Officials Ban Spice/K2 Sales in Livingston County
Livingston County Public Health and Police officials held a press conference Friday morning after raiding 10 local stores known to sell synthetic marijuana.
Livingston County officials declared synthetic marijuana, also known as Spice, K2, LOL, OMG and Bath Salts, an imminent health danger and issued an emergency order preventing sales of all substances Friday morning.
Ten local businesses will be served with a copy of the order by police and County Health Department officials, who will then confiscate all products on site. The products will be held in property rooms indefinately.
Assistant Prosecutor William Vailliencourt said he fully anticipates the product being destroyed after pending K2 legislation is approved.
Any violators of the order could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in county jail and a $200 fine.
According to County Health Director Ted Westmeier, the order is based on data supplied by local area hospitals and agencies about the effects synthetic marijuana is having in the county.
His examples included: St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital Emergency Department treating up to nine cases per month of reactions to synthetic marijuana; the Regional Poison Control Center having reported six cases of county residents poisoned by synthetic marijuana this year; and the County Juvenile Court having had an increase in positive drug test results for synthetic marijuana on juveniles involved in the court.
Three known locations in the City of Brighton are The Haven on Main Street, Partyville Liquor Store on Grand River and Smoke N Gifts on Grand River.
Brighton Police Chief Tom Wightman said the three Brighton stores had yet to be visited by police and public health officials because they were not open at the time of the raids.
"We don't seem to have the gas station problem that these other areas do," Wightman said. "They (police and health officials) were able to hit those early because gas stations are open all night."
Livingston County Sheriff Bob Bezotte said they confiscated about $1,500 to $2,000 worth of K2 from the Smoker's Depot in Hartland. Bezotte said he had visited the store owner about a month ago and advised him of the effects it was having on kids and the laws pending in Lansing.
"He pretty much said that as long as it was legal, he would continue to sell it," Bezotte said. "He wasn't too concerned about the effects it was having on the community, especially the kids. When we went there today, we pretty much knew they were going to have the product because they refused a month ago to take it off the shelves. Which is disappointing because there are so many businesses that have never sold it."
The remaining businesses include the Fowlerville Mobil and BP Gas Stations, the Pinckney BP Gas Station and Dollar Treasure and Howell Mobile Gas Station and Whistle Stop Party Store.
If anybody suspects a business is selling synthetic marijuana, they are asked to contact local police or the County Health Department at 517-552-6801. Officials will visit the business to provide a copy of the order to the owner, then confiscate any products in the store.
Terri Mason
1:10 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Personally, I would hope that my fellow community members here in Hartland might consider the non-cooperative behavior from the owner of Smoker's Depot and choose not to give them their business.
Fred
1:52 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
I second that as a Hartland Parent.
Tom
11:06 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
great idea, I hope the people of Fowlerville will do the same for the Mobil and BP stations.
Susan B.
2:36 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
I've never given Smokers my business! I don't smoke, but I know they sell to the kids. I've had many a conversation with my son and his friends about this store and I'm glad to hear they've been raided. My concern is that they will just hide the stuff and still sell it to kids they already know have been buying it in the past. His "non-cooperative behavior" I think warrants continued pressure whether we shop there or not. You can bet I'll be stopping in and sharing my disgust with him and spreading the word. How dare you not care about any child's health!
Debra
6:14 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
I have been a customer for two years at smokers depot and it's a great store with great service and they stopped selling k2 two weeks ago.
Tom
11:11 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Dream on. Dealers don't stop dealing until they're locked up or put out of business. And these store and gas station owners are no better than street dealers.
Sheila Nicholas
6:53 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
He clearly stated they found the product in the store so they obviously have still been selling it, regardless of what they told you.
Mark Konas
7:25 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
Synthetic marijuana is definitely a community problem that needs to be addressed but I have a problem with taking a legal item, declaring it illegal and then running to the companies that have the product and confiscating it. The federal government did the same thing to Gibson Guitars when it seized millions of dollars of imported wood materials and have yet to return the product or charge Gibson with any wrong doing.
I won't visit any of these stores because they knew what they were selling. They have shown how sleazy and greedy they are but that doesn't deny them the rights we all have as American Citizens.
Layla Garant
7:35 pm on Friday, June 8, 2012
I have visited Smoker's Depot just to see what kind of response I would get when asking about the sale if K2 & was sickened by the man's response, similar to what he said in the article. I have thought about sitting outside his store with signs that state the affects of the drug, but with a 3 year old it is kinda hard. I applaud Livingston County Sheriff Deptartment for their actions today!
Aaron
9:27 am on Saturday, June 9, 2012
Its you retarded kids choice to use that crap, I'm on probation and would never use designer drugs. Never did in high school either just got a card and use the real thing and even though I can't right now I don't use that crap. It's like anything else...there your kids your responsibility
Beth
11:18 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Your right Aaron....Our kids can't get MM cards......They found a legal way...and we did the
responsble things as parents.. and got it BANNED when Lawnet, and the police didi'nt.
It takes a village to raise a chlld these days...... it's everyones responsibility.
Jackie
7:57 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012
$200 fine? That's a slap on the wrist! $2000. would be appropriate!
Beth
12:42 pm on Tuesday, June 12, 2012
7 months ago, My 12 year old son was purchasig LOL at Molbile in Howell. I96 and Pincney rd for months, the police would bring him home . he would have a lighter,LOL and a glass pipe that Mobile sold him on several occassins( I watched their video) of them selling it to him, while the police did nothing an told us it was legal for our son to posesses it..Our son has been in treament for the last 6 months
and is doing great. Thanks to all the parents who cared enough to fight for our children.
Travelinkid
7:50 am on Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The best way to stop these "dealers" from selling harmful merchandise is to sue the pants off of them if you have had a family member injured by them. Large law suits will affect them more than fines.
harvey wallbanger
8:55 am on Thursday, June 21, 2012
I have bought some cigars in there which are always overpriced and in poor shape. I have noticed glass pipes,bongs,habooka pipes,fake coke cans,pill bottles that this sort of stuff can be hidden inside as well as knives and all sorts of stuff that needs to be taken off their shelfs! Just plain old legal tobacco products should be sold there. I'm surprised that they were allowed to even put this crap inside this store in such a nice community?A $200 dollar fine will just not do. you should boost it to $5000 and continous random raids to keep them in check or just shut them down now.
Smokers Depot
11:32 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Before I get started allow me to introduce myself: I am the Owner of Smokers Depot of Hartland. Let me start by saying I have never spoken to Sheriff Bob Bezotte in fact I do not even know what Mr. Bezotte looks like. I'm not sure why he would make such a statement, maybe he has mistaken Smokers Depot with a different business. The most troubling statement Mr. Bezotte made was about us not caring about our youth or community, which is absolutely not true and honestly speaking I was very troubled by it. My staff and myself are residents of the very same community that we serve. This being said, none of us would have made such a nasty remark about not caring for the kids in our community. Allow me to reassure you that we do not and will not participate in selling any type of synthetic marijuana ( AKA Spice / K2 ). Furthermore, we have a strictly enforced policy that you must be 18 years or older to even enter our store. At the time that the synthetic marijuana was legally sold, we made sure that our products laboratory reports contained no chemicals or substances that were legally banned. Thank you for taking the time to read this and hear my side of the story.
Charlotte
11:59 pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012
Hi Smoker's Depot owner. Thanks for writing your side of the story. But, I'm confused as to why the Sheriff would make up a story. ?
Smokers Depot
2:19 am on Sunday, June 24, 2012
Good question , I am confused as well . maybe he has mistaken Smokers Depot with a different business.