FIRED UP
5 Points Cigar Shop & Lounge Newsletter, May 2016
Notes From The Humidor
Well, it has not been the best week for our industry as a whole. As you may have heard by now, the new FDA regulations for tobacco products such as premium cigars, pipe tobacco, e-cigarettes, and other forms were announced in Thursday's ruling, and it could drastically change the face of the industry in terms of what is available, including many of your favorite cigars.
The part of this legislation which we feared the most is the process in which the FDA will soon require verification on all cigars released after February 15, 2007. What this means is that each cigar (in each size, not just each blend) will now be required to undergo a lengthy inspection/verification process in order to be sold to the U.S. market. More importantly, this process looks to be very costly, as the process will likely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for each cigar size to be verified. Now, while this will be staggered over a couple of years, smaller boutique companies who may not have the millions of dollars required to have their cigars go through the process may no longer be able to operate. The economic fallout of this ruling could be devastating to those in the industry, as many of these smaller and even mid-level companies could be forced out of the industry altogether if this becomes law.
I continue to urge all of you who enjoy premium cigars and pipes to make your voice heard, be it to your representatives in Congress, by joining CRA (cigarrights.org), or on social media. And in the meantime, keep smoking the great cigars that are readily available now! We'll keep fighting the good fight on our end.
Now for some better news: we have an EXCITING month ahead here at the lounge! As we start gearing up for the IPCPR trade show this summer, we're going to have plenty of things going on. Mark those calendars, because we have some fantastic events coming up with the guys from 262, Kristoff, Espinosa, and GTO within the next few weeks. Check below for details, and watch our Facebook page or stop by the shop for more details as we get closer.
As always, a heartfelt THANK YOU for all of your continued support! We wouldn't be here without you guys! Thanks for being a part of the Five Points family.
UPCOMING EVENTS
262 Cigars with Kyle Davis
Kristoff Cigars with Anthony Liuzza
Espinosa Cigars with brand owner Erik Espinosa and Jason Paquette
GTO Cigars with Oscar Rodriguez
Briar Club Meeting
COME SEE US!
Mon-Thurs: 9am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat: 9 am - midnight
Sun: 1230 pm - 9 pm
Email: 5pointscigars@gmail.com
Website: 5pointscigars.com
Phone: (706)549-3100
Facebook: facebook.com/5pointscigars1
Twitter: @5pointscigar