WASHINGTON – The announcement from the White House that the U.S. is normalizing relations with Cuba has myriad implications, but one item is front and center in the minds of cigar lovers:  Smoking Cuban stogies is now legal.

New regulations allow “licensed American travelers” to return from Cuba with, at most, $100 worth of cigars.

Americans have not been legally able to do that since 1962.

“I think it’s a great idea,” says Sammy Zarok, a smoker at the Civil Cigar Lounge in the Chevy Chase Pavilion.

“People actually have been waiting for this moment,” he says.

While the relaxed restrictions allow travelers to bring Cuban cigars into the U.S., they can be for personal use only.  Selling them remains prohibited.

Still, the change is a significant one for industry watchers and cigar lovers alike.

“As a cigar aficionado I’m excited,” adds Zarok.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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