Latest news with #DepartmentofAlcoholicBeverageControl
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California sees 99.7% compliance in crackdown on intoxicating hemp products, Newsom says
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that nearly all licensed businesses across California are complying with emergency state regulations aimed at removing intoxicating hemp products from the market. Newsom proposed the restrictions last September, citing an urgent need to protect children. According to the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 99.7% of business licenses inspected in 2025 have complied with rules prohibiting the sale of industrial hemp food, beverages and dietary supplements containing THC or other intoxicating cannabinoids. REAL ID in California: What to know if you will miss the deadline Since last September, ABC agents have visited 11,445 licensed establishments, seizing 7,151 illegal products from 148 locations. 'We are doing our part to ensure intoxicating hemp products are out of the reach of vulnerable groups like children. We must always put the safety of Californians first,' Newsom said in a statement. With the restrictions in place, retailers are now prohibited from selling products made with hemp THC, an intoxicating cannabis compound, and various types of medicinal products made with CBD, a nonintoxicating compound, according to SFGate. The new regulations now require consumers to be 21 years old or older to purchase hemp products and additional cannabinoids intended for human consumption and limit the serving size to five. The governor said the lax rules have made it easier for kids to access intoxicating hemp-based products, which are typically sold at liquor outlets, gas stations and smoke shops, according to the Los Angeles Times. Passport fairs to be held at UCI in May and June However, critics told SFGate that 'the Newsom administration was abusing the emergency rulemaking process to pass the hemp THC ban and that banning hemp THC would have disastrous effects on medical patients who rely on hemp to treat a wide range of health conditions. The restrictions, initially slated to expire on March 25, were extended that same month. According to the state Public Health Department, they are now expected to expire on Sept. 25. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Beshear signs licensing of nicotine retailers, other bills that ‘put our Kentucky families first'
Kentucky Capitol. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) Kentucky will begin licensing retailers who sell nicotine, which advocates have said will help regulate an industry and protect minors from addictive chemicals. Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 100 into law on Monday, which is aimed at curbing minors' access to tobacco and e-cigarettes. Smoking is a leading cause of preventable death. Beshear also signed into law SB 120, which would require coaches and others to report abuse and neglect concerns; HB 38, which will make it a Class D felony to violate a protective order for the third time; HB 10, which will streamline the removal of illegal squatters from private property; and more. 'I will always put our Kentucky families first,' Beshear said in a statement. 'I was proud to sign into law several measures that will do just that – increasing opportunity and making our New Kentucky Home a better place to live, learn and do business.' Under the new law, Kentucky will license all retailers who sell tobacco and vape products, giving the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) inspection and enforcement powers over them, similar to those it exercises over alcohol retailers. It will also fine retailers who sell nicotine products to minors and give half the money collected in fines to a youth prevention program in a state where about 5% of high school students smoke and almost 20% use e-cigarettes, according to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Smoking costs the state more than $2 billion every year in health complications, according to the campaign. The other half would go toward enforcement expenses. Parts of the bill will go into effect immediately and others — including the licensing portion — will wait until Jan. 1.
CBS News
20-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
New downtown San Francisco recovery plan would increase number of drinking spots
A new proposal to help downtown San Francisco flourish would increase the number of drinking establishments by creating a special district. Senate Bill 395 would create 20 new liquor licenses for use only in a special district, which would be created by San Francisco on or after Jan. 1, 2026 — The number of liquor licenses in a county is capped by population and getting one is often an expensive process. The liquor licenses would be on-sale general licenses, and the special district must have "at least 1,000,000 square feet of retail shopping space open to the public," according to the bill's text. The bill was introduced by State Sen. Scott Wiener and sponsored by San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. "To get San Francisco's economy going again, downtown needs to be at full strength. Now, we are building on the success of last weekend with permanent solutions for this neighborhood," said Lurie, in a press release. "This legislation will bring new restaurants and bars, new people, and new energy downtown." Only one special district may be created under the proposal, and only 10 of the 20 licenses may be issued in the first year to bona fide public eating places. After the first year, there can be up to five licenses issued per year, if there are any that have not been issued. The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control would be the issuing agency for the licenses.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kentucky is not doing enough to prevent smoking and vaping, says annual report
The Kentucky Capitol. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd) The American Lung Association gave Kentucky mostly failing grades when it comes to preventing tobacco use — and helping people access recovery — in a 2025 report released Wednesday. The new 'State of Tobacco Control' report 'evaluates state and federal policies on actions taken to eliminate use and recommends proven-effective control laws and policies to save lives.' It says Kentucky lawmakers should require merchants who sell nicotine products to have licenses to do so. This is at least partially in line with what Lebanon Republican Sen. Jimmy Higdon wants to do during the 2025 legislative session. Higdon told a committee in November that he would file legislation to license all sellers of tobacco or vape products, giving the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) the same enforcement authority over businesses that sell nicotine products as those that sell alcohol, including the power to enter the businesses without warrants. He has yet to file the bill, but still intends to, according to a Senate Republican spokesman. The legislature is on break but returns to Frankfort Feb. 4 to finish the 2025 session. The lung association also wants Kentucky to 'provide for and fund specific enforcement measures and establish a meaningful penalty structure for underage sales violations.' Shannon Baker, the advocacy director at the American Lung Association in Kentucky, said in a statement that 'policymakers in Kentucky must focus on requiring retail licenses to sell nicotine products and increasing funding for youth quit-smoking programs' this year. 'In addition to grading Kentucky's policies, this year's 'State of Tobacco Control' report examines the industry's increasingly aggressive actions to addict a new generation to nicotine and hinder proven public policies to prevent and reduce use,' Baker said in a statement. 'Here in Kentucky, we are seeing industry lobbyists at the state and local levels working to stop or weaken proven nicotine control policies,' she said. 'The industry is also introducing new products that appeal to youth like e-cigarettes that mimic smartphones, kid-friendly flavors and flavored nicotine pouches that are heavily marketed by social media influencers.' Tobacco use takes an especially high toll in Kentucky, where smoking and lung cancer rates exceed those in the rest of the nation. About 17% of Kentucky adults smoke vs. 11% nationally. In Kentucky, 5% of high school students smoke and almost 20% use e-cigarettes, according to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. Smoking costs the state more than $2 billion every year in health complications, according to the campaign. Smoking is also a leading cause of preventable death across the country, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Michael Seilback, the assistant vice president of state public policy for the American Lung Association, said the poor grades are due in large part to Kentucky not spending enough on cessation and prevention. The report card puts the state toward the bottom in the country, he told the Lantern. 'Kentucky received grades that by no account would be a report card that anybody would want to bring home,' Seilback said. The State of Tobacco report gives Kentucky these 'grades': Funding for State Tobacco Prevention Programs — F. This grade is because Kentucky spends only a small portion of what it should on tobacco control, Seilback said. Overall, it spends about $50 million less than what it needs to, he said. Strength of Smoke Free Workplace Laws — F. The lung association wants to see comprehensive protections in place that guarantee no one will be exposed to secondhand smoke in their place of employment, Seilback said. He believes a 2025 House Bill could undermine this by overriding local control. This bill says local ordinances restricting smoking will not apply to the interior of cigar bars. Level of State Tobacco Taxes — F. Kentucky's tax rate for a 20-pack of cigarettes is $1.10, which Seilback said is much lower than other states (some charge $5) and the national average. Increasing this could deter consumption, he said. Coverage and Access to Services to Quit Tobacco — C. Kentucky offers 'comprehensive coverage for cessation medication and counseling' through Medicaid, Seilback said, 'which is really important.' Hurting Kentucky's grade here is the amount of money the state spends per smoker: 98 cents. Ending the Sale of All Flavored Tobacco Products — F. Kentucky hasn't done enough to limit flavored tobacco products, Seilback said, which 'attract younger people' and 'mask the harshness of the chemicals and toxins that are in these products.' In 2024, the state legislature passed a law aimed at curbing underage vaping by limiting sales to 'authorized products' or those that have 'a safe harbor certification' based on their status with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill was backed by Altria, the country's largest manufacturer of cigarettes which also markets FDA-approved vape products. Altria has spent more than $500,000 lobbying the Kentucky legislature since January 2022, according to records filed with the Legislative Ethics Commission. The American Lung Association's stance is that this law 'was a missed opportunity, a failed opportunity,' Seilback said. 'We don't believe that it's going to have the effect that others might have,' he added. The law faced an unsuccessful constitutional challenge that argued it was too broad and arbitrary. It went into effect Jan. 1. Some have argued it does little more than harm businesses while others say it didn't go far enough to stop youth from accessing the products. The argument that crackdowns on tobacco sales are anti-business isn't unique to Kentucky, Seilback said. In fact, 'there's probably not a state we don't hear that argument.' But, he said, 'there is a cost to Kentucky because of tobacco use.' 'It's important to remember that the cost of addiction and the cost of tobacco to our state is significant,' he said. 'There's health care costs, there's lost days of work. And so we shouldn't think about these things in such a black and white way because the costs are tremendous. And, in states and localities that have regulated tobacco products, we have not seen the economic harm that is often presented by opponents to these laws.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
