The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has turned its gaze toward local businesses in the Santa Clarita Valley, following up on the rising alarms tied to youths’ access to substances like THC edibles, psilocybin products, and nitrous oxide, commonly referred to as “whippets”. A team consisting of Crime Impact Team (CIT) deputies, Crime Prevention Unit (CPU) deputies, and Narcotics Bureau detectives collaborated to scrutinize a smoke shop suspected of illicitly vending these wares, particularly aiming their investigation at the possibility of sales to minors.
This targeted probe culminated on Tuesday, December 30, when authorities served a search warrant at an establishment on the 24000 block of Newhall Avenue in Newhall. The sheriff’s department’s Instagram post reported that the operation was a lateral move to stamp out the availability of these controlled substances within reach of the young. In the course of the search, a woman was arrested on the charge of felony sales of a controlled substance, and an array of evocative items were seized, now sitting as evidence while the investigation continues to unfurl.
The arrest has thrown a spotlight on an issue that law enforcement and community members have been grappling with—the unregulated distribution of psychoactive substances. By taking action, the LASD is sending a clear message that businesses supposedly skirting the law by potentially providing minors with access to these drugs will not be tolerated. The legality of such substances varies considerably across jurisdictions, but the focus remains sharply on protecting the health and well-being of youth…