Exclusive | NorCal business owners fear nicotine ban will devastate shops: ‘We’re taking a massive hit’

A wealthy Northern California town is moving to pull the plug on all tobacco and nicotine sales — with local business owners fearing the move could force them to close their doors for good.

The Corte Madera Town Council voted 3-2 Tuesday to advance an ordinance that would prohibit businesses from selling, distributing or delivering tobacco and nicotine products anywhere in the Marin County community.

The proposed ban covers everything from cigarettes and cigars to chewing tobacco, e-cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco products and popular nicotine pouches such as Zyn.

Some local retailers said their businesses might not survive without the revenue generated through sales of such an extensive list of products.

“If things are going like that, maybe we have to close the business,” Jose, 47, manager of Colonial Liquors in Corte Madera, told The California Post, noting that tobacco products account for roughly 40% of the store’s sales.

Jose, who’s been working at the store for 25 years, also warned that the ban could force the business to slash employee hours.

He added that patrons who come in to buy tobacco or nicotine products will simply head to shops just outside the town to stock up.

“If we don’t have cigarettes, people are gonna take the car and drive somewhere else,” Jose said.

He questioned why Corte Madera should bear the economic consequences when neighboring communities continue to allow tobacco sales.

“I understand if it’s the whole county or the whole of California, but it’s only Corte Madera,” Jose said. “They can go just two blocks and buy it somewhere else. That really affects the business.”

Other local retailers also told the Post that the ban could take a serious bite out of their bottom lines.

A worker at one gas station in Corte Madera said cigarette sales generate approximately $3,000 to $5,000 every two weeks.

At another local business that sells alcohol and tobacco products, an employee said the shop regularly sells cigars to about 10 customers a day.

For those retailers, the proposed ordinance represents more than the loss of a single product category. They say customers who come through the door for cigarettes, cigars or nicotine products may also purchase drinks, snacks and other merchandise.

Corte Madera is an affluent community of roughly 10,000 residents, with an average household income of $232,763, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

If the ordinance is ultimately adopted, retailers would get a short grace period to sell their existing inventory. Businesses could continue selling covered tobacco and nicotine products through Jan. 31, 2027.

Starting Feb. 1, 2027, those sales would be prohibited.

Residents would still be allowed to possess and use tobacco and nicotine products. The proposal also exempts FDA-authorized tobacco-cessation and therapeutic products when they’re sold for their approved purposes.

Supporters argue the ban is necessary to protect public health, particularly children and teenagers.

Council Member Pat Ravasio, who voted in favor of the measure, said local governments need to take action because she believes federal and state officials have failed to adequately address the problem.

“If something is both addictive and deadly, we certainly have no obligation to support its sale in our town,” Ravasio told the Post.

Ravasio explained that during the yearlong process of weighing the decision, between 50 and 75 young people spoke in favor of a complete sales ban, with the exception of cessation products.

She also pointed to concerns about newer nicotine products that can be easily concealed from parents and teachers.

But Council Member James Andrews, who voted against the ordinance, blasted the proposal as unfair to both consumers and small businesses.

Andrews argued that adults should ultimately be responsible for their own decisions and said the town is placing an additional financial burden on already-strained retailers.

“These small family businesses already run on tight margins and limited capital in a heavily regulated business environment,” he told the Post.

Andrews also warned that the consequences could extend beyond lost revenue, echoing retailers’ concerns about losing customers who come for nicotine products and end up buying additional goods.

The council member added that four of the six businesses that would be affected by the ban are owned by immigrants or children of immigrants, noting that closing or damaging those businesses could disproportionately affect minority workers and owners.

The council’s vote does not mean the ban is official, with the measure returning at a future meeting for a final adoption vote.

If approved, Corte Madera would become one of the latest California communities, including Beverly Hills and Manhattan Beach, to prohibit retailers from selling tobacco and nicotine products, even as residents remain free to use them.

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