Henrico supervisors to weigh broader regulations on shops selling vapes, smoking products

On Tuesday night, the Henrico Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on an ordinance that would apply vape shop regulations to other stores selling similar substance-related products.

Businesses looking to establish stores that sell substances such as vapes, tobacco, cannabis, edibles, kratom, or nicotine products would need to get a provisional use permit, and must locate shops at least 1,000 feet away from a school and 2,000 feet away from religious institutions, childcare centers, public parks, and other smoke shops. 

The new rules also would broaden the definition of a vape or smoking shop. Currently, stores that keep less than 15% of their display spaces filled with smoking products do not fall under the restrictions for vape shops, but that threshold would be changed to 5%.

The ordinance is one of Henrico’s recent efforts to crack down on the growing number of vape shops in the county. As of August, that number was 74, but county officials said they worried stores would continue to pop up.

County leaders also said that many vape shops have been masking as convenience stores to skirt local regulations, with some businesses operating without a business license or zoning confirmation, or even lying on applications to the county.

The Henrico Planning Commission has recommended that the board approve the new regulations. The board will vote on the ordinance at a 6 p.m. meeting on Tuesday, as well as other items such as an engineering contract for the East End Water Transmission Main, a contract for stream and wetland restoration projects, and amendments to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Annual Financial Plan.

At 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, the board will hold a special meeting with an update on sustainability efforts and Henrico’s wetland bank.

Liana Hardy is the Citizen’s government and education reporter. Support her work and articles like this one by making a contribution to the Citizen.