MENOMONEE FALLS: The owner of a Menomonee Falls CBD store says authorities stormed his store and arrested him this week for selling products he believes are legal.
The owner of Superstar Buds says detectives in Waukesha County told him they had been buying covert products from him since January and that test results showed they had an illicit amount of THC.
The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Friday that they began investigating after learning of a non-fatal overdose incident involving two young children who inadvertently ingested a CBD-related product. The sheriff’s office says the suspicious product was purchased by the children’s parents at Superstar Buds.
The sheriff’s office says investigators obtained evidence that Superstar Buds was selling products that contained banned levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The Office says the company labeled these products as CBD or delta-8-THC.
Superstar Buds in Menomonee Falls appears to have been hit by a tornado, but the owner says this is the result of a raid by law enforcement.
“It simply came to our notice then. We probably have over $ 100,000 in damages between things they destroyed and confiscated. I mean, it’s just a disaster, ”says Chris S., owner of Superstar Buds.
Superstar Buds
Chris says dozens of agents dumped in his store and confiscated his best-selling product, Delta 8 THC. He says his other items like CBD and hemp flower were destroyed during the process.
“It simply came to our notice then. They don’t want us to sell these things, ”he says.
Chris says he and one of his employees were arrested on the day of the bust and released 24 hours later pending various drug offenses.
“We’re moving a lot of Delta 8s, so I feel like we were targeted because we’re throwing a lot into the market.”
This is where things get confused. Delta 8 THC is derived from hemp, while Delta 9 THC comes from marijuana. State and federal laws prohibit Delta 9 THC above 3.3% of potency, but the laws do not mention Delta 8.
“Delta 8 only binds to CB1 receptors, so it doesn’t give you that cloudy feeling, but it still produces a happy, euphoric air, it just makes you feel happy,” Chris said.
Superstar Buds
Chris is far from the only Delta 8 dealer in Wisconsin. Several Milwaukee CBD stores have been selling the product for about a year now in the form of flowers, vape cartridges and oils. Zach Rowe, owner of Hazy Dayz, also believes it is legal.
“Under the Farm Bill 2018, all hemp derivatives and isomers from the cannabis plant, except delta 9, are technically legal,” Rowe said.
Back in Menomonee Falls, the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office says they are the main agency in the case and that they have executed a search warrant with the assistance of Menomonee Falls police.
The sheriff’s office said in a statement Friday that while executing this search warrant, investigators confiscated other company products that were labeled as CBD or delta-8-THC and believed to contain prohibited quantities. of delta-9-THC.
The Office adds that three people were arrested in the business in connection with this search warrant. The charges will be filed with the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office at a future date, according to the sheriff’s office.
Chris handed TMJ4 News a copy of the search warrant they gave her after she was arrested. Police officers are said to have the right to confiscate any item containing tetrahydrocannabinol known as THC.
The order says the alleged offenses include possession with intent to deliver, fabrication of THC, and maintenance of a drug trafficking site.
“The law is very clear that it is currently banned in the state of Wisconsin,” said State Representative Adam Neylon of Pewaukee.
Sean Gallup
The Wisconsin hemp pilot program for 2018 passed the legislature with almost unanimous support, including Neylon’s “yes” vote. He believes CBD store owners are misinterpreting the difference between federal law and state law.
“I think some of the owners of these CBD stores rely on federal legislation to defend their case when in fact it’s very clear in the state of Wisconsin that none of these products, CBD or THC products can be sold. that they have psychoactive ingredients in them, ”he said.
Neylon says it does not believe the confusion should lead to arrests. He believes an educational approach would suffice.
“This is a difficult situation, I mean and I want to make it clear that these are not drug traffickers we’re talking about,” Neylon said. “They are legitimate business owners and I think the problem is just a misunderstanding of the law. So I think we should do a better job of informing and educating them about what’s legal and what’s not legal. ”
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