BALTIMORE, Md. — Baltimore City leaders are moving forward with a new effort to crack down on smoke shops that sell unlicensed cannabis and other illegal substances.
The Baltimore City Council has approved legislation that would let police padlock smoke shops that repeatedly violate the law.
"Either you roll with us, or you're going to get padlocked down. It's just that simple," said Baltimore City Council Member Antonio Glover, a co-sponsor of the bill.
City Council President Zeke Cohen said the goal of the legislation is to address what he called a growing public health and public safety issue across Baltimore.
Baltimore has more than 1,400 smoke shops, according to Cohen.
"Baltimoreans welcome great, local small businesses; we welcome grocery stores, we do not welcome predatory smoke shops that are selling poison," Cohen said.
Council Member Jermaine Jones said neighbors have long expressed concerns about illegal sales at some smoke shops and have worked with police to stop them.
"In collaboration with BPD in raiding some of these smoke shops, getting marijuana and other illegal items out of the smoke shops, just to see it 48 hours later open right back up," Jones said.
Supporters say the new law closes a loophole that has allowed some businesses to continue operating after repeated violations.
Under the legislation, repeat offenders could be brought before the Office of Administrative Hearings. Baltimore Police would then have the ability to impose escalating penalties, including padlocking the business.
"This gives law enforcement the power to padlock repeat bad actors," Cohen said. "That means we will shut you down."
This is the second phase of a three-part strategy city leaders have outlined to regulate smoke shops.
The first phase focused on zoning restrictions. A third phase, which has not yet been introduced, is expected to address the bright and often colorful window signage commonly displayed by smoke shops.
"They make our communities look like red-light districts," said community advocate Rita Crews. "They have all these neon signs, all these colorful signs just begging for our children to enter."
Cohen said the city's goal is not to punish law-abiding businesses, but to target establishments that put neighbors at risk.
"We want all businesses in Baltimore to thrive and succeed, but if you are harming our kids and our communities, you have no place in our city," Cohen said.
The bill now awaits Mayor Brandon Scott's signature.
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