Lawmakers in Georgia, Maryland and Mississippi recently introduced bills in their states that would only allow the sale of steam products authorized by or awaiting authorization from the FOOD and Drug Administration.
The legislation will also establish a catalogue to take stock of authorized steam products, which will eventually be made public. On the surface, the bills look like a reaffirmation of what the FDA is already doing through its premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) process, through which it has rejected millions of products. However, many point out that these bills are a roundabout way to ban synthetic nicotine.
Since synthetic nicotine is not currently regulated, many manufacturers have turned to synthetic nicotine as a way to continue selling their products.
"Elected officials who support these bills may mistakenly believe that their proposals only target illegal and counterfeit distributors," Greg Conley, president of the American E-Cigarette Association, told Filter. "The reality is that these bills will shut down licensed small businesses that are in full compliance with federal, state and local laws."
According to the Filter, The Republican lawmakers sponsoring the bills -- Sen. JB Jennings of Maryland, Sen. Jeff Mullis of Georgia, and Rep. Nick Bain of Mississippi -- all received between $500 and $4,800 from Juul Labs. Some think Juul and other big companies would like to see synthetic nicotine (and competition) reduced.
"To protect harm reduction opportunities for adult smokers, Juul Labs supports a fully regulated, science-based marketplace," said a Juul spokesperson. "Illegal sales and illegal products, as well as products designed to evade federal and state oversight, undermine harm reduction and responsible electronic steam markets."