News

Arlington, TX
February 16-18, 2026

Exhibitors: register online today!

At Marketplace, the focus is to bring together distributors with their top trading partners and suppliers over a three-day period, featuring a one-day turnkey trade show, focused education sessions, a distributor showcase and enhanced networking opportunities.

Attendee registration opens next week.

By attending Marketplace 2026, you agree to the CDA Notices & Disclaimers.

About Marketplace | Exhibitor Prospectus | Trade Show

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling on nicotine pouch manufacturers to use child-resistant packaging to protect American children from accidental, harmful exposure. From April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2025, the number of reported nicotine pouch exposure cases reported to U.S. Poison Centers steadily increased. Approximately 72% of nicotine pouch exposure cases occurred in children under 5 years of age.

Child-resistant packaging can serve as an essential safety barrier to prevent children from accidentally ingesting nicotine products and demonstrates a manufacturer's commitment to protecting public health. Manufacturers with a pending premarket application for a nicotine pouch product who intend to incorporate child-resistant packaging or other measures to mitigate the risk of accidental exposure to children should contact the FDA through their assigned Regulatory Health Project Manager (RHPM) or at AskCTP@fda.hhs.gov or 877-CTP-1373.

The FDA is also issuing information for consumers on how to properly store nicotine pouches and prevent accidental exposure to children. Parents and caregivers should safely store all nicotine products, including pouches, in secure locations away from children in original packaging and seek immediate medical attention if accidental ingestion occurs. If a person of any age eats a nicotine pouch, accidental or not, immediately call Poison Control HELP number at 1-800-222-1222. Read more here.

On Aug. 29, 2025, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), along with Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Dina Titus (D-NV) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and House Committee on Small Business Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.

The MORE Act decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. The MORE Act also:

• Authorizes the assessment of a 5% sales tax on marijuana and marijuana products to create an Opportunity Trust Fund for grant programs;
• Opens up Small Business Administration funding for legitimate cannabis-related businesses and service providers;
• Provides non-discrimination protections for marijuana use or possession, and for prior convictions for a marijuana offense;
• Requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect data on the demographics of the industry to ensure people of color and those who are economically disadvantaged are participating in the industry.

The full text of the legislation is available here.

Congress returned to Washington on Sept. 2, 2025, after its August recess. September and the rest of this year will be packed with spending deadlines and important decisions for Congress and the White House. The following items can be expected from lawmakers through the end of this year:

1. Appropriations and Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending
2. Agency Confirmations
3. Federal Emergency Management Agency Reform
4. Reauthorization of State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program
5. Second Budget Reconciliation Package
6. Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill

Read more here.

2025 is We Card’s 30th year of serving retailers.

We’ve seen a lot of changes in the past 30 years but the fundamentals of “responsible retailing” of age-restricted products remains constant.

Since We Card’s launch in 1995, a coalition of national trade associations representing retailers and distributors along with leading manufacturers came together to launch the We Card program to provide actionable tools and education to help retailers comply with youth access laws and raise awareness of the problem of underage access to tobacco and other age restricted products.

Back then, non-compliance or violation rates were as high as 40%. Today these rates hover around 10%.

The coalition is stronger than ever and has a wide base of support among state-level retail and wholesale associations serving retailers.

We Card offers a plethora of tested and effective in-store tools and training materials to help you stay compliant and up to date.

The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission report was due to President Trump on Aug. 12, 2025, according to the executive order that established the commission, but the White House told reporters it would not be released to the public immediately because of scheduling issues. A draft of the report was leaked to the press and published on Aug. 14, 2025. The report, which focuses on the health of American children, outlines a federal plan to combat childhood chronic disease. The leaked report highlights the following steps the Administration will take to prevent youth from accessing illegal vape, THC and 7-OH products:

• Alcohol, Controlled Substances, Vaping and THC Impact : Surgeon General will launch an education and awareness initiative on the impact of alcohol, controlled substances, vaping and THC on children’s health.
• Illegal Chinese Vapes : FDA and ATF will increase enforcement on illegal Chinese manufactured vaping products and educate parents and businesses that the Administration will not allow unapproved vaping products targeting children to continue flooding our country.
• 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) : FDA will educate the public regarding the dangers of synthetic opioids products such as 7-OH (which is distinct from natural kratom) and coordinate enforcement against dangerous unlawful products being marketed to American children.

Read more here.

CDA Webinar Series

Webinar Recap: Understanding FSMA Section 204(d) – CTEs, KDEs and FDA’s Tools

In the second installment of our exclusive CDA member webinar series on FSMA Section 204(d), Angela Fields, the senior consumer safety officer for the FDA’s CORE Network, took a deeper dive into the traceability rule and the requirements for distributors. This session introduced the FDA’s FSMA sortable electronic spreadsheet template, a tool designed to help businesses organize and submit traceability data in compliance with the rule. Viewers gained a practical understanding of Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) and Key Data Elements (KDEs), with a focus on how these apply to distributors.

Watch the on-demand webinar here.

In Case You Missed It: Understanding FSMA Section 204(d) – What It Means for Your Business

CDA held the first in a series of exclusive CDA member webinars focused on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204(d) – the FDA’s Food Traceability Rule. The session broke down what the rule entails, its implications for your business, and how CDA is championing a strategic approach to support members through education, advocacy, and practical resources.

Watch the on-demand webinar here.

This is your final opportunity to enroll in the CDA Business Academy – a 10-week virtual education program designed for emerging, rising leaders and middle managers in the convenience products distribution industry. Through a blend of self-paced online learning and expert-led sessions, this program equips participants with practical tools in people management and business finance that can be applied immediately on the job.

The program will run from September 18 through December 4, with live sessions held every other Thursday. This cohort is open to all CDA members, supporting leadership development across the industry – register by September 1.

Don’t miss your chance to invest in your future leaders. Click here to learn more or contact Lauren Herbert for details.

Open exclusively to CDA members. Participants must be employed on an ongoing basis by a CDA member company in good standing.

Former Senator Richard Burr, now the chairman of the Coalition for Smarter Regulation of Nicotine, visited with Fox Business to discuss Chinese-made nicotine products that have flooded the U.S. market.

He highlighted the two most important actions the federal government can now take: enforcement actions at points of entry into the U.S. and approving or rejecting the applications currently awaiting review by the FDA. These actions will not only stop the flow of illicit products but give U.S. adult consumers less harmful alternatives.

Watch the interview with Senator Burr here.

On Aug. 19, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a marketing denial order (MDO) for blu® Disposable Classic Tobacco 2.4%, an e-cigarette product manufactured by Fontem US, LLC. This means the company still must not market or distribute this product in the United States, or they risk enforcement action by FDA. The company may submit a new application for the product subject to this MDO.

FDA evaluates premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) based on a public health standard that considers the risks and benefits of the product to the population as a whole. After reviewing the company’s PMTA, FDA determined that the application lacked sufficient evidence to demonstrate that permitting marketing of the product would be appropriate for the protection of the public health, which is the standard legally required by the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

The company did not provide sufficient evidence that adults who smoke will completely switch to the new product or significantly reduce their cigarette consumption. Instead, the application’s evidence suggests that people will likely use this product in addition to cigarettes, potentially exposing them to higher levels of toxicants than exclusive cigarette use. In general, long periods of using both e-cigarettes and cigarettes – often referred to as “dual use” – can result in harms to health similar to, or in addition to, the harms from exclusive use of cigarettes.

Additionally, FDA has authorized e-cigarettes currently on the market that had evidence that adults who smoke will completely switch to those products or significantly reduce their cigarette consumption and are potentially less harmful. Read more here.

On Aug. 18, 2025, CDA submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in support of the agency’s proposed rule that would extend the compliance date for the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Section 204(d) regulation by 30 months from Jan. 20, 2026, to July 20, 2028.

FSMA Section 204(d) establishes additional traceability recordkeeping requirements, beyond what is already required in existing regulations, for businesses in the food supply chain, including distributors, that manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods found on the FDA’s Food Traceability List. The final regulation requires a higher degree of coordination between members of the food industry than has been required in the past, including the sharing of accurate data with supply chain partners.

As summarized by the FDA in the proposed rule to extend the compliance date, the agency has learned that businesses from across the food supply chain, including distributors, need more time to come into compliance because required key data elements are not routinely maintained or shared between businesses, the large volume of data required to be captured and managed would be very challenging, and new technology would need to be acquired.

In its comment letter, CDA informed the agency that the association’s distributor members were surveyed in March of this year about their knowledge of, and readiness to comply with, FSMA Section 204(d). The responses received from distributor members echoed what the FDA has learned, namely, that industry segments need more time to learn about the food traceability requirements, acquire and utilize the necessary scanning and tracking software to trace food products, and train employees on how to use the new technology to capture and manage food tracing data.

Read the CDA comment letter here.

On Aug. 15, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a request for information (RFI) seeking input on state laws and regulations that have “significant adverse effects” on the national economy and interstate commerce.

This RFI, which builds on the Trump administration’s broader deregulatory agenda, presents an opportunity for various industries to highlight some of the challenges posed by the growing patchwork of restrictive state laws affecting businesses, and to request federal action to relieve those challenges. Read more here.

At Bright Side Distributing, we keep shelves happy and customers happier. From premium tobacco and smoke-shop gear to candy, snacks and everyday retail must-haves, we’re the Pacific Northwest’s go-to wholesale partner. Our team brings over a century of combined know-how, delivering top-notch products at prices that make sense—fast, friendly and right to your door. Based in Clackamas, OR, we handpick goodies your shoppers can’t resist and back it up with customer service that’s as sweet as our candy aisle. Bright Side Distributing: stocking smiles, one delivery at a time.

Contact information for Bright Side Distributing is as follows:

Cody Payne
cody@brightsidedistributing.com
Bright Side Distributing
12402 SE Jennifer Street, Suite 160
Clackamas, OR 97015
(503) 235-8341
brightsidedistributing.com

Ajinomoto Foods makes it easy to bring global flavors to convenience store menus with premium frozen appetizers, handhelds, entrées and sides. Designed for easy preparation and minimal labor, these products are perfectly tailored to meet the needs of c-store operators and their busy, on-the-go customers.

Contact information for Ajinomoto Foods is as follows:

Ed Shabaz
Ed.Shabaz@Ajinomotofoods.com
Ajinomoto Foods
4200 E Concours Street, Suite 100
Ontario, CA 91764
(909) 477.4700
Ajinomotofoodservice.com

Arlington, TX
February 16-18, 2026

Exhibitors: register online today!

At Marketplace, the focus is to bring together distributors with their top trading partners and suppliers over a three-day period, featuring a one-day turnkey trade show, focused education sessions, a distributor showcase and enhanced networking opportunities.

Attendee registration opens in September.

By attending Marketplace 2026, you agree to the CDA Notices & Disclaimers.

About Marketplace | Exhibitor Prospectus | Trade Show

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved waivers for six more states to restrict the purchase of non-nutritious items like soda and candy with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, impacting around 8.5 million people. This brings the total number of states with such bans to 12. Waivers will go into effect in 2026, prohibiting the purchase of items like soda, candy and energy drinks with SNAP benefits. Supporters of the bans argue it will improve health outcomes, while critics suggest it limits food choices for low-income individuals and does not address broader issues of food access. The bans have been primarily led by Republican states, with Colorado being the only Democratic state to implement such restrictions. Read more here and here.

On Aug. 11, 2025, CDA submitted comments to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opposing the agency’s proposed rule that would set a maximum nicotine content level of 0.70 milligrams of nicotine per gram of tobacco in cigarettes, roll-your-own cigarette tobacco, cigars (excluding premium cigars) and pipe tobacco.

This proposed nicotine cap means an average reduction of 92% to 95% in the nicotine levels of cigarettes currently on the market and similar percentage reductions in nicotine in RYO tobacco, machine-made cigars and pipe tobacco.

The practical impact of the proposed rule would be to ban the sale of 99.99% of all conventional cigarettes on the marketplace today and prohibit the marketing of current roll-your-own tobacco, non-premium cigars and pipe tobacco products.

The comments submitted to the FDA by CDA focused on the following arguments:

• Current all-time low usage rates of cigarettes and tobacco products by both adults and youth do not support the adoption of the proposed rule.
• The prohibition of virtually all cigarettes, roll-your-own tobacco, non-premium cigars and pipe tobacco would lead to a nationwide illicit market for these tobacco products.
• The proposed rule would result in a significant reduction in cigarette and other tobacco product sales, billions of dollars in reduced federal, state and local excise tax and sales tax collections, and an estimated 154,000+ lost industry and ancillary jobs.

The deadline for the public to submit comments to the FDA on the proposed very low nicotine rule is Sept. 15, 2025. CDA’s comments can be read here.

Privately held and debt free, C.A. Ferolie operates with 500 associates across 22 states including 7 offices, generating $2.7B in annual sales. With omni-channel solutions spanning convenience, grocery, club, drug and specialty retail—and nationwide reach through sister CA agencies—the team brings expertise in categories from confectionery and beverages to dairy, produce, seafood, frozen and GM/HBC. Recognized with a 2024 MarCom Gold for business intelligence, the company maintains a 10:1 merch rep–to–supervisor ratio, including NYC inner-city coverage, and benefits from a 14-year average management tenure. The company operates from the Northeast to Florida and west to Pittsburgh and is driven by its strong culture of service, integrity and data-powered growth.

Contact information for C.A. Ferolie is as follows:

Pat Dever
pdever@caferolie.com
C.A. Ferolie
2 Van Riper Road
Montvale, NJ 07645
(215) 520-7854
caferolie.com

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) civil money penalties (CMPs) for the violation of the federal Tobacco Control Act regulations on the sale of tobacco products are unconstitutional. In the case, Wulferic LLC v. FDA, Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that the CMPs in this particular case were unconstitutional because they violate the U.S. Constitution’s Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial. The court’s injunction against the FDA’s CMPs only applies to the retail store that is the subject of the litigation and does not apply nationwide. Read more here.

On Aug. 11, 2025, President Trump said his administration is considering reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, with a decision to be made in the next few weeks. Trump said during a press briefing, “It’s a very complicated subject base, I’ve heard great things having to do with medical and bad things having to do with just about everything else.” The federal government currently classifies marijuana under Schedule I and reclassifying it could ease current banking and financial restrictions. If rescheduled, cannabis and its interstate trade would remain federally illegal and each state deciding their own market rules would still apply. Read more here.