The Haines Borough Police Department is warning local business owners to be aware of what is on their shelves following the passage of a state law banning the sale of illicit synthetic drugs.
The law, which came into effect Oct. 14, was designed to target products like Spice and K2, synthetic marijuana which is often marketed as “potpourri” or “herbal incense.”
The new law characterizes a synthetic drug as “illicit” if the label is false or misleading, if it doesn’t specify the name and place of business of the manufacturer, or if the packaging suggests the user will achieve euphoria, hallucinations, mood enhancement, relaxation, stimulation or other effects on the body.
Police recently delivered letters to Buckshot & Bobby Pins, Caroline’s Closet and the Quick Shop claiming the businesses had been “identified as having conducted business related to the sale, display, and marketing of synthetic drugs.”
Police chief Bill Musser said the businesses were identified by officers and residents. “Two of the businesses had items displayed for sale that could be considered illicit, which officers had seen in plain view. All three were also brought to the attention of the HBPD by residents who stated that illicits were being sold or offered for sale,” Musser said.
The letter told businesses to stop selling, advertising and displaying the products immediately or face a fine of up to $500. Musser also suggested if they had questions they should contact their attorneys for advice.
In the letters, Musser didn’t identify which products in the store “could be considered illicit.” That led to some confusion for business owners.
Mike Ward, who owns Caroline’s Closet and the Quick Shop, said to the best of his knowledge, his stores don’t carry anything that would be considered illicit under the new law. “I couldn’t find anything in my store that qualified, and I’m not sure where that came from,” Ward said.
“They couldn’t tell us what it was,” he said.
Still, Ward said he appreciated getting a head’s up about the new law.
Buckshot & Bobby Pins owner Kristine Harder said she was “totally surprised and baffled” when she received the letter.
When Musser came to deliver the letter, Harder told him she didn’t sell Spice and only sold something called CBD oil. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis/hemp. Harder sold the oil as both a concentrate and a distillate.
Harder said residents as well as customers from Juneau and Whitehorse “use this product as a supplement for their health treatment.” She referred to the CBD oil as “legal, organic and natural.”
“(Harder) noted she was going to do some further research on the product and contact her attorney,” Musser said. “I advised her I thought that was a good idea, so she would be sure about the product. She is the one that pointed the product out to me and then voluntarily took down the display as we talked.”
Harder contacted assistant district attorney Amy Williams asking if the product would fall under the new law.
“Obviously, it’s a very new statute and it hasn’t been applied yet, but I’ve spoken with both the chief and the store owner and I do not believe the product she sells would be prohibited by the statute,” Williams said.
Musser said while he hasn’t seen a huge amount of Spice use in Haines, it’s around. “I have not observed a significant problem in relation to the usual street drugs. I have seen some empty wrappers for them and had parents tell me about them, so they are present,” Musser said.