HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Two people are in custody after authorities searched a vape shop in Hendersonville.
An email to media outlets from the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said law enforcement performed a search warrant on Vape Star, located at 614 Spartanburg Highway, on Aug. 28. Detectives with the Drug Interdiction and Criminal Enforcement (DICE) division of the sheriff’s office performed the search, with assistance from the Hendersonville Police Department, the North Carolina Secretary of States and the Department of Homeland Security.
In a video posted online, Henderson County Sheriff Lowell Griffin said the search warrant was “the product of an undercover investigation” into the vape shop.
“We’ve received numerous complaints about various vape stores selling to underage youth, and it was really disturbing what we found,” Sheriff Griffin said.
In the video, the sheriff proceeded to say some items seized from Vape Star, and other items the sheriff’s office has received complaints about, are specifically cannabis edibles marketed as sweet treats such as “Lucky Charms Delta 8” or “Berry Crunch Delta 9.” Griffin encouraged parents and guardians to be aware of these types of cannabis items, which are only supposed to be sold to adults.
At the end of the video posted to the sheriff’s office public information officer’s Vimeo account, a press release revealed more details in the case. Several of these cannabis items, which look very similar to regular candy items, were seized from Vape Star. Detectives seized the following from the store:
- 431 grams of THC extract
- 43.5 grams of marijuana
- $3,569 in U.S. currency
- Two firearms
Two people were taken into custody as well, with charges related to the search:
Khaled Kamal Abougabal Hussein, 60, and Abir Hashem Mohamed Fazly, 53, were both arrested and charged with one count each of the following:
- Criminal use of a counterfeit trademark
- Possession with intent to sell/distribute marijuana
- Maintain a dwelling with the purpose of sell/distribute a controlled substance
Both Hussein and Fazly were taken to the county detention center and both were given a $30,000 bond.
“This is also a message to all the other vape stores,” sheriff Griffin said. “If you choose to target the youth, just understand, you’re rolling the dice and sooner or later it’s gonna come up snake eyes.”
In July, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a warning on their website, calling out five sellers of edible cannabis products that use packaging that imitates foods popular with kids. The FTC and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have already sent two cease-and-desist letters to these companies.
“Inadequate or confusing labeling can result in children or unsuspecting adults consuming products with strong resemblance to popular snacks and candies that contain delta-8 THC without realizing it,” said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Namandjé Bumpus, Ph.D. in a previous online announcement. “As accidental ingestion and/or overconsumption of Delta-8 THC containing products could pose considerable health risks, the companies who sell these illegal products are demonstrating complete neglect for consumer safety. The FDA will continue to work to safeguard the health and safety of U.S. consumers by monitoring the marketplace and taking action when companies sell products that present a threat to public health.”
The FDA cautions adults to keep Delta-8 THC products out of reach of children and pets. If you, or someone in your household, uses edible cannabis products:
- Store cannabis edibles separately from other foods and in their original packaging.
- Use child-proof cabinets and drawers to keep these products away from kids, just as you would household cleaning and laundry items.
- Completely reseal the packaging after each use, and immediately store it in a secure location.
- Talk to family and friends about the danger edibles pose to kids.
