Baltimore City Council committee advances bill to regulate smoke shops

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Baltimore City Council will consider a bill limiting where smoke shops can open after the Land Use and Transportation Committee voted on Thursday.

The bill would require smoke shops to be at least 750 feet apart and 750 feet from any schools, parks or recreation centers.

A smoke shop is defined as a retail business that mainly sells or allows on-site use of tobacco products, vaping devices or related accessories, including items used to consume nicotine or cannabis. The business must have a state tobacco or vape-related license and dedicate at least 10% of its retail floor space to those products.

There are more than 1,200 smoke shops within the Baltimore city limits, putting the density at 15 shops per square mile, according to a 2024 report from the Maryland Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission. Baltimore residents have complained about loitering outside the establishments and said the light pollution has been disruptive to neighborhoods.

Read the full story on the Baltimore Sun.