Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House approves smoke‑shop restrictions aimed at curbing synthetic‑drug sales; bill sets sales thresholds and location limits
Summary
Lawmakers amended and passed HB95 to create licensing and zoning rules for retail tobacco specialty businesses ("smoke shops"), set sales‑share thresholds (35% and 45% in amended text), require age‑19 minimum entry, and bar such shops within 1,000 feet of schools and other child‑focused facilities; sponsors said the bill targets shops used as fronts for 'spice' and similar synthetic drugs.
The Utah House on Feb. 15 approved an amended version of House Bill 95 to regulate retail tobacco specialty businesses commonly described as "smoke shops," citing evidence that many such outlets have been fronts for selling synthetic cannabinoids (often called "spice") and other illegal paraphernalia.
Sponsor Representative Wray (floor ID 24) moved numerical changes to the bill that were adopted on the floor: replacing a 30% sales threshold with 35% and changing a separate threshold from 50% to 45% (lines…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
