Can someone enlighten me?

[mistahARK]

So I've been looking around the snus world alot, and I keep coming upon great products that are not allowed to be shipped to the US. Now I get that it's because the FDA wants the companies to put the ridiculous health concern stickers on their products in English. But what don't understand is, why would the companies would refuse to do so?

I don't know if it's out of spite for the FDA, or if they're just slow to respond, but what I do know is that it's preventing me from trying Lucky Strike, Taboca, Montecristo, RyJ, Skruf, et c.

Anyone have some profound information on this? It seems to me like the companies are just missing out on a rather large customer base by not doing a simple translation of their "warning" label.

[Skell18]

Lucky Strike is not sold in the US for trademark reasons, nothing to do with the FDA. Lucky Strike here in Europe is made by a different company to the Lucky Strike in the US, same reason why real camel snus is not sold in the US.

[pris]

I beleive the main reason you can't get Montecristo and RyJ State-side is they contain Cuban tobacco.

[pris]

Oh, ref some brands not getting FDA approved I beleive as well as ensuring the cans have to carry the 'causes cancer' lies in the States they also have to submit an ingredient list. Maybe some companies don't want to share this and/or the US is not their target market. Not really sure.

[squeezyjohn]

Well - as Skell says Lucky Strike, the Swedish Camel Snus and Marlboro snus are for copyright reasons. Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta are made from Cuban tobacco and I believe there was and probably still is a ban on imports of Cuban goods to the USA.

I don't know the reason for Skruf - as you say there's probably a big potential market out there. Certainly the very small producers just found the expense and hoops they needed to jump through a right pain in the arse and it was too expensive for them. Maybe Skruf has taken a similar line.

Cheers

Squeezy

[mistahARK]

Well - as Skell says Lucky Strike, the Swedish Camel Snus and Marlboro snus are for copyright reasons. Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta are made from Cuban tobacco and I believe there was and probably still is a ban on imports of Cuban goods to the USA.

I don't know the reason for Skruf - as you say there's probably a big potential market out there. Certainly the very small producers just found the expense and hoops they needed to jump through a right pain in the arse and it was too expensive for them. Maybe Skruf has taken a similar line.

Cheers

Squeezy

Yeah I did a little more reading after posting this, and found out that apparently RJ Reynolds owns the Lucky Strike name in the US. Strange, because I can't remember the last time I saw anything Lucky Strike anywhere around here...Apparently the Camel snus is banned for the same reason as well. I wansn't aware there was another Marlboro snus besides the gas-station abomination I tried once, but I'm sure if there is, it suffered the same fate.

As for the Cuban tobacco comment, that seems to be the most likely reason. It's a sad world we live in...The more I read around, the more I realize how unbelievably stupid a lot of American policies are.

Does anyone know the best way to get Lucky Strike or Montecristo/RyJ/Taboca here in the states? Surely someone must have found a work-around by now.

[Roo]

Get your Skruf from buysnus homie. As for your Montecristo question, there used to be some retailers years ago, one was a German site snuskaufenonline.de, that would ship the Cuban-containing snus to the USA because they didn't give a shit, but then they started giving a shit. I'm sure people have found a new retailer from which to get these products but are keeping mum about it so as not to draw attention to the matter, but I could be wrong. Maybe the yanks are only getting these through trades anymore. One suggestion if you really want to try any of these products is to go on the Exchange and offer to send dip and chew to EU members in exchange for the banned snus you want to try. But for Skruf it's simple, just don't use Northerner.

[squeezyjohn]

Love your new avatar Roo!

A cheeky St. Bernardus ... what a beer. I have a crate of the ABT 12 in the post from Belgium as we speak - can't wait.

[chadizzy1]

I don't know if it's out of spite for the FDA, or if they're just slow to respond, but what I do know is that it's preventing me from trying Lucky Strike, Taboca, Montecristo, RyJ, Skruf, et c.

Skruf didn't register with the FDA so Northerner won't ship to the US. Get it from BuySnus.

JTI products such as LD and Gustavus are also not registered with the FDA, but BuySnus will not ship these to the US - so if you want them you still can't get them. When I spoke with JTI about this they gave me some mumbo jumbo about trade secrets or not wanting to make their ingredients/recipes known, apparently when you register with FDA they make said documents public domain. I dunno. But for some reason this is different from Skruf and BuySnus will not ship these products to the US, nor will any other site. I believe JTI specifically said, "Do not ship our products to the US."

Camel and Lucky Strike is due to trademark/brand restrictions. Cannot be sold to the US.

Montecristo and R&J are due to the inclusion of Cuban tobacco, of which there is an embargo against Cuba in the USA. There was also another site that would ship them to the US, but that site is shut down now. Cannot be sold to the US.

Does anyone know the best way to get Lucky Strike or Montecristo/RyJ/Taboca here in the states? Surely someone must have found a work-around by now.

To date there are no websites that will ship LD, Gustavus, Camel, Lucky Strike, R&J or Montecristo to the US. Your best best is to secure a friend overseas who can ship to you. There is no workaround or site that will ship the forbidden goods to you. Sadly.

[chadizzy1]

I wansn't aware there was another Marlboro snus besides the gas-station abomination I tried once, but I'm sure if there is, it suffered the same fate.

There is a Swedish Marlboro snus made by Swedish Match through the PMI joint partnership and it's amazing, one of the most flavorful snuses I've ever experienced, but sadly can't be sold to the USA. Its like comparing horse piss to a fine champagne, that's how much better it is to the BS Marlboro "snus" they sell here.

[Roo]

Love your new avatar Roo!

A cheeky St. Bernardus ... what a beer. I have a crate of the ABT 12 in the post from Belgium as we speak - can't wait.

Thanks Squeezy! I love abt 12. What a beer. I'm curious what you paid for the crate, exclusive of shipping. Abt 12 is fairly widely available here in Seattle, at GBP7.63 (USD12) per 750ml. What might it cost at a shop near to you?

[Skell18]

Thanks Squeezy! I love abt 12. What a beer. I'm curious what you paid for the crate, exclusive of shipping. Abt 12 is fairly widely available here in Seattle, at GBP7.63 (USD12) per 750ml. What might it cost at a shop near to you?

On those prices you're looking at £5-6 a pint (568ml), they sell it in a local wine bar by me for £3 a pint

[squeezyjohn]

I wouldn't drink it by the pint at 10% abv!!

A crate of 12 small 330ml bottles costs £28 which is about $44. It's not widely available in the UK apart from certain specialist shops which are not near me. When I bought the St Bernardus Christmas Beer (stronger at 12%!) in Brussells last time I was there it was about 8 Euros for the big 750ml bottles which is $10.

In the UK especially - but also in lots of northern european countries the alcohol duty (tax) is pretty high compared to the USA ... as with all other taxes I think.

[Skell18]

A bottle is £2.50 but its on tap a few times a month, its called the wine bar but it specialises in beers from around the globe and is nothing like the wine bars we know and love from the 80s and 90s. Its the only place in the UK I can buy kuppers kohlsch or any kind of kohlsch beer in a bar so I am always in there, anything is better than chavling and chavburg! Wouldn't clean my toilet with those excuses for beers.

[halocog]

I really, really need a European snus pimp. Tobacco pimp in general, actually. I would take several swift kicks in the testicles to get my hands on some Cuban tobacco snus, as well as Lucky Strike and real Camel.

As for the Lucky Strike, that's just RJ being a dick. Lucky Strike hasn't been sold in the U.S. for years.