The Reality of California's Flavored Vape Prohibition One Year Later THE LION What started as a routine compliance inspection at a local smoke shop last week, quickly turned into something more. Detectives located prohibited tobacco products, including flavored vapes and menthol cigarettes, along with Officers assigned to our Downtown Unit confiscated over 350 flavored Vape cartridges from a local business. As everyone knows, selling flavored tobacco products is illegal in California. Strengthening enforcement against illegal flavored vaping products Capitol Weekly Capitol Weekly Capitol Weekly: The Newspaper of California State Government and Politics.