Hawaii’s largest vape retailer Volcano E-cigs to close 13 stores on 31 December

Volcano E-cigs will cease trading at all 13 of its Hawaii locations on 31 December, one day before two new state laws take effect, the company told the state this week. The closure puts about 56 jobs at risk.

The retailer has operated since 2009 and runs stores on three islands. Its chief operating officer, Scott Rasak, said the new laws leave no shelf space for the products the chain sells.

Two laws take effect on 1 January

From 1 January, Hawaii prohibits the sale of disposable e-cigarette devices. A second law restricts sales to products the Food and Drug Administration has authorised.

Kevin Ramirez, programme manager for the Coalition For A Tobacco-Free Hawaii, said the laws aim to cut the number of products available in the state from about 7,000 to roughly 48. State House Consumer Protection and Commerce chair Scot Matayoshi, among the lawmakers behind the bills, said the restrictions target flavoured varieties marketed to young people.

Rasak described the outcome for shops that stay open: empty shelves, or trading outside the law. He argued the restrictions will push sales to informal, cash-only channels and remove the licensed route that age-gated stores currently use.

What changes for retailers, distributors and brands

Hawaii’s market narrows sharply from January. Retailers selling disposable devices or flavours without FDA authorisation lose their legal route to sale in the state, and any stock ordered for the first quarter of next year carries that risk.

For suppliers and distributors, the practical test is whether each SKU appears on the FDA authorised list. VapeBrief’s analysis: shipments bound for Hawaii need authorisation checks before dispatch, and brands without authorised products lose a state channel rather than a single account. Volcano’s exit removes one of the larger multi-store buyers from that channel.

The compliance question sits with enforcement

The source text does not say how the state will police the new rules or what penalties apply, and neither lawmaker nor retailer addressed that in the account. Rasak’s claim that sales will move to a black market is his prediction, not a finding.

Matayoshi said the laws are intended to prevent youth nicotine addiction, citing effects on students’ learning and focus. Ramirez said FDA authorisation reflects the agency’s research on which products are unlikely to appeal to young people.

Closure timing and staff

Volcano timed the shutdown to the day before the laws commence. The company said it would lay off about 56 people. It had marketed itself as Hawaii’s original vape shop.

Retailers and distributors in the state should confirm which of their products hold FDA authorisation before 1 January, when both laws take effect and Volcano’s stores close.

Questions readers ask

When do Hawaii's new vape laws take effect?

Both laws take effect on 1 January, the day after Volcano E-cigs closes its 13 stores on 31 December.

Which products can Hawaii retailers sell from January?

Sales are limited to e-cigarette products the Food and Drug Administration has authorised, and disposable devices are prohibited.