Iredell Co. Dispensary Owners Say Deputies Seized Legal Hemp Products

July 19, 2024

Jack Hale, Kaci Jones,

Update:

For the first time ever Iredell County Sheriff deputies raided smoke shops and dispensaries across the area taking what they say was illegal marijuana and counterfeit items.

The Rec Dispensary was one of seven smoke shops raided on July 10th when search warrants were executed.

WCCB Charlotte saw bare shelves at The Rec a week after the raid. The owners Christine Tobias and J. Coleman Pannell says deputies seized at least $5,000 worth of products, but the impact is more than monetary value.

“It terrified our staff. It got them really nervous and really scared and they’re just on edge and don’t know what to do and we’re their livelihood,” Pannell said. “For us personally and for the business as a whole, our sales are down 50%, which that’s terrible, but that’s affecting our customers, not only their daily routine, but their faith in us. So we’ve got people who are here for pain management who are using this as medicine.”

Federal and state laws allow the sale of cannabis with less than 0.3% THC content. Pannell and Tobias have been in business since 2019. They say they only sell products that are third party tested and legal.

“We make every effort to make sure any product that we put in the store is not only legal but clean,” Tobias said.

Narcotics investigators seized 20 pounds of marijuana and hundreds of counterfeit items from the shelves of several stores across Statesville. Sheriff Darren Campbell says undercover investigators spent a month looking into the shops and purchased items that were later tested and showed THC levels up to five times more than the legal limit.

“We’ve had a lot of different businesses from different counties reach out to us and asked are we doing this right and you know there’s no way to unless you are or accurate about who your supplier is where you’re getting them has been independently tested,” Sheriff Campbell said. “Anybody could put anything on a packaging and some of the products we’ve seen and we know a lot of it has overseas ties.”

Rod Kight, cannabis business lawyer says he has concerns with the raids. Specifically, he’d like to know which test law enforcement used to determine the THC levels of the samples. Kight says the liquid chromatography test is the only way to accurately determine THC levels, but many departments use gas chromatography which heats the sample which can raise THC levels.

“Using something like gas chromatography would be roughly akin to a radar gun that speeds up the car that it’s actually clocking and that’s obviously the wrong test to use,” Kight said.

Sheriff Campbell showed examples of counterfeit items with colorful labels similar to candy. He says they aren’t specifically involved in this case, but it shows how companies often target kids. He says this investigation was triggered by multiple complaints from the public about stores selling items to school-aged children.

“It’s a broad spectrum of what this involves. This is just one part of the investigation,” Sheriff Campbell said. “That’s where we’re at, we’re gonna take a zero tolerance, if it’s legitimate and lawful. It is what it is.”

At The Rec Dispensary, Pannell and Tobias say you won’t see any products marketed to kids and they always require customers to show identification. They are confident their products are safe and legal.

“We don’t know what the next move is now, but the public needs to be educated and a cannabis dispensary does not do the things that we were accused of,” Tobias said.

So far, there have been no criminal charges filed in this case but Sheriff Campbell says the investigation continues.

Original Story:

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. – The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office conducted a month-long investigation into marijuana distribution and executed search warrants at seven smoke and vape shops in Statesville, according to a news release.

The release states that narcotics investigators uncovered evidence that the shops sold products labeled as “HEMP” and CBD and contained illegal levels of THC by North Carolina law. The release also states the shops sold items to school-aged children.

Testing of items suspected over the legal limit confirmed they contained higher THC levels than allowed which classified them as marijuana, as said by the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said further undercover purchases had up to five times the legal limit of THC.

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After executing search warrants, approximately 20 pounds of marijuana products and 664 pieces of counterfeit merchandise.

“The individuals involved in these activities are targeting our children,” said Sheriff Campbell. “No matter where you are in the county, we will relentlessly enforce the law to protect our community.”

The smoke and vape shops searched were: