Smoke shops drop lawsuit against new Fresno ordinance

Fresno’s move to regulate smoke shops throughout the city will now go unchallenged.

The California Smoke Shops Association has dropped its lawsuit against the city’s new ordinance that limits the number of smoke shops that can operate in the city.

The backstory: After years of developing a new law, the Fresno City Council passed an ordinance in April to limit the number of retail smoke shops to 49 – seven in each council district. • The ordinance requires smoke shops to apply for conditional use permits. All existing stores that do not receive the permits will be required to shut down by December 2026. • Further, the ordinance bans smoke shops from operating within 1,000 feet of sensitive use areas, such as schools, day cares, parks and community centers.

Flashback: Smoke shops resp