Claim: Massachusetts’ ban on vaping product sales allowed to stand.
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: Cannabis in Massachusetts
text: been approved and begun operations, and the stores received final sign-off. During the first week of sales, excluding Thanksgiving Day where both locations were closed, $2,217,621.13 in sales was sold between the 2 locations. As of October 29, 2018, the following 179 towns have either a permanent ban (84) or a moratorium (95) currently in place on retail marijuana stores: Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard are islands which are separated from the mainland by federal waters. The state medical marijuana law requires a dispensary in every county; each island is its own county, but the problem of federal jurisdiction has created

title: Cannabis in Massachusetts
text: the majority of voters in the municipality were in favor of the statewide Question 4; otherwise, the city council can approve a ban on its own. Applicants must also hold a community meeting and negotiate an agreement with the host municipality in order to get a state license. As of March 2018, 59 municipalities had enacted a permanent ban, and 130 had enacted a temporary moratorium (all of which end sometime in 2018). Retail sales have a 10.75% excise tax on the marijuana, on top of the general 6.25% state sales tax, and up to a 3% local option tax,

title: Cannabis in Massachusetts
text: and sidewalks, is illegal, as is smoking it while driving. An unlicensed sale (including barter) is illegal for the seller but not the buyer; giving away home-grown marijuana for free is allowed. Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation on December 30, 2016 extending the start date for legal licensed recreational cannabis sales by six months, to July 2018. Cities and towns have the power to require permits, block recreational stores from locating in certain areas (through zoning bylaws) or from locating in the municipality at all. However, the law mandates that a ban must be approved by a local referendum if

title: Vape shop
text: business. In late November 2015, Bill 44 was passed by the National Assembly, which regulates e-cigarettes as tobacco products. It bans using e-cigarettes in vape shops, bans indoor displays and advertising, and bans sales on their websites. Vape trade shows have an array of product vendors, seminars, social interactions with other vapers, parties, gifts, vaping contests, and other activities. By 2015, the number of vaping trade show organizations arranging vape trade shows had grown to 41. This includes 90 trade shows, with 6 set for 2016 in 8 countries. Vape shows were organized in 26 US states. They ranged from

title: Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program
text: tobacco products to minors. One of the more aggressive forms of youth smoking prevention has been the strict enforcement of laws that prevent sale of tobacco products to minors. Massachusetts has been extremely successful in decreasing youth tobacco sales. Illegal tobacco sales to minors dropped form 44% in 1994 to 11% in 1999. Additionally, illegal sales of tobacco were cut in half from 2006 to 2007. Youth prevention programs also play a key role in lowering smoking rates among minors. Throughout MTCP, many anti-tobacco programs have been created to encourage youth to avoid using tobacco products. One example of such

title: Tobacco-Free Pharmacies
text: Star Market, Stop & Shop, Target, Walgreens, Walmart and various independent pharmacies. A number of the Massachusetts municipalities listed extend the tobacco sales ban in pharmacies to include the sale of "nicotine delivery products", including electronic cigarettes. "Nicotine delivery products" are defined as manufactured products that contain nicotine, but not tobacco, and are not FDA approved. On February 5, 2014, CVS Pharmacy, (7600 locations) announced that by October 2014 its stores will stop selling all tobacco products including cigarettes and cigars. In a statement explaining the change, CVS President & CEO Larry J. Merlo said, "We came to the decision

title: Cannabis in Massachusetts
text: card. The law allows for 35 state-licensed non-profit dispensaries. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has until May 1, 2013 to issue further regulations. Marijuana dispensaries will not be able to open until after the regulations have been set. The Massachusetts Medical Society opposes the bill, saying there is no scientific proof that marijuana is safe and effective. After the law passed, towns attempted to ban dispensaries. Attorney General Martha M. Coakley ruled that cities and towns cannot ban dispensaries, and can only regulate them. Complete bans would conflict with the law. In the November 8, 2016 election, Massachusetts voters

title: Cannabis in Massachusetts
text: 1911 (some sources state 1914) Massachusetts became the first state to restrict cannabis on a state level, prohibiting the sale of "Indian hemp" without a prescription. On November 4, 2008, Massachusetts voters passed a ballot that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The Massachusetts Sensible Marijuana Policy Initiative made the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana punishable by a fine of $100 without the possessor being reported to the state’s criminal history board. Minors also had to notify their parents, take a drug awareness program, and complete 10 hours of community service. Before decriminalization, people charged

title: Concord, Massachusetts
text: has been bubbling in Concord for several years. In 2010, a town meeting-approved ban, which wasn't written as a bylaw, was rejected by the state attorney general's office. In 2011, a new version of the ban narrowly failed at town meeting, by a vote of 265 to 272. The ban on selling water in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles of one liter or less passed in 2012 by a vote of 403 to 364, and a repeal effort in April failed by a vote of 621 to 687. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area

title: Massachusetts No Sales Tax for Alcohol Initiative
text: the measure reads: This proposed law would remove the Massachusetts sales tax on alcoholic beverages and alcohol, where the sale of such beverages and alcohol or their importation into the state is already subject to a separate excise tax under state law. The proposed law would take effect on January 1, 2011. A YES VOTE would remove the state sales tax on alcoholic beverages and alcohol where their sale or importation into the state is subject to an excise tax under state law. A NO VOTE would make no change in the state sales tax on alcoholic beverages and alcohol.

title: William R. Spencer
text: individuals under 21. Such products include cigarettes, chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, liquid nicotine, rolling papers, and smoking apparatuses. In late 2014, Spencer co-sponsored a resolution with his colleague, Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory to ban the sale of powdered caffeine to minors in Suffolk County. The highly potent substance, which is nearly 100% caffeine, has been linked to at least 2 deaths in the United States. After the passage of the legislation, Dr. Spencer joined a group of advocates to meet with the FDA and five US Senators and discuss the dangers posed by powdered caffeine products. Since the delegation, the FDA

title: Charlie Baker
text: dispensary in Leicester. As of October 29, 2018, 179 towns in Massachusetts have either permanent bans (84) or moratoriums (95) currently in place on retail marijuana stores. In February 2015, Baker announced the formation of a working group to write a report formulating a statewide strategy to address the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts, which was released in June 2015. In the same month of the report's release, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health began a public awareness campaign on opioid addiction, and Baker announced a $34.5 million proposal following the working group's recommendations that included a $5.8 million program to

title: Electronic cigarette
text: some states tax e-cigarettes as tobacco products, and some state and regional governments have broadened their indoor smoking bans to include e-cigarettes. As of 9 October 2015, at least 48 states and 2 territories banned e-cigarette sales to minors. In November 2018 the FDA announced new steps to curb youth vaping while still ensuring the adults who would benefit from electronic cigarettes still had access to a healthier nicotine delivery system. Sales of flavored tobacco products will be limited to adult only stores and online vendors with the exception of tobacco, mint or menthol electronic cigarettes that will remain for

title: Vape shop
text: The FDA acknowledged that many vape shops will go out of business, but they also state many will stay open, despite hefty costs. Part of the new law requires products to state nicotine is addictive. Some vape shop owners in the US believe a ban on public vaping might put some vape shops out of business because taste-testing would be prohibited. The revised Tobacco Products Directive European legislation will regulate the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes. Small business owners are concerned that the new regulation will make e-cigarettes less interesting to consumers and that this means a downturn of their

title: Charlie Baker
text: to create a "safe, reliable, legal market" in the state. In March 2018, "The Boston Globe" reported that 189 of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns had either indefinitely or temporarily banned retail marijuana stores. In June 2018, Baker, along with 11 other governors, wrote a letter to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan, U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging the passage of the bipartisan STATES Act sponsored by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Colorado Senator Cory Gardner. In the same month, Massachusetts

title: Smoking ban
text: of Boston such as Needham, Massachusetts, have 21 years of age as the minimum age to purchase cigarettes; in most other areas the legal age is 18 or 19. Using sales and tobacco tax data from 216 cities and counties over 11 years, the researchers projected that seven of the states would have no economic impact, and West Virginia would see a 1 percent boost in restaurant jobs if a statewide smoking ban was adopted. Other benefits of smoking bans in bars and restaurants include improved lung function and a decrease in smoking rates among staff. Some data came from

title: Inhalant
text: states have enacted. Some states draw their prohibitions more narrowly... In Massachusetts, retailers must ask minors for identification before selling them glue or cement that contains a solvent that can release toxic vapors." "New Jersey... prohibits selling or offering to sell minors products containing chlorofluorocarbon that is used in refrigerant." The sale of alkyl nitrite-based poppers was banned in Canada in 2013. Although not considered a narcotic and not illegal to possess or use, they are considered a drug. Sales that are not authorized can now be punished with fines and prison. Since 2007, reformulated poppers containing isopropyl nitrite are

title: Tobacco-Free Pharmacies
text: that have a pharmacy. After San Francisco passed its initial policy, a number of other communities followed suit, mostly in Massachusetts and California. In Massachusetts, policies have been passed in Abington, Acton, Adams, Amherst, Arlington, Ashburnham, Ashland, Athol, Barnstable, Barre, Bedford, Belchertown, Berkley, Beverly, Billerica, Bolton, Boston, Braintree, Brewster, Bridgewater, Brimfield, Brocton, Brookline, Buckland, Cambridge, Carver, Charlemont, Chatham, Chelsea, Cohasset, Concord, Danvers, Dartmouth, Dedham, Deerfield, Dracut, Duxbury, Eastham, Easthampton, Easton, Edgartown, Essex, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Gardner, Gill, Gloucester, Grafton, Granby, Greenfield, Hadley, Halifax, Hamilton, Harwich, Hatfield, Haverill, Holbrook, Holyoke, Hopedale, Hubbardston, Hudson, Hull, Lancaster, Lanesborough, Lawrence, Lee,

title: Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program
text: pack in 1996 and $1.51 per pack in 2002. An additional $1 tax increase was implemented on July 1, 2008. To accompany the most recent tax increase, MTCP gave away a two-month supply of nicotine patches to smokers who wanted to quit. This program was advertised through MTCP helpline and health care providers. MTCP is committed to decreasing environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in Massachusetts. Through smoking bans and educating the public on dangers of secondhand smoking, MTCP has been able to significantly reduce the amount of second hand smoke throughout the state. One of their first and most successful initiatives

title: Charlie Baker
text: and [ensures] that only those who are supposed to have access to these products will." The month following the ballot initiative's passage, Baker signed into law a six-month delay in the issuance of licenses for retailing marijuana in shops from January 2018 to July 2018, and in July 2017, signed into law a compromise bill that increased the excise tax on marijuana sales, expanded the size of the Cannabis Control Commission created by the ballot initiative, mandated background checks for Commission and marijuana shop employees, shifted control of the state's medical cannabis program from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health