTERTAINMENT/711059867 http://tobacco.org/news/292201.html Sniff, sniff. Cigar smokers smell victory at hand as two new cigar bars -- Ravenite Cigar Bar & Lounge and Havana Garage -- get ready to open. The Nebraska Liquor Control Commission recently approved rules to facilitate a new state law that exempts cigar bars from the statewide public smoking ban. Under those rules -- which are still waiting approval from the governor and attorney general -- to become a cigar bar, businesses would have to obtain a special liquor license, install a walk-in humidor (a special room with temperature and humidity controls for storing and displaying cigars), generate at least 10 percent of their gross revenue from tobacco sales (except cigarettes), and would be prohibited from allowing cigarette smoking and selling food. (Tobacco shops also are exempt from the statewide smoking ban.) Omaha World Herald bluemarkentertainment@yahoo.com ( Josefina Loza WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER ) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/169832.php http://tobacco.org/news/292192.html Six years after the ban on tobacco advertising and sponsorship in the UK, a London-based sports body stands accused of breaching the law by promoting a cigarette brand on its website.[1] The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) which represents the world's top male tennis players, is responsible for the sponsorship contracts for the various international tournaments. The next ATP World Tour tournament, which is due to take place in Basel, Switzerland from 31 October to 8 November, is sponsored by Davidoff, a cigarette brand manufactured by Imperial Tobacco. The Swiss indoor tournament is believed to be the only one in the world to be sponsored by a tobacco company. British-based Imperial Tobacco acquired the Davidoff cigarette brand in 2006 and has exploited the weak law in Switzerland which still allows events to be sponsored by tobacco companies, although tobacco advertising on television is banned. However, the televising of the event means that tobacco advertising will be beamed into the homes of more than one billion people worldwide, [2] contrary to Article 13 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which has been signed by 160 countries worldwide. [3] ASH has written to the ATP urging the organisation to end its ties with the tobacco industry when the current contract comes to an end and is seeking clarification from the Department of Health regarding the possible breach of UK law. Medical News TODAY UK Switzerland Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/electronic-cigarette-site-locates-best-deals-for-the-popular-product-69270027.html http://tobacco.org/news/292185.html With all of the brands of e cigarettes on the market, deciding which one to buy can be confusing. E Cigarettes Junction, an online shopping site, has made the process of finding what they call the "right deal" on e cigarettes online. The company is based in California and does not sell or produce e cigarettes, but is a site that finds the best deals for potential e cigarette buyers from the United States. PR Newswire Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/star-scientific-plans-worldwide-marketing-and-sales-of-cigrxtm-nutraceutical-in-partnership-with-inventiv-health-69128222.html http://tobacco.org/news/292184.html Star Scientific, Inc. (Nasdaq: STSI) announced today that the company plans to introduce the CigRx(TM) nutraceutical product developed by its subsidiary, Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals, for worldwide marketing and sales in partnership with inVentiv Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: VTIV). inVentiv Health offers a complete range of commercialization solutions for every stage of the product lifecycle, in a range of healthcare categories that includes nutraceutical products. The company has marketing and sales capabilities in 40 countries around the globe. Jonnie R. Williams, Star's CEO, stated, "Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the world. However, the global cigarette business, which now exceeds $300 billion, continues to grow. Our goal is to make CigRx(TM) available to adult smokers worldwide who wish to maintain a nicotine-free metabolism." Rock Creek Pharmaceuticals will be responsible for the manufacturing of CigRx(TM), and the company anticipates that inVentiv Health will be involved in the product marketing and sales, with a focus on product education for physicians and health care professionals, as well as consumers. PR Newswire Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/san-francisco-berkeley-missed-public-health-opportunity-by-moving-tobacco-sales-out-of-pharmacies-69290302.html http://tobacco.org/news/292183.html San Francisco and Berkeley missed an opportunity to help smokers quit when the cities moved all tobacco sales out of pharmacies, according to a new Bay Area health initiative. Instead of having smokers buy cigarettes in convenience stores and at other retailers, smokers should buy cigarettes only at pharmacy counters, says Stuart Skorman, founder of Elephant Pharmacy. Launching HealthyPharmacies.org, Skorman is focused on making pharmacies centers of health and wellness at the community level. "They can't just sell medicines to people who are sick. They must educate consumers and give them tools to lead healthier lives." Keeping cigarettes behind the pharmacy counter would do just that, Skorman says. When a smoker asks for a pack of cigarettes, pharmacy staff would have the opening to offer nicotine replacement, such as the patch or gum, or point smokers in the direction of counseling and other tools. The approach wouldn't require a prescription for tobacco but would offer smokers tools to help them quit. PR Newswire marsha@healthypharmacies.org ( SOURCE HealthyPharmacies.org) Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/opinion/18227-support-from-big-tobacco.html http://tobacco.org/news/292178.html The planned use of additional cigarette taxes for targeted spending on children’s health care is a perfect example of how smokers themselves, through their support for additional taxes on their vice, can contribute to public welfare. A recent study by the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) indicates that the proposed restructuring of local taxes on cigarettes and liquor can prospectively raise up to P60 billion in additional revenues for the government every year. Simulations by the government also show that the proposed increase in “sin” taxes, now pending in Congress, can have the biggest impact on revenue collection—an estimated P22 billion in the first year of implementation, another P30 billion to P40 billion in the second year, P40 billion to P50 billion in the third year, and P60 billion to P70 billion annually thereafter. And while Congress contemplates this proposal, the Executive should likewise move to make efficient, transparent, and accountable the collection of taxes on cigarettes and perhaps liquor. If only smokers can support the noble aims of efficient taxation of their vice, then there shouldn’t be any reason for cigarette makers and importers, and even tobacco farmers as well as their representatives in Congress, to fight efforts for better—if not higher—tax collection and cigarettes and tobacco products. How can any of them begrudge or fight efforts to improve health care particularly for children? Business Mirror Philippines Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091105005800&newsLang=en http://tobacco.org/news/292175.html Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/91c1b7/tobacco_in_greece) has announced the addition of the "Tobacco in Greece" report to their offering. The Tobacco in Greece report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data (2002-2007), allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be the new legislative, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts to 2012 illustrate how the market is set to change. Business Wire press@researchandmarkets.com Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091027006626&newsLang=en http://tobacco.org/news/292174.html Wellstone Filters Sciences, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: WFSN), the leading modified risk cigarette filter company, is pleased to announce that it has changed its trading symbol to WFSN.OB due to a name change from Wellstone Filters, Inc. to Wellstone Filter Sciences, Inc. Wellstone changed its name to more accurately reflect the company's focus on Reduced Exposure Products (REPs). REPs are referred to in the recently enacted Family Tobacco Act of 2009 as Modified Risk Tobacco Products. Business Wire Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:00:00 GMT http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20091105005807&newsLang=en http://tobacco.org/news/292173.html As the debate heats up concerning the use of electronic cigarettes, Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) President Matt Salmon today encouraged those involved in this discussion to carefully and honestly study how these devices work and recognize that the more than one million adult committed smokers, who use electronic cigarettes, are seeking an alternative to combustible cigarettes that contain a multitude of toxic, harmful chemicals. The debate on these devices has intensified in recent months as events have fueled and focused attention on electronic cigarettes, including a front-page story last week and a follow-up editorial in yesterday's edition of USA Today and stories or editorials in other major newspapers such as the New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Governor Schwarzenegger's veto of a bill that would have denied California citizens the right to purchase electronic cigarettes and a warning by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) based on a flawed, narrow study have also contributed to the growing debate. "Unfortunately, many of the arguments we've seen recently against electronic cigarettes have been driven by fear of the unknown, insufficient evidence, political agendas, and ignorance about our members' products," said Salmon. "As in the case of California Governor Schwarzenegger, we've found that reasonable people, when willing to honestly and intellectually evaluate the information about electronic cigarettes, find that these products provide smokers a viable alternative to combustible tobacco cigarettes." Business Wire msalmon@policyimpact.com Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/northeast/67574252.html http://tobacco.org/news/292165.html State lawmakers at a public hearing heard claims of "lost" tax revenues ranging from tens of millions to billions of dollars from untaxed cigarette sales on Indian reservations. While none of the witnesses backed up their claims with substantive evidence, the Seneca Nation of Indians presented officials with a three-inch thick document on its treaty rights, legal history, and an economic study by a Harvard economist that pinpointed how - and how much - the nation's tobacco-based economy benefits the state. The hearing, which was chaired by Sen. Craig Johnson, D-N.Y., was an all day - and sometimes heated - event at Manhattan Community College Oct. 27. The aim was to investigate why the state has failed in its attempts to collect cigarette taxes from reservation cigarette sales to non-Natives. J.C. Seneca, a Seneca Nation tribal councilor, testifying on behalf of the nation, addressed that question at the beginning of his testimony. "The answer to that question, put simply, is that your government has no authority to do so, Indian Country Today Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 GMT