Baltimore City Council Cracks Down on Illegal Smoke Shop Sales

Officials cite public health concerns and aim to shut down criminal enterprises

Mar. 20, 2026 at 6:27am

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The Baltimore City Council is taking action to address the proliferation of illegal and unregistered sales at smoke shops across the city. Council President Zeke Cohen and Councilman Antonio Glover say these shops are selling a range of unlicensed and potentially dangerous products, including cannabis, flavored vapes, and items that may be laced with fentanyl. The council is proposing new legislation to enable law enforcement to shut down these "criminal enterprises" and is also working to increase enforcement staffing at agencies like the health department.

Why it matters

The city is treating the issue of illegal smoke shops as a public health emergency, citing concerns about the exposure of children to toxic chemicals and the potential for these shops to create a new generation of addicts. The council is determined to crack down on these businesses, which they say are wreaking havoc on Baltimore communities.

The details

The Baltimore City Council held a hearing to address the scope of the problem and the resources available to tackle it. Both the Baltimore City Health Department and the Baltimore City Sheriff's Office said they can issue citations to businesses for illegal sales to minors, with the health department issuing nearly 200 such citations in the past year. The Baltimore Police Department has also executed search warrants at smoke shops, including one this week that led to the arrest of a 22-year-old man allegedly selling marijuana products while posing as an armed security guard.

  • On Tuesday, Baltimore police executed a search warrant at a smoke shop in the 2100 block of East Monument Street and arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly selling marijuana products while posing as an armed security guard.
  • In the past year, the Baltimore City Health Department has issued just under 200 citations to businesses for illegal sales to minors.

The players

Zeke Cohen

Baltimore City Council President, who says the proliferation of smoke shops is a "public health emergency" and that children should not be exposed to the "toxic chemicals" being sold.

Antonio Glover

Baltimore City Councilman for District 13, who says his constituents have reported children getting sick after obtaining illegal products from smoke shops.

Baltimore City Health Department

The agency that has issued nearly 200 citations to businesses for illegal sales to minors in the past year and is looking to add two new full-time enforcement officer positions.

Baltimore Police Department

The department has executed search warrants at smoke shops, including one this week that led to an arrest, but says it lacks authorization to shut down these businesses.

Baltimore City Sheriff's Office

An agency that, along with the health department, can issue citations to businesses for illegal sales to minors.

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What they’re saying

“It is a public health emergency, the amount of smoke shops that are popping up in Baltimore. Our children should not be exposed to these toxic chemicals. We're going into shops and seeing they're selling all kinds of unlicensed, unregistered cannabis products. They're selling flavored vapes, which is illegal.”

— Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Council President

“Not just that, we've been also going from store to store, making sure these stores are in compliance with the law (and) a lot of them are out of compliance. We've also witnessed young people coming in and out of establishments as well.”

— Antonio Glover, Baltimore City Councilman, District 13

“This is a massive problem for the city. It is proliferating at a fast clip, and we have to get our arms around it. That's why I'm grateful to my colleague, Councilman Glover, for his leadership in this space, as well as all of our partners that we're (hearing) from.”

— Zeke Cohen, Baltimore City Council President

“I want to be clear, we're not anti-business. We're anti those individuals who are making sure they (wreak) havoc to our community, which we do not want. These are our young people. These are us creating those next generation of addicts, which we do not want to see here in the city of Baltimore.”

— Antonio Glover, Baltimore City Councilman, District 13

What’s next

Cohen and Glover will formally announce new legislation during Monday's city council hearing that would enable law enforcement to padlock and shut down the 'criminal enterprises' operating as illegal smoke shops. The council is also considering other proposals, such as banning smoke shops within 500 feet of schools, recreation centers or parks, and within 1,500 feet of another smoke shop.

The takeaway

The Baltimore City Council is taking aggressive action to address the proliferation of illegal and unregistered sales at smoke shops, which they view as a public health crisis that is exposing children to dangerous products and fueling addiction. By proposing new enforcement tools and increasing staffing at regulatory agencies, the council aims to shut down these 'criminal enterprises' and protect Baltimore communities.