'HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT' State law enforcement seizes drugs in statewide retail bust

The basement of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office smelled of marijuana Friday morning. Law enforcement and prosecutors were everywhere. But no “weed” was being smoked. 

Instead the AG’s office and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced the results of a months-long operation where illegal marijuana was seized and on display.

“It was hidden in plain sight in stores,” ALEA chief investigator Shawn Loughridge said. “It’s in places we don’t normally do controlled buys.”

The operation came to light Monday, June 23. Special agents with ALEA’s State Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the district attorney’s offices in the 12th and 19th Judicial Circuits and multiple local law enforcement agencies, served search warrants at smoke and vape shops in Clanton, Enterprise, Montgomery, Troy and Wetumpka. But no arrests have been made as of Friday morning.

“This operation was a result of a nearly year-long operation and investigation into the sale of plant materials that contained illegal levels of THC products that were being sold over the counter to customers,” Loughridge said. “Current Alabama law states that only hemp products that contain less than .3% of Delta 9 THC are legal.”

Officials said early testing on seized materials and that purchased during controlled buys was three and four times the legal limit. 

Loughridge said illegal drugs in plant form, drug paraphernalia and cash were seized Monday. Tested items from two Clanton stores in the 500 block of Seventh Street South and 200 block of Seventh Street North were in small plastic tubs behind the label of Lost Jane. Other plant material on the table of items was a large shrink wrapped bag of plant material that came from California. It was labeled as legal under the 2018 Farm Bill but tested well above the .3% THC allowed. 

Two tables contained plant materials from a store in the 4000 block of U.S. Highway 231 in Wetumpka. There were numerous bags and containers of buds, plant material and rolled cigarettes with names such as Doughlicious. Flavors listed included strawberry taffy, tropical popsicle and cookies & dream. There were large bags of plant material with small empty bags to allow the sale of smaller amounts.

The labels contained a QR Code. Officials said it brought up testing results far different than what investigators found inside.

“Let's make it abundantly clear, this is not hemp,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said. “This is marijuana. Despite the labeling, despite what may be represented these are illicit drugs. As opposed to going to a local drug dealer to buy your marijuana, this is going to a storefront. Either way, it's illegal activity. Let's make sure that we're calling it what it is. This is not a seizure of hemp. This is a seizure of illegal marijuana.”

The operation started when the 12th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office received multiple calls about shops selling marijuana labeled as hemp in Enterprise and Troy. District attorney James Tarbox said his office quickly realized the magnitude of it and called the AG’s office for assistance. 

“It's not about CBD,” Tarbox said. “When you have a billboard that says dispensary grade THC, that means one thing to me, you're selling marijuana. When you have a billboard that says inhale the good stuff, that means one thing to me, you're selling marijuana.”

As the operation developed, the 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office covering Autauga, Chilton and Elmore counties was brought in the loop on the operation.

“We were briefed and aware of what was going on,” district attorney C.J. Robinson said. “We helped where we could.” 

Robinson and Tarbox said the AGs office will handle prosecution in the operation.

“We will help where we can,” Robinson said.

The amount of plant material means trafficking marijuna could be charged amongst numerous other charges such as possession of synthetic urine. Loughridge said charges and arrests are in the works. 

Loughridge said ALEA was still inventorying items including illegal drugs and cash and everything was still under investigation.