Outlook
FW: Illegal Cannabis and Flavored Tobacco Sales Endangering Our Youth - Immediate Action Needed From City Clerk < [email protected]>
Date Wed 11/5/2025 10:35 AM
To Agendadesk <[email protected]>
U 1 attachment (3 MB)
IMG_0313.pdf;
From: Opsal, Matthew <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 10:34 AM
To: Sollazzi, Wendy <Wendy. [email protected]>; Roberts, Rachel <[email protected]>; City Clerk <[email protected]>
Cc: Lam, Emily <Emily. [email protected]>; Zarate, Sarah <[email protected]>; Kang, Han <[email protected]>
Subject: FW: Illegal Cannabis and Flavored Tobacco Sales Endangering Our Youth - Immediate Action Needed Good morning Wendy, Rachel, City Clerk's Office,
The City Manager's Office received the email below from Isabella Vargas regarding illegal cannabis and flavored tobacco sales. Forwarding this information for your awareness and likely as public comment to yesterday's City Council item 7.2.
Please let me know if you'd like me to forward this information to any additional teams or specific team members.
Thank you,
-matt
Matt Opsal
Senior Executive Analyst | City Manager's Office
City of San José
200 East Santa Clara Street, 17th floor
San José, CA 95113
Office: 408-535-8117
www.sanjoseca.gov
CITY OF
SAN,
SAN JOSE Jôs£26
CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY
From: Isabella Vargas
Sent: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 10:40 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; CAO Main <[email protected]>; Webmaster Manager <[email protected]>; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: Illegal Cannabis and Flavored Tobacco Sales Endangering Our Youth - Immediate Action Needed [External Email. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. Learn morel You don't often get email from Learn why this is important Dear [Mayor/City Council Member/sHealth Department Officials], I am writing to express my deep concern about the ongoing illegal sale and promotion of cannabis, flavored tobacco, and 7OH products in our community. Despite clear state and local laws prohibiting these products, certain retailers continue to sell them — and are now openly advertising them on social media platforms easily accessible to youth.
I have attached photos that clearly show these products being sold and promoted locally. If it is this easy for community members like me to find and document these violations, it should be just as easy for city officials and enforcement agencies to take action.
These illegal sales and online promotions are putting our youth at serious risk. The marketing tactics being used — colorful packaging, youth-oriented branding, and social media advertising — are designed to attract underage users and undermine public health efforts.
I respectfully urge the city to:
• Increase inspections of smoke shops, vape stores, and convenience stores; • Enforce existing laws with meaningful penalties for violators; • Monitor and report illegal online advertising by local retailers; and • Work with social media platforms to remove posts promoting illegal or youth-targeted products.
Our community deserves stronger enforcement of the laws meant to protect our youth. I hope the city and county health department will take immediate action to address these violations.
The following smoke shops appear to be selling or promoting these illegal products:
• [Cali Smoke Shop] - [1056 Kiely Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051] they own several locations. One in Campbell [2145 S Winchester Blvd suit 130, Campbell, CA 95008], one in Sunnyvale [510 S Mathilda Ave #3, Sunnyvale, CA 94086].
• [Saratoga Smoke Shop] - [991 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129] • [Bronco's Smoke Shop] - [2336 E El Camino Real, Ste A, Santa Clara, CA 95050] • [Sunset Smoke Shop] - [1570 Los Padres Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95050] • [EI Camino Smoke Shop] -- [157 El Camino Real, Sunnyvale, CA 94087] • [Peace Pipe Smoke Shop] - [3282 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95051] • [Hot Box Smoke Shop] - [1111 El Camino Real #3, Santa Clara, CA 95050] These businesses have been openly advertising on social media and in-store. Some remain open until 3-4 a.m.., raising serious concerns about unlicensed or illegal after-hours activity.
It's deeply troubling that individuals operating as drug dealers are allowed to do so under the guise of legitimate small businesses. Many open multiple smoke shops across the city and continue these illegal activities with no regard for the law or public safety.
I have attached photos and screenshots that clearly document these violations. If community members can find this evidence so easily, it should be just as straightforward for city enforcement agencies to act on it.
I respectfully urge the city to:
• Increase inspections of smoke shops and convenience stores; • Enforce existing laws with meaningful penalties for violators; • Monitor and report illegal social media advertising by local retailers; and • Work with social media platforms to remove posts promoting illegal or youth-targeted products.
Our community deserves better protection for our youth and accountability for those violating the law. I hope the city will take immediate and visible action.
This message is from outside the City email system. Do not open links or attachments from untrusted sources. 10:08 •oll 55
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