OTP may not be sold to consumers in Maryland by mail or over the internet. Maryland consumers must purchase OTP from a licensed OTP retailer or licensed tobacconist. OTP = Other Tobacco products = Snus , snuff, dip, Pipe tobacco. What a revolting development! I am ashamed to admit I live in MD.
Can you order it that way? through a licensed otp? Are they available and easy to find?
Disgusting.
Sounds like this will be one of those “we cannot ship to the state of…” deals.
@Bob - Maybe in the city, 50 miles away. But I will never buy any tobacco in Maryland again, matter of principle, I already shop in West Virginia, Lower taXes by far. My local Grocery is in WV, more tobacco there than you can carry. Looks like my buddy in WV is my new middleman! Glad I got them strung out on snuff first, ah, my dastardly plan is working. (its all about taxes in Maryland), they do not want us finding ways around their astronomical tobacco taxes, WVA is 7%. They snuck this into another bill and passed it without any opposition. And I get my clear liqueur from WV too!
I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully there isn’t going to be a domino effect with other states following MD’s lead. That would be a disaster.
How would they actually police this though? Who’s to stop someone in MD from ordering from UK or Dave? I’m sure Whalen’s right that it’s all about taxes.
Luckily, Dave is not subject to the laws of Maryland.
@ddavelarsen I bet the US websites will notify MD residents that they will not ship to them because I’m sure they would get fined. Just my guess. Good news that Dave will not be subject to the laws for are MD snufftakers! I believe all the tobacco laws will reverse some day (hopefully in our lifetimes) because tobacco is just too enjoyable not to use! And I believe if they did some unbiased research for once, and let it be known to the public, people would know its not as terrible or completely life threatening just by even being around it, people would relax a bit. Just a harmless luxury. I will not call it a vice, unless you think coffee is a vice. INCOHERENT RAMBLE OVER.
Maryland may have to have a “Baltimore Snuff Party” rebellion!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Bad legislation has nasty habit to spread quickl, good doesn’t. I think we should go Arab against this madness.
maryland is located near other states that are easy to get in and out of that as has already been pointed out have noticably better taxes. So maryland has probably been taking a double hit of stupidity and lost their tax revenues twice. My point don’t think this will spread too far. Funny thing about when a state passes a tax law and doesn’t acount for geography it benefits the nearby states very much and increases their tax revenue from out of state buyers. Which means out of states have less reason to raise the taxes because they’re probably make more if they don’t. I could go on and on. Though it suprises me that a state could raise a particular tax to such a high level and then be suprised that people who never did before try to dodge the tax. Breaks a good lawmaking guidelne, try not to turn non-criminals into criminals if you can help it.
@bob- Well stated, I have lived in Maryland for 23 years and when I smoked, I purchased cigarettes in Virginia at almost half price. Pennsylvania has no Snus Tobacco tax, unfortunately they do not retail from Getsnus (Northerner), they are an hour away. West Virginia is 6 miles away and has a 7% tax, but no Snus. Maryland’s tax change was not aimed directly at snus, which are virtually nonexistent, but at cigarettes and Pipe tobacco. My wife Rolls her own, and I get all her tobacco from the Internet, always have. This problem is easy for us to get around, it is just the audacity of banning us from purchasing.