Police cracking down on cannabis products labeled 'legal,' that aren't

EASTON, Pa. — Police in Bethlehem and Northampton County recently executed search warrants on five smoke shops, cracking down on THC products labelled as "legal" that aren't.

According to a media release from Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta sent out Thursday, the products are available in "many, if not most of the 'smoke shops' in our community."

They contain Delta-9 THC , which is technically legal, but only if the THC content in the product is lower than 0.3%.

THC, short for Tetrahydrocannabinol is the active ingredient in cannabis that makes people feel "high."

Delta-9 is a type of THC that can be extracted from cannabis in its usual dried flower form.

Delta-9 THC usually is sold as gummies or vape products, often with colorful packaging. They also are sold as "vegetable matter and vaping liquids."

The media release did identify the smoke shops being investigated.

It said the Northampton County Drug Force executed three search warrants and Bethlehem Police Department two — all last week.

It also did not specify whether the smoke shops that were raided knew whether the THC products they allegedly sold contained illegal levels of the chemical.

It said the investigations are ongoing.

Concerns of younger users, additives

Baratta expressed concern about the smoke shops being near schools, and alleged they were "targeting youth as customers for these products."

"This Drug Task Force investigation was primarily conducted in our urban areas in which these smoke shops are located near our schools," the release said.

"Thus, parents should be warned that these retail establishments are marketing and targeting our youth as customers for these products."

Baratta also said he had concerns about alleged chemical additives being used in the products.

"As a continued concern, we also note that many of these products also have the presence of alleged dangerous chemical additives due to the novelty of the additives.

"Because of this, they are currently unregulated but still present a physical danger to our youth when some of the chemical additives are ingested at a higher level."

Baratta wrote that concentrations of Delta-9 above 0.3% are illegal under the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, but didn't say whether charges were pressed against the five smoke shops that were searched last week.