LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Yet another Northeast Ohio community is examining the influx of smoke and vape businesses.
Last week, Lakewood City Council passed a moratorium on the opening of additional businesses through the end of the year.
“Under our zoning code, smoke and vape shops are regulated like any other commercial business, but we’ve noticed more of them in town,” said Lakewood City Council Vice President Kyle Baker, who along with Mayor Meghan George introduced the resolution.
“I counted more than 10 in Lakewood along our commercial corridors. We also received constituent calls about them so we want to pause as we update our zoning code to make sure that we were regulating them appropriately.”
The resolution defines a smoke/vape shop as any retail business that has at least 20% of its shelf space dedicated to smoke shop products.
This includes CBD, Kratom and/or hemp-derived or synthetic cannabinoids.
A letter to City Council stressed the legislation doesn’t include state licensed medical or recreational marijuana dispensaries.
“It’s products that aren’t regulated by the FDA,” he said.
The impetus for the moratorium stems from the examination of the existing zoning code, which doesn’t address the actual and potential impacts of smoke/vapes shops in terms of access, building quality and aesthetics, lights and noise control, available and appropriate locations, use, saturation and environment.
Baker, who is also the Ward 1 councilman, hopes to have updated legislation passed by the end of the year.
“Any shop that is currently operating is able to continue what they’re doing,” he said.
“And then going forward, Lakewood will have a more comprehensive zoning refresh.”
While the moratorium targets smoke and vape shops, Baker stressed the motivation behind Council’s decision.
“I’d like folks to know we’re concerned about land use on our commercial corridors and making sure it’s compatible with what Lakewood wants,” he said.
“We’re not expressing some moral judgment on vaping.”
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