City approves smoke shop rules

The city of Woodstock is moving to place more oversight over specialty “smoke shops.”

The Woodstock City Council Monday night adopted a pair of ordinance changes on the issue.

One defines tobacco specialty shops as any enterprise that displays, sells and markets tobacco products and paraphernalia, including various types of pipes and bongs, e-cigarettes, hookahs and vaporizers. It also specifies that grocery and convenience stores that sell primarily conventional cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco as an ancillary item aren’t included.

Another change requires a special-use permit for such places to be in the downtown central business, commercial mixed-use and general commercial districts.

City manager Jeff Moon said the regulatory move was made because of a proliferation of such enterprises, as well as word that some area shops had been busted for selling illegal items.