(Adds missing word "says" to headline, corrects spelling of "expectations" in second paragraph)

By Emma Rumney

(Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the sale of Juul's e-cigarette device and refill cartridges in tobacco and menthol flavors, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.

The decision follows wide expectations within the industry that the Trump administration would ease regulatory hurdles for launching new vapes and other smoking alternatives.

Some companies have seen FDA applications for new nicotine products languish for years or, like Juul, faced rejections they have challenged in court.

The FDA in 2022 had banned Juul's four varieties of tobacco and menthol-flavored pods and the e-cigarette device after it concluded that the company failed to show that the sale of these products would be appropriate for public health.

The ban was stayed a month later after an appeal by the company.

Neither Juul nor the FDA responded to Reuters' requests for comment.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the approval.