Weslaco Takes Final Vote on Vape Shop Curfew and THC Ban Tuesday
Weslaco commissioners are set to give final approval Tuesday to an ordinance that closes vape shops at midnight, bans illegal THC and synthetic drug sales and keeps under-21 customers out.
Weslaco is about to put new rules on the vape shops along its streets. The aim is to keep illegal THC and synthetic drugs out of them and keep teenagers out too.
The vote
The agenda for the City Commission's Tuesday, Oct. 20 meeting puts Ordinance No. 2026-35 on the consent agenda for second and final reading. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Legislative Chamber at City Hall, 255 S. Kansas Ave. According to minutes in the agenda packet, commissioners approved the ordinance unanimously on first reading Oct. 6.
What the ordinance does
The ordinance text in the packet:
Defines a vape shop as a business that gets more than half its gross revenue from vape pens, devices, e-cigarettes, cartridges or paraphernalia.
Bars any business in the city from selling synthetic drugs or illegal THC products.
Limits vape shop hours to 7 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to midnight Sunday. Shops may not operate between midnight and 7 a.m.
Requires electronic age verification and keeps e-cigarette products behind the counter or in locked cases.
Bars anyone under 21 from entering a vape shop unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or spouse who is 21 or older.
Requires yearly employee training, two years of records, and a posted 8.5-by-11-inch warning sign.
Violations of public health provisions carry fines up to $2,000 per offense, and other violations up to $500, with each day a separate offense. The city may also suspend a certificate of occupancy, seek an injunction or pursue nuisance abatement.
Who it covers
At the Oct. 6 meeting, staff said the ordinance would apply to new vape shops. Eleven existing shops would be grandfathered until they are sold or change hands, the minutes say. Staff said enforcement would still apply to any current shop caught selling illicit products such as THC. New shops would also need a specific use permit. The city attorney told commissioners the shops themselves are legal businesses, and the concern is the products they sell.
The ordinance cites state laws that took effect Sept. 1, 2025, including Senate Bills 2024, 1316 and 1313. Weslaco's rules add local enforcement. A city has every right to keep intoxicating products away from its children. This ordinance does that without closing lawful businesses.
Also on the agenda
Commissioners will hold a public hearing and first reading on the city's Unified Development Ordinance and consider adopting the 2024 building codes, effective Jan. 1, 2027. They are also set to give final approval to new water and wastewater impact fees. A Mid-Valley Assembly Church citywide prayer walk on Business 83 is on the consent agenda for Saturday, Oct. 24, from 8 to 10:30 a.m.
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