The Stockton City Council unanimously approved an urgency ordinance that amends the city’s tobacco retail licensing rules, aiming to curb the spread of smoke shops and strengthen enforcement against illegal sales, especially those targeting youth.
The ordinance went into effect immediately when it was passed last week to avoid a regulatory gap before a year-long moratorium on new smoke shops was set to expire March 2.
Stockton has seen an increase in tobacco retailers, commonly known as smoke shops, that sell cigarettes, vaping products and other tobacco items, according to city documents and staff. City officials report these businesses have become sites of illegal activities like flavored tobacco sales, which are banned under state law, and associations with unlicensed cannabis and drug paraphernalia…