Smoke Shops and Customers React to Smoking Product Ban

On Tuesday the Corpus Christi city council made all smokeable incense illegal. The new ordinance also outlaws the sale of smoking devices like pipes, leaving many smoke shops wondering how they'll continue business.

Smoke shops like Mr. Nice Guys will likely be forced out of business soon, but you wouldn't know it by the steady stream of customers today. Residents stocked up on herbal incense and took advantage of some discounted items, as the store tries to clear out their inventory while they still have the chance.

Chantee Randall, manager at Flashbacks said, "It affected us completely because everything we have here is for tobacco use which is now illegal. We're going to have to pretty much shut down because as you can see, our store is filled with pipes." Flashbacks has been in Corpus Christi for years, now they're being run out of town. "They gave us until the end of the month, so we have discounted prices now and then we're going to move to Austin," Randall said.

Business owners and customers seem to agree with the ban on the herbal incense, but think the city may be overstepping their boundaries with banning all pipes.
"I think it should be banned honestly... it's the same thing as weed pretty much," said one customer who wished to remain anonymous. Another anonymous customer said, "I was kind of upset. It seems like they should focus some of their energy on drugs that are really illegal, instead of ruining small businesses."

And even though these items are illegal now, these customers say they can still get their hands on them. "There's always ways to get it, the internet or anywhere else, so we'll see if it makes a difference," a customer said.