Richmond officials and smoke shop owners are weighing the future of the city’s tobacco and hemp stores, following the recent approval of restrictions on new shops. Council members say they now plan to work with state lawmakers to develop legislation addressing issues local authorities cannot regulate. 

City Council Vice Chair Katherine Jordan said the next step is exploring potential bills with local state representatives to bring before the General Assembly. “I’m thrilled that we got through step one, but there’s a lot more work left to do,” she said. 

The restrictions, shaped last year after years of City Hall debate, were approved during a recent evening meeting after Jordan successfully added the ordinance to the agenda. The measure bars new stores within 1,000 feet of schools, residential districts, parks, places of worship and other locations. 

Jordan said she is driven to address the expansion of smoke shops by frequent complaints raised by residents and her 2nd District constituents over their presence and by small businesses struggling to establish themselves. 

“It comes up in every conversation,” Jordan said. “People want to see something done to rein it in.” 

The City Council lacked the authority to address smoke shop locations until a law passed last year gave localities the power to regulate and restrict them. Richmond and other cities have moved quickly to take advantage of the new legislation. 

Tad Edmonds, manager of Capitol Smoke Richmond, said stronger regulation of smoke shops would be welcome. While his store strives to follow the law, he said other businesses openly defy bans on certain products and sales. 

Edmonds believes that stricter enforcement of laws is needed to curb the increase in smoke shops, as his and other law-abiding businesses in the industry will be able to navigate any changes legally and safely. 

“We’ve dealt with new waves of regulations before,” Edmonds said. “We’ll deal with them again.” 

Jordan and Edmonds cited key issues that need addressing, including the sale of illegal synthetic products, sales to minors, and uneven enforcement of existing regulations. 

But while Jordan is optimistic that state lawmakers understand the issues localities face in regulating the industry, Edmonds is less sure, warning that rules could still be unfairly enforced. 

Jordan is urging the Richmond community to help regulate the industry, encouraging local businesses to share concerns with their representatives and residents to report store issues and stay informed. 

“I’m going to be looking to our General Assembly and our partners on these topics for ways we can continue to protect public health,” Jordan said.