At the end of January, I went on my first tradeshow trip of the year to Total Products Expo, or TPE, formerly known as Tobacco Products Expo.
While it was nice taking a break from business travel during the winter, getting back on the show floor was fun. (And Las Vegas is always a good time—if you’re there for a show this year, check out The Sphere Experience: Postcard from Earth. It was amazing.)
A few things stood out to me as I walked the TPE show floor:
- Everyone is making modern oral nicotine pouches. It’s not just the Zyns, Ons and Rogues anymore, nicotine pouches are everywhere and they’re here to stay.
- Low-nicotine products are popping up more. From 22nd Century Group’s VLN (very low nicotine) cigarettes to Kretek’s tobacco-free Splash menthols, low-nicotine cigarettes appear to be gaining steam. These can provide an alternative in restrictive markets, or an option for consumers if federal regulation to lower the minimum nicotine level allowed in cigarettes ever comes to fruition.
- I had never heard of 7-Hydroxymitragynine tablets before I went to TPE. It is an active metabolite of mitragynine, more commonly known as kratom, or a plant native to Southeast Asia, according to the National Library of Medicine. “Recently, growing use of the plant in the United States and concerns that kratom represents an uncontrolled drug with potential abuse liability, have highlighted the need for more careful study of its pharmacological activity,” its website states. Some c-store chains have already been selling kratom products, but I’m not sure yet if 7-Hydroxymitragynine has made it to many shelves. Roxy Kratom Tablets and 7Tabz were a couple of the brands I saw at the show. I’ll be keeping my eye on them and trying to learn more about these products, which people at the show told me are mainly used for relaxation.
TPE was held Jan. 29-31 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It included displays from more than 500 exhibitors with products covering the spectrum of tobacco, cigar, vape, alternative and general merchandise. The event is hosted by Kretek International, Moorpark, California.
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