Monday, September 11 2006
A recent memo from the Cigar Association of America - the cigar industry's primary lobby group - stated the following: "An attorney from UPS confirmed that while the company will ship cigarettes only to licensed distributors and retailers in Maine, it is no longer restricting the direct delivery of non-cigarette tobacco products to consumers in that state. The company will be updating its website soon to reflect this."
The UPS decision with regard to Maine is undoubtedly the result of decisions by both the federal district and federal circuit courts ruling in favor of the northeastern regional trucking associations who filed suit against the state which under its current law sought to impose a ban on commercial delivery firms carrying tobacco products.
Moreover, the CAA had been trying for two years to make changes in the Maine law to exempt cigars and pipe tobacco from the state's delivery restrictions. Unfortunately they were unable to overcome the opposition of the State Association of Convenience Stores and the state's largest tobacco distributor.
The only state where United Parcel Service will continue to restrict direct delivery sales is Montana, where it ships only to licensed retailers and distributors.
