Stockton police said 13 smoke shops closed after inspections and enforcement actions targeting illegal tobacco sales and other violations. That operation is separate from a Riverside enforcement effort that also led to reported smoke-shop closures.
A Separate Riverside Operation Reported 17 Closures
In Riverside, a separate enforcement effort led to nine reported closures along the Magnolia corridor, according to KTLA. The businesses named there included Quality Tobacco on Magnolia Avenue, Rodeo, Cloudy Smoke Shop 2 on Hole Avenue, Zanga, House of Hookah, Tobacco Island, High Monkey and Glass Roots.
KTLA reported eight additional closures elsewhere in Riverside: Smoke 4 Less/VB Smoke on Van Buren, Iowa Smoke and Vape, Heavy Clouds, Natt's Smoke Shop on Main Street, Platinum Smoke on Arlington Avenue and Raf's Smoke Shop on Indiana Avenue. Riverside police said other shops remained under investigation.
What Police Say They Found Inside
Riverside police attributed their enforcement effort to citizen complaints, narcotics-related activity observed by officers and intelligence about suspected criminal conduct at the shops. Police said activity near some businesses had contributed to loitering, disturbances and calls for service, and that some locations drew people involved in ongoing criminal activity.
Police said the suspected activity included selling illegal narcotics, distributing nitrous oxide for intoxication, and selling kratom and 7-OH products. They also alleged sales of drug paraphernalia, operation without required permits, illegal gambling, and sales of nitrous oxide, vapes and THC products to minors. Police further accused some locations of possessing firearms and other weapons and of money laundering.
City Attorney's Office Involved in Enforcement
Riverside’s Vice Unit worked with the city attorney’s office on the closures, according to the report.
In Stockton, ABC10 reported that police said 13 smoke shops closed following inspections and enforcement actions targeting illegal tobacco sales and other violations. KCRA described random visits and checks as part of efforts to address illegal operations and unlicensed sales.
Stockton’s tobacco rules and earlier policy
Stocktonia reported that a city ordinance approved in February 2026 sets escalating tobacco-license penalties: a 30-day suspension for a first violation and license revocation for a third violation within five years. The reported penalties are license sanctions; they do not by themselves confirm that a business was physically closed or identify which agency carries out a closure. As separate policy background, City of Stockton records show the City Council voted 7-0 on March 4, 2025, to impose a moratorium on new, relocated or physically expanded tobacco retailers. That moratorium was distinct from the later enforcement closures.
Stockton’s reported closures followed an enforcement effort focused on illegal tobacco sales and other violations. Riverside police, meanwhile, described a separate investigation involving alleged criminal activity at shops in that city.
