The Carroll City Council voted unanimously at Monday evening’s meeting to deny a device retail permit to a second Carroll business. Tobacco Outlet Plus LLC, doing business at R Smokes Plus, requested the council approve a license for the sale of “any equipment or product, made in whole or in part of glass or metal, that is designed for use in inhaling through combustion tobacco, hemp, other plant materials, or a controlled substance.” A law that went into effect last year allows municipal governments to prohibit the sale of these items without prior authorization. According to Carroll Police Chief Brad Burke, officers determined R Smokes Plus was selling these devices, which are most commonly associated with drug use, without a permit from the city, and displayed a previous disregard for compliance with Iowa law. As a result, Burke recommended to the council that the permit application be denied, and the council agreed, voting 6-0 to reject. In March, the Carroll City Council rejected a similar application from another Carroll business, Greenleaf Vape & Tobacco.
