City of Fresno cracking down on smoke shops

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno City Council is moving guardant connected a projected ordinance to ace down connected unregulated fume shops crossed the city.

City councilmembers Miguel Arias and Nelson Esparza on with metropolis lawyer Andrew Janz gathered contiguous to speech astir the issue.

They accidental determination are excessively galore fume shops successful the city.

"It's much than 640 establishments that merchantability baccy successful our city. Additionally, astir 125 licensed fume shops positive hundreds of further fume shops that are not licensed," metropolis councilmember Miguel Arias explained.

Code enforcement teams from the metropolis of Fresno and authorities Attorney General Rob Bonta inspected 31 fume shops successful Fresno-of those 96% were violating metropolis and authorities laws.

"The fume store manufacture successful Fresno is engaging successful wide illicit activity," Arias said. "The merchantability of cannabis, vaping products to minors, gambling and metropolis codification violations that endanger the wellness and information of our neighborhoods."

During the inspections, the metropolis collected immoderate amerciable inventory and sometimes weapons.

Among the fume shops inspected, Shakalala Smoke Shop connected Van Ness and Belmont successful the operation district. The metropolis says they recovered respective violations there. Action News asked the store for remark but they declined our petition for an interview.

The president of the California Association of Retail Tobacconists, Charles Janigian, says determination should beryllium consequences for fume shops breaking the law.

"If they're operating illegally - if and that's a large if-and they bash not person a retail baccy licence from the authorities of California, they should beryllium closed," Janigian said. "If they are attempting to merchantability marijuana oregon thing other similar that and they bash not person the due license, they should beryllium closed."

Fresno metropolis councilmember Miguel Arias said the metropolis tin lone good those fume shops who are operating illegally.

"Even though we are uncovering weapons, collecting the amerciable inventory and uncovering the concern owners, we are not capable to unopen them down," Arias explained. "That's wherefore we request a citywide argumentation that allows to unopen down these establishments erstwhile we drawback them with these violations."

The projected ordinance would necessitate fume shops to person a conditional usage permit, metropolis baccy retail license, yearly inspections, revised hours and more.

However, the metropolis has already stopped issuing permits for caller fume shops.

"To effort to prohibition ineligible operations wrong Fresno would beryllium a devastating stroke to imaginable hardworking retail operators who privation to ain a tiny business," Janigian said.

The projected ordinance volition proceed to beryllium revised earlier being taken to the readying committee and yet metropolis assembly successful the spring.

The metropolis volition proceed its enforcement, cod weapons and amerciable inventory, and enforce important fines successful the meantime.

Smoke shops that interruption the projected ordinance volition beryllium fixed clip to unopen down.

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