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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Over 100 fume shops volition beryllium ceasing operations aft the City of Fresno voted to walk a long-disputed ordinance Thursday.
The Smoke Shop Text Amendment, an ordinance that strengthens oversight and regularisation of fume shops successful the City of Fresno, was passed with a bulk ballot during Thursday's metropolis assembly meeting.
The ordinance volition unopen down implicit 100 fume shops citywide, allowing a maximum of 7 per assembly territory and capping the fig of businesses astatine 49. The fume shops that bash stay volition beryllium closed for longer — the caller ordinance limits store hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
New fume shops volition besides beryllium prohibited from opening wrong 1,000 feet of different fume shops, schools, parks, and daycare centers.
The proposal’s proponents accidental the determination volition assistance support Fresno's younker harmless and trim amerciable activity, which Arias said has been found successful 95% of shops inspected.
“As elected leaders, we person a work to support the wellness and information of our residents, and contiguous we honored that responsibility. With the support of this substance amendment, we are combatting the unchecked emergence of astir 150 unregulated fume shops, galore with a agelong past of selling amerciable products to minors, engaging successful gambling, quality trafficking, and amerciable cannabis sales, and lasting with families who merit harmless and steadfast neighborhoods,” said Council Vice President Miguel Arias.
The caller regulations volition instrumentality effect successful June 2025, but existing businesses volition beryllium fixed an 18-month amortization play to travel into compliance with the caller rules.
The ordinance was archetypal introduced successful October 2023 and is the effect of 1.5 years of assemblage engagement, nationalist testimony, and elaborate unit analysis. The past ballot connected March 13 failed to walk aft dividing metropolis assembly members 3-3.
