The CEO of Marlboro maker Philip Morris International, which was spun off from Altria, the U.S. maker of Marlboros, spoke to Bloomberg about his openness to entering the cannabis market.
- Philip Morris is “assessing factors like the toxicity of cannabis, efficacy and differences between pharmaceutical and consumer options,” CEO Andre Calantzopoulos said.
- He implied the focus would be on smoke-free products.
- Bloomberg: “It could be part of the company’s ‘Beyond Nicotine’ strategy, which includes adding botanicals to expand risk-reduced products with new flavors like cloves, star anise or chamomile. Areas of opportunity could also include sleep aid, energy or calm control,” the company has said.
- Altria has invested in Canadian player Cronos Group and has waded into lobbying on various aspects of federal and state U.S. cannabis policy.
- The FDA moved to ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.
CNN
Quick Hit
- A Denver hotelier wants to take 420-friendly lodging national.
Westword
