ALLEN – A raid on vape shops in Allen left owners and employees “traumatized,” according to an attorney for the Allen Hemp Coalition.
“We think it’s absolutely horrendous,” said David Sergi, who represents eight of the nine locations targeted Tuesday.
Five people were arrested as police searched properties. Sergi said that when police sent a letter to businesses in May raising concerns, the stores voluntarily took the mentioned products off their shelves. This time, he said, police chose a different approach.
“Rather than getting guidance and partnership from the Allen Police Department, we have gotten arrested, we have had clients whose stores have been destroyed, we have employees whose computers have been taken,” he said.
Allen police deny they destroyed anything and have accused the shops of knowingly selling products with well over the legal limit of THC to both adults and minors.
Sergi argued that state labs police used aren’t equipped to distinguish between legal and illegal forms of cannabis. He said that, much like liquor stores, hemp stores can’t reasonably be expected to independently test all their products.