Local law enforcement agencies joined forces in Westmoreland County on Friday morning to carry out a round of raids against vape shops suspected of selling illegal THC products. This marked the second consecutive day of such efforts in the area. TribLIVE reports that the stores targeted included Burrell Tobacco and Vape, Discount Vape, and a convenience store, though no charges have been filed as investigations continue.
According to a statement by the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office, this operation comes following several months of undercover work where detectives, along with undercover officers from Penn Township, Delmont, and Latrobe, purchased products containing Delta 8 and high levels of Delta 9 which is allowed under state law; these substances are illegal in Pennsylvania, as they are supposed to contain no more than 3% THC and are only allowed to be sold to customers over 21.
Despite the ongoing nature of the inquiry, District Attorney Nicole Ziccarelli has taken a firm stance, warning business owners who continue to flout the law. "To those who choose to sell these illegal products not only to adults, but to our youth, hear me now: We will continue to investigate and hold you accountable to the fullest extent of the law," Ziccarelli said, as per TribLIVE. The raids have been prompted in part by the hospitalization of students, with Mutual Aid responding to at least fifteen THC overdoses involving children aged 12 to 16 since the beginning of the year, as per the same report.
Moreover, beyond the seizure of illicit substances, violations of local codes were uncovered, including the finding that operators of EZ Tobacco & Vape were living on the premises, the District Attorney shared frustration over repeated offenses by such businesses despite previous crackdowns two years ago and she said back then, "I was hopeful that the last raid we performed two years ago on several vape shops in the area was enough of a warning to owners to remove illegal products, but I was wrong," as per Shore News Network.
