Ed Krahmer said in an interview last year that his business was flourishing despite a city-wide ban on synthetic marijuana. As of Thursday, he is facing charges as investigators seized more than 600 bags of the substance from his Lubbock shop, and he is not the only one facing legal troubles.
Investigators raided Smokin J’s in the 4400 block of 50th Street and Smoker’s Choice in the 4400 block of 34th Street this week as part of an operation led by the Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney’s office. Investigator Manuel Reyna said charges are pending for Smokin J’s owner, Krahmer, the second shop’s owner, and two clerks.
“There hasn’t been any arrests yet,” Reyna said, “those are forthcoming.”
A bag of synthetic marijuana that was purchased undercover.
Reyna said this is the second time both shops have had items seized by investigators and law enforcement officials. Once they obtained search warrants, he said, they entered the shops and found the pre-packaged bags and a bowl with leftover synthetic marijuana inside Smokin J’s.
Each package, Reyna said, ranges from $6 to $10, and the raids will continue until the products are no longer on the shelves. While clerks were not the original target of the mission, he said they too had been warned.
“The clerks are almost at their mercy because they are the employees, and when your employer is telling you it’s OK for you to sell this product, they are kind of caught in the middle,” Reyna said.
Ultimately, he said everyone should be held accountable for their actions.
Councilwoman Karen Gibson has been working with other city officials to help rid the city of these products. She said she did not have exact numbers, but local hospitals have reported a decrease in synthetic marijuana-related visits since the raids have gone into effect.
Councilwoman Karen Gibson has been the voice for the synthetic marijuana, city-wide ban.
While she said they have been successful with their mission, the amount seized from Smokin J’s did not surprise her.
“These people keep a lot on hand because they sell a lot,” Gibson said, “so it really doesn’t surprise me.”
She said she is not aiming to close these businesses, but she does want them to stop selling synthetic marijuana. As the products come in, she said, shops are altering the chemicals in order to get around the legalities of the issue.
“We will fight it until we get it taken care of,” she said. “I’ve got the DA’s office fighting along with me, and they are not gonna give up either.”
During an interview with Krahmer prior to the raids, he said although he was aware of the dangers, people should limit themselves like they do with other mind-altering substances.
“You like having a good business, but you don’t like being caught up in these things,” Krahmer said in his 2013 interview.
Labeled Zero Gravity, Smokin J’s adds their own labels to their products.
For supplying the demand, both Gibson and CDA investigator Reyna said Krahmer will have to face the legal consequences.
“By now if people don’t realize that purchasing synthetic marijuana is wrong,” Reyna said, “then they must be living under a rock because we’ve made it clear by providing these shops with letters, and of course the DA and the City Attorney had a news conference telling everybody that this was illegal. So, I think we’ve done our share to let everybody know this product is certainly harmful.”
About Lucinda Holt
