GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — As a legal battle plays out over hemp regulations in Tennessee, one city has looked to slow the number of new vape shops popping up.
A Goodlettsville ordinance under consideration would, essentially, ban new shops from opening, but not everyone is on board. The city’s board of commissioners are set to have a second reading Thursday for the ordinance, which would regulate shops within the city limits.
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The ordinance would impact stores with more than 25% of their sales floor dedicated to products like vape, tobacco, kratom or similar materials.
Commissioners first discussed the proposal on Dec. 5 and asked those who proposed the ordinance what its goals would be. Some leaders pointed to the potential negative health impacts caused by various products. On Thursday, commissioners will consider the following as included in the ordinance:
- Limits the number of specialty smoke and vape shops to a total of one per 5,000 of the city of Goodlettsville’s population
- Prohibits new specialty shops from opening within 2,460 feet — or about a half-mile — of another specialty shop
- Prohibits smoke shops from being located within 500 feet of a public or private school, day care, public park property
- Grandfathers in all existing Specialty Smoke and Vape Shops are grandfathered
However, consumers like Phillip May said this ordinance would be too restrictive.
“When you do it that way, when you hide everything out, it really makes it more secretive and more of an issue,” May said. “What bad comes out of it just being there and them being close together? I mean, it’s a business. It sells the same stuff as other businesses do in other states.”
The ordinance would go into effect fifteen days after the date of passage.
