I remember telling Virginia retailers in 2006, as they confronted the first threat of smoking-ban legislation in the state’s history, that “politics is now in your job description.” That was the beginning of the Cigar Association of Virginia. Since then, more than half the nation has taken steps to form state alliances that help defend the interests of America’s community tobacconists.
The model is based on one of the truest lines ever uttered: “All politics is local.” Legislators would rather hear from their constituents than from “hired guns.” It is also a model followed by special-interest groups across the country. Health care organizations, chambers of commerce, firearms groups and virtually every industry sector have state chapters that reinforce their grassroots communications and advocacy.
Over the past two decades, the level of advocacy sophistication within the cigar industry has risen exponentially. Retailers have organized at the state level, formed boards of directors, adopted bylaws, established dues structures, retained professional lobbyists, organized political action committees and coordinated outreach to lawmakers—from city halls to state capitols.
The results have been remarkable. Tax increases have been defeated, tax caps have been enacted, smoking bans have been curtailed, cigar bar bills have been passed and our side has been heard. Community tobacconists who once focused solely on selling cigars and pipe tobacco are now delivering legislative testimony, hosting lawmakers for cigar shop town halls and circulating petitions among their customers.
The Premium Cigar Association (PCA) offers a range of support services to reinforce these efforts. These include providing a handbook on how to organize a state association, coordinating grassroots campaigns, facilitating outreach to legislators, drafting testimony, building coalitions and offering a matching-fund program to support lobbying and legal services.
The following states and regions have established associations or have associations in formation:
- New England region: Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut
- Northeast: New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
- South: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas
- Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa
- West: California, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado
To obtain state association contacts or learn how you can support and become involved in these efforts, please contact Glynn Loope, PCA director of state advocacy, at glynn@premiumcigars.org.
– Photo: Adobe Stock.
This story first appeared in the 2026 PCA Annual. To receive a copy of this magazine, you must be a current PCA member. Join or renew today.
