The Cigar Association of America (CAA), Cigar Rights of America (CRA) and International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers’ Association (IPCPR) will file a lawsuit by early next month challenging the legality of the impending regulation of cigars by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The three groups held a joint meeting last month and leaders of the IPCPR were at a meeting held by the CRA today in Doral, Fla. Also in attendance were many cigar manufacturers. Multiple individuals in attendance told halfwheel attendees were told by CRA that a joint lawsuit will be filed by the three groups on July 4. A source told halfwheel that three organizations were still negotiating a finalized legal strategy. Even if a joint lawsuit cannot be agreed to before early July, it seems inevitable that at least one of the three would file a lawsuit individually before the first set of rules take effect on Aug. 8. Glynn Loope, executive director of CRA, declined to comment on today’s meeting. So far, two cigar companies have filed a lawsuit against FDA’s restrictions, which will require cigars to receive FDA approval, introduce new warning labels, place restrictions on free samples and require smaller changes at the retail level. In addition, ...
↧