Since Californians voted to ban flavored tobacco products in 2022, law enforcement have seized at least 17,795 tobacco products from Oakland retailers, an Oakland Voices review of publicly available state seizure notices found.
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) posts notices of product seizures from retailers. Oakland Voices reviewed the notices and the businesses law enforcement seized products from.
Cannabis, cigarette, and tobacco seizures in California
California publishes notices of property seizures, with a total of 282 total notices of seizures across California this year, as of November. Oakland Voices compiled notices in July and November. The notices are no longer available after eight months. Central Valley cities have the most notices posted in 2025, with 62 in Fresno, 16 in Bakerfield, and 11 in Modesto.
Among the 68 posted product seizures in the Bay Area. Seventeen took place in Alameda County, including seven in Oakland.
The posted notices all reference property seizures that occurred in 2023 and 2024. All but one of the Oakland notices refer to seizures in 2025.
Oakland tobacco product seizures since 2024
The seven Oakland cases include untaxed tobacco, flavored vapes, and unlicensed cannabis.
- VIP Gift Shop & More 510 LLC (May 7)
- Lakeside Smoke Shop (May 20
- State Market Liquor (July 23)
- 510 Smoke and Head Shop (August 2)
- Freska Market (October 23)
- It Iz What It Iz Smoke Shop (December 27)
- High Gift Smoke Shop (January 16, 2025)
Fkri M. Alwajeeh, co-owner of Oakland’s Hyphy Burger, also owns Trophies Smoke Shop and Vape in Castro Valley. In February, officials announced a June 2024 seizure of untaxed tobacco and unlicensed cannabis products from Trophies.
Each Oakland tobacco shop owner or employee at the shop declined to speak to Oakland Voices, and when reached by phone.
“It is important to have retailers comply with these laws, laws that will save the lives of the communities that retailers gain their livelihoods from. We would like them to be on the community’s side but retailers who don’t comply will have to deal with enforcement and seizures.”
Carol McGruder, African American Tobacco Leadership Council
‘We support the seizures’
Tobacco control advocates said the seizures were necessary in the fight against the tobacco industry to save Black Lives.
“We support the seizures,” said Carol McGruder, co-chair of the African American Tobacco Leadership Council (AATCLC). Her organization was central to the advocacy that led to SB 792 and Prop. 31
“In spite of all the truly pressing issues that African Americans face, tobacco remains the number one preventable cause of death for Black people. Killing more than all other preventable causes combined,” McGruder told Oakland Voices. “Getting these deadly products out of communities is imperative.”
She implored retailers to side with the community.
“It is important to have retailers comply with these laws, laws that will save the lives of the communities that retailers gain their livelihoods from,” McGruder said. “We would like them to be on the community’s side but retailers who don’t comply will have to deal with enforcement and seizures.”
Recent laws and tobacco enforcement
In the past decade, California voters have supported laws to tax tobacco and ban products. 2016’s Proposition 56 raised the tax on cigarettes.
In 2022, 62% of voters statewide, including 75.6% in Alameda County, supported the flavored tobacco ban.
Oakland banned flavored tobacco earlier, in 2017. Retailers found a loophole through adult-only tobacco stores, which officials closed in 2020. In 2024, the Oakland City Council adopted a ban on smoking in outdoor patios and multi-family apartments.
Advocates hope to protect youth from nicotine addiction by removing products that both masked the dangers of tobacco and made it both appealing. The ban would also address tobacco industry targeting of African Americans for products like menthol cigarettes.
Retailers expressed concerns that bans would impact their bottom lines. “Big Tobacco” also attempted to sway figures like Al Sharpton and former California NAACP leader Alice Huffman to oppose tobacco control efforts.
Impact of tobacco, seizures for consumers, businesses, government
A 2025 study found the tobacco and e-cigarette sales declined after the statewide product ban.
Tobacco is big business. The state Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) estimated Prop. 31 would decrease state revenue up to $100 million each year. It remains unclear how much the state recovers through tobacco stamp enforcement, retailer licensing, or penalties.
“Due to taxpayer confidentiality laws, we can’t disclose information about specific businesses beyond what might appear in the Notice of Cannabis and Cigarette & Tobacco Product Seizures,” Steve Bunnell, information officer with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), told Oakland Voices by email.
Retailers with “unstamped” products face escalating penalties, including up to $1,000 in fines and a year in jail for less than 20 packs. This increases to up to $5,000 and license revocation for a second offense. If more than 20 unstamped packs are seized, fines start at $2,000 up to $50,000.
Oakland tobacco enforcement
For the Oakland shops, a second seizure could result in the license suspension and a $50 per seized product penalty.
Oakland Police did not respond to a public records request in August for reports related to the 2024 tobacco product seizures. It is unclear if OPD was involved in these state seizures. CDTFA conducts its own inspections, according to Bunnell, and they would not specify if OPD was involved.
On Aug. 1 of this year, Oakland Police announced an enforcement action at an illegal smoke shop in the Fruitvale district. The investigation, based on community tips, led to the seizure of a handgun, and a number of illicit substances like crystal meth, ecstasy (MDMA), mushrooms, and flavored-tobacco products. CDTFA participated in this action. A Prop 56 grant from the state Department of Justice funded the action.
“The City Attorney’s Office will follow up with legal action against the tenants, including civil charges and potential eviction,” OPD said at the time.
CDTFA has not yet posted a notice about products seized on Aug. 1, 2025.
OPD asks people to report illegal tobacco sales to the Alcohol Beverage Action Team (ABAT)’s Complaint Hotline at (510) 777-8677. OPD’s complaint form only includes “selling tobacco to minors” among tobacco-related complaints.
Disclosure: This story was funded by a grant from AMPLIFY! Oakland Voices participated in a health and tobacco control webinar for Black journalists along with the San Francisco Bay View newspaper in September 2025.
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