Key Points
- Ecto World, operating as Demand Vape, hired Roger Stone to lobby the Executive Office of the President on vaping and related product regulation.
- The company had paid at least $300,000 for the lobbying work through June 30.
- New York State announced a seizure of more than 28,500 pounds of vaping products associated with Ecto World in March.
- New York City and New York State have both taken legal or enforcement action involving Demand Vape/Ecto World, but no direct causal link between the lobbying and any specific outcome has been established.
2Firsts
September 8, 2026
According to a recent report by The Cool Down, New York vape distributor Ecto World, which operates as Demand Vape, hired political consultant Roger Stone to lobby the Executive Office of the President on regulation of vaping and related products while the company was facing enforcement pressure and litigation in New York.
Public lobbying disclosures show that Ecto World had paid at least $300,000 for the work through June 30, 2026.
Demand Vape Hires Roger Stone for White House Lobbying
The Cool Down, citing reporting by Mother Jones, said Stone was retained by Ecto World to lobby the Executive Office of the President on “vaping and related product regulation.”
The disclosures show that the effort was conducted through formal federal lobbying channels rather than an isolated meeting.
Ecto World operates in the U.S. vape distribution market under the Demand Vape name, distributing vaping devices, e-liquids and related products.
The company has framed the Stone engagement as part of an effort to address what it views as problems in the current regulatory system.
Public records do not show that the lobbying has produced a specific policy change or that the White House altered its regulatory position toward Demand Vape or related products as a result.
New York Seized More Than 28,500 Pounds of Related Products
The federal lobbying effort comes as Demand Vape faces growing enforcement pressure in New York.
In March 2026, the New York governor’s office announced that state health officials, working with law enforcement in Nassau and Orange counties, had seized more than 28,500 pounds of vaping products linked to Ecto World after a multi-month investigation.
The state said Ecto World also operates under the Demand Vape name and alleged that the company shipped large quantities of vaping products to secondary distributors and unlicensed retailers.
Related criminal charges were left to local district attorneys.
The action shows that Demand Vape’s regulatory exposure has moved beyond routine compliance scrutiny and into formal state and local enforcement proceedings.
New York City Previously Sued Demand Vape
Demand Vape has also faced legal action from New York City.
In 2023, the city filed suit against Ecto World, Magellan Technology and related executives, identifying Ecto World in the complaint as Demand Vape.
The city alleged that the defendants sold and distributed flavored vaping products in New York City and sought injunctive relief, damages and civil penalties.
Demand Vape is therefore facing pressure across multiple levels of government: local and state enforcement on one side, while simultaneously seeking engagement with federal policymakers on broader vape regulation.
Company Seeks Federal-Level Regulatory Engagement
For vape companies, federal policy has direct implications for product authorization, market access and enforcement.
Demand Vape’s decision to retain Stone to lobby the Executive Office of the President shows the company extending its regulatory engagement beyond state and local authorities to the federal level.
Federal lobbying is a lawful form of policy advocacy and does not itself constitute interference with enforcement.
The public record supports a narrower conclusion: Demand Vape is facing legal and enforcement pressure in New York while spending at least $300,000 through formal lobbying channels to seek federal engagement on vaping regulation.
A Multi-Level Regulatory Strategy
The broader industry significance lies in how vape businesses respond to regulation across different levels of government.
New York State and New York City can exert pressure through local sales restrictions, enforcement actions and litigation, while federal FDA policy and broader administrative decisions shape national market access.
For distributors, compliance risk therefore extends well beyond a single jurisdiction.
Demand Vape’s decision to hire Roger Stone shows one way a company under local enforcement pressure may also pursue federal political and policy engagement.
So far, however, there is no public evidence that the lobbying has altered any specific enforcement action or regulatory decision.
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Cover Image: The Cool Down
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