Could a $20,000 fee slow the roll of vape, smoke and hemp shops in Roanoke?

That’s the question posed by Roanoke City Councilman Phazhon Nash. During a city council meeting Monday, he said imposing a steep annual business fee on such shops would deter their existence.

“I campaigned on making Roanoke happier, healthier and safer,” Nash said. “I feel that removing these sort of businesses from our community 100% makes our community healthier.”

Nash said vape stores often cluster in low-income parts of the city, selling electronic cigarettes, cannabis derivatives and other potentially psychoactive compounds. That’s not to mention the way some smoking products seem marketed specifically toward young people.

“The folks that live near that area, they’re deprived of an opportunity to have a p

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