Sheriff’s office continue convenience store marijuana investigation

The Nacogdoches County Sheriff Office has executed a search warrant at 4712 South Street at K J’s Convenience store for the banned substance of synthetic Marijuana. Sheriff Jason Bridges stated that earlier this month, the Nacogdoches County Sheriff Office had spoken to the owners of the store about the synthetic Marijuana that they were selling. The Sheriff Office was asking at the time for voluntary compliance of the law. The owners of the store at the time surrendered there synthetic Marijuana to law enforcement and stated they understood the law.
Since that time the sheriff office received information that the store was back selling synthetic marijuana. Sheriff Investigators went to the store on 09-23-13 and made two undercover purchase of synthetic marijuana.
Sheriff Bridges stated that the Sheriff Office has also purchased field test kits so that the Sheriff Office can check to see if the synthetic Marijuana that is found is a package that contains banned compounds. The synthetic Marijuana that was purchased from the store tested positive for a banned substance. The sheriff Office obtained a search warrant for the property and seized 252 packages of synthetic Marijuana.
The Sheriff Office collected all evidence that will be sent to the DPS laboratory for further testing. Upon the results of those test , the case will be forwarded to the District Attorney Office for criminal prosecution.
The store owners are looking at charges for delivery of a controlled substance a 2nd felony and possession of a controlled substance a state jail felony.
The Sheriff Office also conducted another compliance check on South Street of Discount Liquor store. Sheriff Investigators also recovered 12 packages of synthetic marijuana that was being sold out of the store.
Sheriff Bridges stated that some merchants who are selling this product are running a big risk of being in violation of the Texas Health and Safety Code. All of this products are being marketed as not containing any banned substance, but the majority of the ones that we have field tested has shown being illegal. Only a couple of them have passed the field test kit as not containing any illegal substances. Companies selling these illegal items are producing lab statements from an unknown source and claiming their products do not contain any banned substances.
The Sheriff Office will continue conducting compliance checks on synthetic marijuana for the rest of the week to help educate area businesses on the law. Sheriff Bridges stated that if the business continue to sell the banned substances, that the Sheriff Office will take enforcement action.
Sheriff Bridges stated that we are trying to be very fair with all our merchants selling these items. But at the end of the day, they are responsible for what they sell. We have a duty to enforce the law and protect our citizens. Although this synthetic marijuana is marketed as incense, we all know what the vast majority is doing with it. They are smoking this and we have seen it cause some serious side effects to our kids, not to mention even some deaths. We must all do our part, to put a stop to this terrible drug and the impact that it is having on our youth. Sheriff Bridges continued to say that he encourages stores to be part of the solution to the problem.