SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As Californians consider major Election Day initiatives that will affect smoking and vaping residents, convenience-store retailers across the country consider the weight trends from the Golden State have had on the rest of the country.
The Nov. 8 ballot has California voters deciding on a $2-per-pack increase on cigarettes (with comparable tax increases on OTP and e-cigarettes), as well as the question of legalizing recreational marijuana use.
In terms of these issues, California is an important battleground because policies approved there tend to be adopted by other municipalities, according to a Bloomberg report. The state’s 39 million people—compared to 26 million in Texas and just under 20 million in New York—bring weight to any tobacco-tax decision, possibly deterring anti-tobacco advocates in more conservative states from pursuing similar changes if the California measure fails, the New York-based news agency said.
Here are big California trends that will continue to influence c-stores …