News

On Sept. 1, 2026, President Trump announced the selection of Darrell Scott to be the tobacco health adviser for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Scott is a pastor and advocate for “America’s Underserved Communities.” Read more here.

On Sept. 2, 2026, Altria Group, Inc. and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a Texas federal district court seeking to set aside the agency’s current system of reviewing pre-market tobacco applications and require the agency to develop a new system.

The lawsuit was filed due to continued delays in the FDA reviewing and finalizing actions on pending pre-market tobacco applications, which has been one factor in the growth of an illicit market in non-authorized tobacco products. Read more here.

CDA is pleased to announce the addition of Emily Smith to its staff in the newly created position of manager, sales and member engagement. Emily brings more than eight years of experience in association management, strategic partnerships, member engagement, sponsorships, advertising and events. She has built and managed corporate relationships, supported non-dues revenue growth and worked across teams to strengthen engagement and deliver value. Emily is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications.

Emily will lead efforts to grow and deepen CDA’s relationships with members, prospective members, sponsors, and industry partners. Her role includes driving membership growth and retention, expanding sponsorship and advertising opportunities, supporting event participation and revenue, and identifying new ways for members and partners to engage with CDA. She will also work closely with the team to strengthen outreach, track engagement and sales opportunities, and ensure CDA continues to deliver meaningful value to its members and partners.

CDA also welcomes J.P. Dowd, vice president at Van Scoyoc Associates, as CDA policy advisor, taking over for Kathee Facciano, who recently left the organization. J.P. began his career working as a military legislative assistant for Senator Leahy and rose through the ranks to become projects director, legislative director, and ultimately chief of staff for the last 10 years. J.P. then joined Van Scoyoc Associates as vice president in 2023. Originally from Washington, DC, J.P. received his B.A. from the University of Vermont and his M.B.A. from Georgetown University.

J.P. will help lead CDA’s government affairs and advocacy efforts, representing the interests of convenience distributors on key legislative and regulatory issues at the federal level. He will work closely with CDA leadership, members, and industry partners to help shape policy priorities, monitor emerging issues, and strengthen relationships with policymakers and other stakeholders. J.P. will also serve as a key liaison to CDA’s Government Affairs Committee and support member advocacy and engagement through programs including Day on the Hill and the State Association Executives Summit.

On Aug. 28, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing of three new e-cigarette products through the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway. The authorized products are part of the JUUL2 e-cigarette system made by JUUL Labs Inc. and include a tobacco-flavored pod, a menthol-flavored pod, and the JUUL2 device. Read more here.

On Aug. 31, 2026, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean P. Duffy, joined by federal officials and Angel Families, announced an interagency effort to crack down on fraud and reduce highway fatalities in the trucking industry. The coalition created a Joint Task Force Crossroads of America – a multi-state partnership to secure our highways and strengthen border security. Read more here.

On Sept. 1, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a markup of 12 bills to strengthen American competitiveness and enhance consumer protections. One of the bills considered, the Nitrous Oxide Safety Act (H.R. 7945), introduced by Reps. Kevin Mullin (D-CA) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK), directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to classify retail nitrous oxide products as banned hazardous goods. The Subcommittee advanced all 12 bills to the full Energy and Commerce Committee by voice vote. Read more here.

On Sept. 1, 2026, the House passed a short-term funding bill by a vote of 370-48 to keep the federal government operating through Dec. 11, 2026, avoiding a shutdown before the midterm elections. The Senate approved the measure on Aug. 8, 2026, and the bill was signed by President Trump on Sept. 2, 2026. The bill delays most new federal restrictions on hemp-derived THC products from Nov. 12 to Dec. 11, 2026, and extends federal highway and transit programs through the same date. It does not include a broad Farm Bill extension, although it temporarily renews certain agriculture-related authorities. Congress must still reach a longer-term spending agreement after the elections or face another possible shutdown in December. Read more here.

On Aug. 19, 2026, a three-judge panel at the Fifth ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) overstepped its authority when the agency repeatedly blocked approval of flavored e-cigarette products without a notice-and-comment period for its review standard, holding that the repeated denials constituted a rule that the agency must “rethink” or readopt the regulation properly.

The ruling vacates the FDA’s denials of various e-cigarette product applications, citing FDA’s “comparative-efficacy standard” as a new substantive standard that required notice-and-comment rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). According to the judges, this new standard then required FDA to deny any Premarket Tobacco Product Application (PMTA) that lacked a study showing that the product’s benefits to adult smokers outweighed risks for youth. Read more here.

On Aug. 21, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the marketing of 11 new nicotine pouch products through the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway. The authorized products, made by Swedish Match USA, Inc., are sold under the “ZYN ULTRA” brand name and include the following:

On Aug. 26, 2026 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a temporary order to schedule three 7-hydroxymitragynine-related substances (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16) in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, according to the Federal Register notice. The order applies to isomers, esters, ethers, salts, salts of isomers, esters and ethers, and applies until Aug. 26, 2028. The DEA announced the notice of intent to reschedule to substances on July 1, 2026. Read more here.

Monday, September 14, 2026 | 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm ET
King Ballroom, Conference Center, 1st Floor

With the FDA's Food Traceability Rule relating to Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) scheduled to go into effect on July 20, 2028, now is the time to prepare. Join six convenience distribution leaders for a panel discussion highlighting different flexible options for implementing the food traceability rule and real-life examples of what distributors should be and are doing now to prepare for compliance. Read more here.

Loumia is a modern, cloud-based technology company helping wholesale distributors simplify operations and grow their businesses. The company's platform brings warehouse management, purchasing, accounts receivable, e-commerce, cash-and-carry and customer ordering into one connected system. Powerful tools like digital picking, expiration date tracking, integrated payments and marketing integrations help teams work faster and with greater accuracy. Loumia is built to replace outdated, disconnected software with a smarter platform that gives distributors real-time visibility and the flexibility to run their business from anywhere.

Contact information for Loumia, Inc. is as follows:

Andrew Foumia
andrew@loumiasystems.com
Loumia, Inc.
15188 W. 8 Mile Road
Oak Park, MI 48237
(248) 232-1830
https://loumiasystems.com

On Aug. 18, 2026, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a Texas federal district court decision postponing the effective date and enforcement of the FDA’s graphic cigarette health warnings. Read more here.

On Aug. 19, 2026, President Trump announced on Truth Social that he has nominated White House policy aide Heidi Overton to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Overton is a deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy at the White House working on health issues, is a medical doctor and has a doctorate in clinical investigation from Johns Hopkins University. Former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned in May and Kyle Diamantas has been serving as Acting Commissioner.

Monday, September 14, 2026 | 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm ET

With the FDA's Food Traceability Rule relating to Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) scheduled to go into effect on July 20, 2028, now is the time to prepare. Join six convenience distribution leaders for a panel discussion highlighting different flexible options for implementing the food traceability rule and real-life examples of what distributors should be and are doing now to prepare for compliance. Read more here.

On Aug. 8, 2026, the Senate voted 90–6 to pass a continuing resolution (CR) funding the federal government through Dec. 11, 2026. The CR includes a delay of a federal ban on most hemp-derived THC products that was set to go into effect in November. The temporary extension leaves Congress with several months to determine whether to implement the ban, further delay it or establish a new regulatory framework for hemp-derived THC products. Following the vote, the Senate adjourned for recess until Sept. 14, 2026.

The House passed a clean CR - H.R.9770 - on July 21, 2026, without anomalies, by a vote of 220-205, extending government funding through Dec. 4, 2026. The House is currently scheduled to return from recess on Aug. 31, 2026. However, the House’s return date is expected to be pushed back to align with the Senate’s schedule. Upon returning, the House and Senate will need to reconcile their respective CRs to avoid a government shutdown. Read more here.

On Aug. 10, 2026, Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) introduced the Beverage Regulatory Parity Act. The bill gives Congress a targeted framework that protects children, provides regulatory certainty and allows responsible hemp beverage companies to operate under clear standards. Read more here.

Monday, September 14, 2026 | 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm ET

With the FDA's Food Traceability Rule relating to Section 204(d) of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) scheduled to go into effect on July 20, 2028, now is the time to prepare. Join six convenience distribution leaders for a panel discussion highlighting different flexible options for implementing the food traceability rule and real-life examples of what distributors should be and are doing now to prepare for compliance. Read more here.

On Aug. 10, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced two actions regarding federal oversight of food ingredients. HHS issued a proposed rule requiring manufacturers to notify the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) when concluding that the use of a substance added to human or animal food is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) and, alongside the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), submitted for final review the federal government’s first proposed definition of ultra-processed foods (UPFs).