Thread by @lmstroud89

165/Next witness - another sorority association president.

166/More of the minorities and Big Tobacco

167/She's probably the committee's favorite as she only spoke for 1:15!

168/Next witness - Black Caucus of School Board Members

199/Been doing this too long as my numbers are now getting wonky. Another panel down with 0 questions.

200/Oooh they're asking for the last folks in support of the bill - I've only counted 61!

201/Next witness - was this girl.

202/Next witness - dude against it I believe.

203/The amazing @ChaunceyGardner

@ChaunceyGardner 204/Brings up the 34M American smokers & 480,000-smoking-related deaths each year and brings up how no one has mentioned that...

@ChaunceyGardner 205/Next witness - National Hookah Community Association.

@ChaunceyGardner 206/Brings up how hookah is not vape

@ChaunceyGardner 207/Don't drag us down now - but I do love "you don't see kids running around with three foot hookahs"

@ChaunceyGardner 208/Next witness is a school nurse in favor of the bill...

@ChaunceyGardner 209/I got caught up in the neutral part but apparently some pro-folks came back.

@ChaunceyGardner 210/Next witness - the amazing guy named @gbentley1

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 211/Calling out the earlier witness who straight up lied about the MA ban and said "no states experienced increase sales"

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 212/Give them the numbers

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 213/Youth smoking is now at 1.9% - lowest ever in history. White rate is 1.8% and black rate is 1%

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 214/Next witness - school nurse - Colorado Association of School Nurses

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 215/She's going hard on this

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 216/Brings up a kid who vaped and began seizing...

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 217/Dr. Gardner gets a question.

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 218/Guy gets a question.

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 219/Basically - prohibition is not the answer and dropping down stats that youth vaping and smoking has gone down!

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 220/Looks like we're done with all the pros - back to just neutrals

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 221/Next witness - Abigail Friedman.

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 222/Dropping the San Francisco study and the youth combustible cigarette use increased after the flavor ban

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 223/So they cut off Abigail...

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 224/Next witness - hookah person, chair didn't seem like they wanted them to speak at all...

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 225/Another hookah witness - again asked if he had to speak. WTF?

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 226/Next witness - the amazing David Sweanor.

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 227/Harm from smoking is from the smoke - not the nicotine. Brings up access to harm redcution products

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 228/Freidman gets Q- offers a solution - move all tobacco products to 21+ retailers
-Other option: c-stores/etc sell products out of sight and retailers w/21+ can market as however they want

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 229/Gets another Q about San Francisco

@ChaunceyGardner @gbentley1 230/Finally on the opponents!

231/Five hours later!

232/Next witness - Smoker Friendly

233/Next witness - didn't get their name...

234/I think it's c-store guy

235/Next witness - police expert witness

236/ Next up is Tom Briant with @NATOTradeAssoc

237/Sent letter about increase in combustible cigarettes & brings up FDA actions

238/Only one electronic cigarette product that has been authorized for marketing...

239/First one to bring up the FDA and synthetic nicotine! Finally!

240/Next witness - the amazing @Tim_Andrews on daddy duty!

@Tim_Andrews "I want this guy to live in a world rid of smoking!"

241/Great job on the testimony Tim!

242/Next witness - in person - owns a casino with a cigar bar.

243/Brings up black market issues

244/Next witness - small business owner - Elite Vapes - has eight employees

245/Former 35-year smoker & found vaping 9 years ago.

246/Vape shops is not the same as Big Tobacco and JUUL
-Brings up different nicotine levels - you can create a pathway to get them off nicotine.

247/Next witness - owner of 8 vape shops - 35 employees

248/Giving great testimony about the lack of a democrat stakeholder process...

249/Include us in the process!

250/Next witness - mother of a 13YO son & 2YO daughter.

251/Getting emotional and they brought her a box of tissues!

252/No questions for the panel

253/Whoot whoot @amandawheeler32 is up on the next panel!

254/Next witness - owns two small business vape shops

255/Next witness - vape shop owner - since 2016

256/I will say - none of us are repeating the same thing like the pro-ban folks were

257/Next witness - ID verification company

258/Age verification would be a better solution than prohibition, but hey, what do we know?

259/And we got our girl @amandawheeler32 up

@amandawheeler32 300/200+ vapor businesses in Colorado - and millions in economic output.

301/Journal of the Natl Cancer Institute - 70% of adults use flavored e-cigs

302/Brings up consequences of prohibition.
-Has 40 of her own employees in her shops in Colorado

303/She's gonna have to give me that last quote.

304/Next witness - vape shop owner

305/Really impressed with the number that showed up and hung out - we've been going for 5 and a half hours now.

306/Panel is getting Qs

307/Amanda is getting Qs about the PMTA

308/In your business model was the PMTA in your calculation?
-What is the plan for stores & non approved products?

309/Needless to say she's on fire answering it.
-Breaking down FDA authority on e-cigs
-AVM helped 300 companies submit PMTA
-Breaking down the BS that was the PMTA

310/FDA pulled a suprised switcheroo by instituting a requirement they had never explained to manufacturers

311/She totally just went way over these folks' heads.

312/And another Q

313/Brings up 2016 and JUUL and blu(?) taking off?

314/2013-2016 pre-JUUL era didnt hear about youth vaping crisis at all...

315/Brings up marketing & increased vaping numbers - but points out that the numbers "have returned to 2014 levels"

316/Again - she killed it.

317/Next witness - vapor shop and makes their own flavored products (I know, I helped them w/their PMTA)

318/Brings up licenses and taxes - wonders about why they haven't seen any CO compliance checks

319/Next witness - vape shop and ex-smoker and ex-vaper. Quit smoking all together!

320/Big Tobacco and Gas Stations will survive this, we will not.

321/Next witness - vape shop owner and she's getting emotional talking about her customers.

322/Was able to leave a DV situation through her employment & growth working at a vape shop

323/Next witness - owner of vape shop - passed all compliance checks; does age verification

324/Brings up how easy it is to get the Chinese vapes

325/"Your time's up"
"It's all good."

326/Lawmaker brings up the online sales ban bill - "it eliminated the online sales"

327/The first one lost $30,000/month revenue after having to get rid of his website

328/Another Q!

329/What recommendations? If not a flavor ban?

330/A: Age-restricted stores; do internal investigations if they think a customer is buying too many products

331/Lawmakers brings up how 60% of kids are getting products from adults...

332/Witness brings up how they won't sell to parents who admit to buying for their kid...

333/One of the next guy's name is Jason Cuervo ;)

334/Next witness - vape shop/manufacturer

335/Brings up improtance of age verification

336/Next witness - vape shop
"Most of my customers are former smokers"
"Less than 1% of our juice is tobacco-flavored"

337/Next witness - vape & smoke shop owner
Opened up a year ago; lost bartender job 2x in 2020

338/Vaping helped her quit smoking & took her savings and started a vape shop

339/Next witness - vape shop owner(?)

340/Had a compliance check at their shop yesterday and was thanked for not selling to anyone...

341/Q - What ideas for youth access?

342/Q - How do you catch a parent in the act of buying a vape for a kid?
A - With all due respect, isn't that the job of the government & law enforcement?

343/2nd - What do you with liquor stores and marijuana stores?

344/Another A - school resource officers could be utilized.

345/Next witness - former smoker bc of vaping

346/Felt so strongly about - opened a vapor store

347/Next witness - customer of "these great vapor stores"

348/Father of a 15 year old that doesn't vape

349/Next witness - store manager vape shop

350/Next witness - retired ATF & current Georgetown prof

351/"You put this ban into place you're going to create crime."

351/"We've discussed kids, kids, kids, kids, kids"
Put it on the street --> allow kids to get it on the black market

352/Apparently the first witness brought black market products to the hearing.

353/Next witness - Circle K

354/Apparently have 1,600+ employees in CO

355/Implementing a program called brags?

356/Q: Wants to hear the rest of the story about a 50 year old.

357/Man I guess Jason Cuervo didn't come up...

358/Next witness - I think it's a consumer..

359/Next witness - Lab manager at vape manufacturer.

360/Next witness - vape employee

361/Next witness - vape shop

362/I'm impressed Colorado - you're bringing out a lot of vape shops - keep it up!

363/Vape shop has tracking - love it.

364/No questions for the panel.

365/Next witness - vape shop owner

366/Brings up how outside businesses don't know about 1011 (previous bill which banned online sales)

367/Next witness - vape shop owner

368/And ex-smoker

369/Next witness - vapor manufacturer

370/Next witness - small vape shop owner

371/ Next witness is the amazing @ethannadelmann

372/Goes hard on the notion of protecting the kids and that we couldn't get responsible drug reform...

373/Next witness - an African American vape shop owner - you don't see that very often and that's freaking awesome

374/Next witness - smoke and vape shop owner

375/Brings up how he was robbed of $20K in disposables...

376/Next witness - is vape supply company & former smoker

377/Next witness - vape manufacturer

378/"This is teens versus Big Tobacco. That couldn't be further from the truth."

379/No Qs for the panel.

380/Four last witnesses - oh boy and they're the CTFK and AHA folks.

381/Next witness - Jodi Radke with CTFK

382/Bringing up voter data...

383/"This is not a retail problem, this is a tobacco product."

384/Where the hell is this number coming from???

385/These are the 2019 youth risk behavior figures...

386/Next witness - American Heart Association...

387/Says youth use dropping does matter because of COVID

388/Survey conducted in 2019 would not have accurately captured a ban that happened in 2018?
Quit confusing lawmakers with Bloomberg-funded nonsense

389/Next witness - American Lung Association

390/It's a full hattrick of Bloomberg-funded organ orgs

391/Lung dude drops an "imagine if Elsa pushed e-cigarettes" - Like Disney would ever freaking do that?

392/All about the tobacco industry...

393/Well at least they cut them off.

394/Next witness - Kaiser Permante is back...

395/This dbag just said that nicotine is as addictive as heroin...

396/E-cigarettes came about illegally...

397/Of course the sponsor has a Q... I'm curious if anyone else does...

398/Brings up age restricted stores to these doomsday folks?

399/Kaiser is "highly sympathetic to the plight of retailers..."

400/"Most trusted voices in health and medicine."

401/Q: Is there evidence that it was the pandemic?

402/Figured it out. They're citing freaking 2017 numbers in regards to Colorado having the highest rates of youth vaping:

403/Kaiser dude just dropped "They're a teeny tiny off ramp ... and massive on ramp"

404/Q about black market

405/And we now - just 7 and a half hours later - are done with testimony.
Five minute recess.

406/And we're back - sponsors are are here with amendments.

407/Amendment 1 - bans synthetic nicotine from being sold in Colorado

408/Objection to amendment - so calling roll

409/Amendment passes 7 to 4

410/ Amendment 008 - from the AG, clear definition of tobacco & synthetic

411/Objection, so roll call.
-Passes 7-4

412/ Amendment 009 - pushes out effective date of January 2024

413/Chair thinks they need more time - objection to the amendment

414/Roll call vote
-Chair voted no, but passed 6-5

415/Amendment 11 - Premium cigar exemption

416/Objection, roll call vote
-Passes 7-4

417/Amendent 5 - exempt hookah

418/Passing amendments where it's blank and still blank later... bahahaahah

419/Sponsor want to withdraw the amendment.

420/Amendment 6 - Age restricted store amendment

421/"I'm not trying to regulate youth behavior"
-Would exempt age-restricted stores + regulations
-triple inspections; require ID scanners; capping total number of license

422/"I'm persuaded that these vape shop owners are not marketing to kids.. vape shops have helped smokers."

423/ Amendment 4 - cap on licenses tweaked but age-restricted exemption

424/Going back and forth about businesses...
This is the really boring part of hearings and TSA at 5:30 this morning feels so long ago...

425/Vote on amendment 14 (typo earlier)/ no cap
-Failed 6-5

426/Debating on the age-restricted stores; co-sponsor is worried about cost/time/etc...
Not worried about the loss of tax revenue?

427/Co-sponsor still under the impression that this was created to entice new customers... did you not listen to the 20+ vape shops whose businesses and livelihood you're about to rock?!?

428/Brings up snapchat - expect more of those...

429/Bringing up menthol next...

430/Vape bans work so well in New York...

431/She's bringing up users... How about the users of these products to remain smoke-free?

432/Co-sponsor is bringing up the negative consequences and possible issues with enforcement...

433/But you're creating a black market for bad actors which could lead to police confrontations and really bad products...

434/They're going back and forth about enforcement with an age-restriction...

435/Dudeman just brought up what I said earlier - an outright ban just creates a major black market...

436/Co-sponsor is saying there isn't any black markets...
Okay...

437/Sponsor of the amendment brings up how the black market is created - brings up the earlier store owner that had his shop broken into

438/Supporter of the amendment - focusing too much on teen vaping and not other consequences of the ban

439/Co-sponsor is back to talking in circles ...
-Sources
-Talk about caution and moving things to an illicit market...

440/Dropping Bloomberg-funded organizations (Lung, Heart)

441/Reminder to Lindsey - figure out Kaiser's funding.

442/"There are a lot of products people buy on Ebay."
Yeah, like back in 2019 you could get the materials for Dank Vapes on Amazon & Ebay...
townhall.com/columnists/lin…

443/Public health in America
-Epidemic of fake vapes causes problems
-Lawmakers: Ban all vapes!

444/Amendment is going to a vote... but chair would like to see more work
Roll call - Amendment passes 6-5

445/More amendments - L012 -premium pipe tobacco exemption

446/Chair confuses dip with pipe tobacco.

447/Co-sponsor against the amendment

448/Kids aren't using pipe tobacco.

449/Objection and now roll call
-I believe that passed... boyfriend talking at me

450/Next amendment - would exempt chew/dip

451/Brings up military and ranchers & farmers "It's completely different, much more an adult product.'
It's ALSO SAFER THAN CIGARETTES

452/Roll coll - amendment fails 6-5

453/ Whoo hoo & we are done w/amendments

454/It's only been like 9 hours...

455/Co-sponsor keeps going off on Big Tobacco.
Big Tobacco first thought vaping was a joke yo. Like the pet rocks...
A truly consumer-driven revolution that forced BT to change their products.

456/Tobacco is not the same as alcohol or marijuana...

457/More talking in circles...

458/Co-sponsor talking about the communities coming out... you had a bunch of PAVE moms, anti-vape empowered teacher orgs, the dental folks, and Bloomberg-funded orgs...

459/On the other hand, you had many of many small business owners show up...

460/Talking about the health of the kids.
Disappointed tonight with the amendment that was passed - the best ID scanners in the world..
Brings up adults purchasing for kids... then punish the freaking adults?!?

461/Lawmaker admits "how little you truly know."

462/I appreciate honesty - especially with part-time lawmakers that all have real jobs (except those rich ones)

463/And we are finally voting on the bil
Bill passes 7-4 with age exemption & I believe cigar & pipe exemption.

464/Sponsors were not happy...