The City of Hoover currently has a moratorium in place for certain businesses.
Anyone seeking a CBD or vape shop operating license will not be able to obtain one.
Hoover City Council President John Lyda said more regulation of CBD dispensaries is needed at both the state and local level, and the moratorium on issuing business licenses to these types of establishments will provide time for that to happen. .
Lida said city officials will work closely with law enforcement and the Department of Economic Development to develop the best plan of action.
“We certainly want to allow these (businesses) to operate and allow residents and visitors to access them. We also want to make sure that it's done within the law. We want to make sure that the products that are being sold are being sold to adults and not minors…and that the products that are being sold are legal.” said Lida.
Lida pointed out that in 2019, the city council passed specific rules regarding where vape shops can and cannot open, but similar rules are not in place for CBD stores.
Regulations passed in 2019 state that within 500 feet of any residential property or within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school, child care facility, church, public library, or other space used primarily for youth-oriented activities. It is prohibited to open e-cigarette shops in
Lida says the lines can start to blur when it comes to CBD shops. Shops often apply for business licenses as CBD stores, but once open, they begin to resemble vape shops.
“This would allow the city to actually take a six-month hiatus. Vape shops and CBD shops are becoming very synonymous in how they operate, so the same rules should apply to CBD shops.” This is to consider whether
This short-term moratorium will allow us to discuss what steps we can take to regulate where these stores can and cannot be regulated, and businesses that sell CBD or vaping products as secondary products. This will give you time to review and monitor the types of products sold to ensure legality and safety.
BJ Autry, a local CBD business owner, said he supports the idea of tightening regulations for CBD shops in Hoover.
“We welcome regulation. We are not selling regulation, so we believe we are in a good position,” Autry said.
Additionally, he said he supports ending the sale of synthetic and potentially harmful products in the Hoover area. He said the suspension doesn't affect them at this time, but they are prepared to implement changes if they arise in the future.
This moratorium does not affect existing vape or CBD shops, only those considering applying for new business licenses while the city evaluates them throughout the remainder of this year.
