GD Vape Nerds!

The FDA just dropped their 2026 resolutions, and it’s basically: "Out with the old (smoke), in with the new (regulated pouches)."

The "Wild West" era of high-margin disposables is officially getting fenced in by the feds.

Today, we’re breaking down the great nicotine migration:

• The FDA’s 4D Chess: Why they just green-lit 20 ZYN products while trying to gut the cigarette market.
• Big Tobacco’s White Flag: BAT is pausing unlicensed launches—find out why the "play by the rules" strategy is winning.
• The California "Ghost Town": Disposables are officially illegal in the Golden State. We look at the fallout.
• The Blueprint: Why New Jersey and California are just the "test labs" for a nationwide crackdown.

Grab your coffee (and maybe a pouch)—the market is moving fast.

THE BIG STORY: THE FDA’S 2026 REHAB PROGRAM 🏥

The FDA just dropped its 2026 resolution, and it’s basically: “Out with the old (smoke), in with the new (regulated pouches).”

The Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) is playing 4D chess. Their goal? Make cigarettes so unappealing that you have no choice but to switch. Here’s the play:

• The Stick: They’re moving to mandate “minimally addictive” nicotine levels in cigarettes. It’s a move that could gut the combustible market.
• The Carrot: They just green-lit 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products. This gives the “Zynful” lifestyle official government-authorized status.
• The Reality: The FDA isn’t just banning things; they’re curating the market. If it isn’t authorized or “low-nicotine,” it’s on the hit list.

The takeaway? The FDA wants to be the bouncer at the door. If you don’t have a Premarket Tobacco Application (PMTA) ID, you aren’t getting into the 2026 party.

CORPORATE VIBE CHECK: BAT HITS THE BRAKES 🏎️💨

British American Tobacco (BAT) is reading the room.

The company recently paused the launch of unlicensed vape products in the US. Why? Because the FDA has stopped sending polite warning letters and started ramping up actual enforcement (think seizures and import alerts).

• The Numbers: BAT estimates that 70% of the US vape market is still unregulated (mostly Chinese-made disposables).
• The Pivot: Instead of fighting the grey market, Big Tobacco is leaning into what is legal. BAT’s Vuse and Velo brands are seeing a “regulatory tailwind” as the FDA clears out the unauthorized competition.

The lesson: When the feds start acting like actual feds, the big guys play by the rules to starve out the small guys.

STATE SPOTLIGHT: CALIFORNIA & NEW JERSEY GO “NO-DISPOSABLE” 🚫💨

If you’re in the Golden State, your morning routine just changed.

California’s AB 762 officially kicked in on New Year’s Day. It’s a total ban on disposable vapes.

• The Logic: It’s not just about “the kids”—it’s about the lithium-ion batteries ending up in landfills and starting fires.
• The Result: If it’s single-use, it’s gone. Brands now have to pivot to refillable/rechargeable kits if they want to stay in the US’s biggest market.

New Jersey is right behind them. The Garden State banned the import of disposables back in August 2025. But the real deadline is February 1, 2026 (this Sunday). That’s when the “grace window” for retailers to sell through old stock slams shut.

THE 2026 PLAYBOOK: WHAT’S NEXT? 📉

Is this the end of vaping? No. It’s just the end of the easy era.

Policy watchers are treating California and New Jersey as the “test labs.” If these bans actually reduce litter and youth use without creating a massive black market, expect 10 more states to copy-paste this legislation by December.

• The Winners: Refillable pod systems and nicotine pouches (ZYN, on!, Velo).
• The Losers: “Grey-area” disposables and the distributors who held too much inventory.

And if you're looking to upgrade your pod vape in 2026, this mother-trucker is the only game in town right now. ​

That's all for today, catch you next week.

Peace.

Drake

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