If you were thinking of opening up a cigar shop in Sonoma, Calif. in the near future, the Sonoma City Council could very well alter those plans.

At its next meeting on Monday, May 18, the council is scheduled to hold a discussion and possible first reading of a proposal that would prohibit any new retailers from selling tobacco products and would also require all current tobacco retailers in the city to gain an additional license to do business. According to the council’s meeting agenda packet, there are 15 tobacco retailers in the city.

The fees from the license would go towards the enforcement of tobacco sales laws and undercover sting operations. Each license would have a $246 annual fee.

In addition, tobacco product advertisements would be prohibited, and the sale of cheap, flavored tobacco products would have new restrictions placed on them.

Sonoma has a population of approximately 11,000 people and is located 45 miles north of San Francisco.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.