FDA Authorizes JUUL2: What It Means for JUUL Users in Kuwait

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Last reviewed: September 2026

In short: on 28 August 2026 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced marketing authorisation for three new JUUL products: the JUUL2 device, a tobacco-flavoured pod and a menthol-flavoured pod, both at 18 mg/mL nicotine. The decision applies to the US market only, and it does not mean the products are “safe” or “FDA approved” — those are the FDA’s own words. Below is the full story, and what it means for JUUL users in Kuwait.

What exactly happened?

The FDA issued marketing granted orders for three products in JUUL Labs’ JUUL2 system, after reviewing the premarket tobacco product applications (PMTAs) the company filed in 2023. The three products are:

  • The JUUL2 device itself.
  • A tobacco-flavoured JUUL2 pod — 18 mg/mL nicotine (roughly 1.5–1.6%).
  • A menthol-flavoured JUUL2 pod — at the same 18 mg/mL.

The order letter to the company is dated 27 August 2026 and the announcement followed the next day. According to the agency, this brings the number of e-cigarette products authorised by the FDA to 48.

Why it matters: a decade of back and forth

JUUL’s history with US regulators is one of the longest-running stories in vaping, and the August 2026 decision is its latest chapter.

2015 — launch and rapid growth

JUUL launched its pod device in the US in 2015 and it spread quickly among adult smokers — but also reached some teenagers, which brought heavy regulatory and media pressure. Under that pressure the company withdrew flavours such as mango and crème from the US market itself, leaving only tobacco and menthol.

June 2022 — denial, then a stay

On 23 June 2022 the FDA denied marketing authorisation for all JUUL products, saying the applications lacked sufficient evidence on the products’ toxicological profile. The orders did not hold for long: within days they were stayed, and the agency said some scientific issues warranted further review, so the products stayed on sale in the meantime.

June 2024 — the denials rescinded

After two years of review the FDA formally rescinded the 2022 denial orders. It was clear that rescission was neither an authorisation nor a denial; it simply returned the applications to pending review, partly in light of new case law.

April 2025 — the Supreme Court weighs in

During that period the FDA faced many lawsuits from companies whose products had been refused, accusing it of changing the assessment standards on manufacturers. On 2 April 2025 the US Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in FDA v. Wages and White Lion Investments, rejecting the argument that the agency had acted arbitrarily in changing its position. The irony is that some of the flexibility the FDA showed on JUUL came in response to lower-court rulings that the Supreme Court did not follow a year later.

July 2025 — JUUL’s first authorisation

On 17 July 2025 the FDA authorised JUUL products for the first time: the first-generation device plus Virginia Tobacco and Menthol pods at 3% and 5%. Roughly a year later came the JUUL2 authorisation.

On what basis did the FDA authorise it?

The US legal standard is that marketing the product must be “appropriate for the protection of the public health” as a whole. The agency weighs the product’s effect on adult smokers who may switch to it completely against the risk of drawing in people who did not smoke before — especially young people.

In its announcement the FDA said explicitly that the menthol pod carries a risk factor in its appeal to young people, but concluded that the overall balance supported authorisation. The orders therefore come with strict marketing restrictions: advertising must target adults above the legal age only, using age-verified data, with set audience thresholds for any TV or radio advertising.

Most importantly: the FDA repeats in every JUUL decision that authorisation does not mean the product is safe, and the company may not describe it as “FDA approved”. The agency is clear: people who do not use tobacco products should not start, and young people should never use them.

What it means for JUUL users in Kuwait

This is a purely US decision and it changes nothing in Kuwait’s rules. But it tells you something useful about the product in your hand:

  • JUUL2 is now authorised in one of the world’s toughest regulatory markets. The review took three years, from 2023 to 2026, and covered ingredient data, product stability and batch testing before release.
  • The authorised strength is 18 mg/mL — the same strength as the JUUL2 Virginia Tobacco, Crisp Menthol and Polar Menthol pods we stock.
  • First-generation pods at 5% have been authorised in the US since July 2025 — the same strength as our JUUL Virginia Tobacco and JUUL Menthol pods (50 mg).
  • The two generations do not share pods. A JUUL2 pod fits the JUUL2 device only, and an original pod fits the original device only. Full details in our JUUL Kuwait guide: JUUL2 vs the original.

If you want to compare stores before deciding, you can also see the JUUL2 device at Gulf Services Vape, along with their JUUL2 Virginia Tobacco pods and the first-generation JUUL device.

What comes next for JUUL?

The company has said it plans to file new applications for JUUL2 pods at nicotine strengths above 18 mg and in flavours beyond tobacco and menthol. We will update this page when there is a new decision.

JUUL2 FDA authorisation — FAQ

Did the FDA “approve” JUUL2?

Not in the strict sense. The FDA issued a marketing authorisation that allows it to be sold legally to adults in the US, and it states plainly that this does not mean the product is safe or “FDA approved”, and forbids the company from using that description.

When was JUUL2 authorised in the US?

The FDA announced the decision on 28 August 2026; the order letter to the company is dated 27 August 2026, following an application JUUL filed in 2023.

Which products does the authorisation cover?

Three products: the JUUL2 device, a tobacco-flavoured JUUL2 pod and a menthol-flavoured JUUL2 pod, both pods at 18 mg/mL.

Does the decision change anything in Kuwait?

No. The authorisation applies to the US market only and does not affect Kuwait’s rules. It does show which specifications the FDA reviewed, such as the 18 mg/mL strength of JUUL2 pods.

Are your JUUL2 pods the same strength as the authorised ones?

Yes, the JUUL2 pods we stock are 18 mg/mL. First-generation pods are 50 mg (5%), a strength authorised in the US since July 2025.

Official sources

Want JUUL2 or its pods? Get in touch

All our JUUL products are genuine and in stock at our Salmiya and Rigai branches; the full range is on the JUUL brand page.

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