Reno County DA reminds CBD stores and vape shops on Kansas' cannabis law
Oct 31, 2024
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KSNW) - A warning notice from the District Attorney in Reno County is cautioning local CBD and vape stores against selling illegal THC products.
The D.A. sent out a notice to many CBD stores and vape shops to remind them about Kansas' cannabis laws. It went to all who sell any hemp products in the area.
Some local CBD stores in the county are concerned there is a gray area when it comes to cannabis.
"Frustrated me because I've seen this over and over again in other counties where people have come out and they've came to a business like ours running legitimately," said Nate Hiatt, the co-owner of High Point Pharms in Hutchinson.
Hiatt says the products warned about in the notice, like vapes with THC or Delta 8, are not sold at his store.
"We don't sell Delta 8. We made that decision because of our growing. So, we don't want to lose our growing license. We're gonna stay in the gray area. We're going to just stay legal as we can," said Hiatt.
He said that he was confused when he got the letter.
"I was a little more frustrated that it did show up, that, I mean, as much as we've been trying to make cannabis not a bad thing, that it still is what it is in Kansas. 'It's a bad thing' is what they think," said Hiatt.
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His concern is that the notice could hurt small businesses like his. But District Attorney Thomas Stanton says this isn't an effort to target anyone.
"We're not going to be taking people, businesses, products and testing them for THC. But we also don't want people to be in a situation where they're putting themselves or their businesses at risk by selling illegal products," said Thomas Stanton, District Attorney of Reno County.
He wanted to send a reminder of the law after law enforcement told him some stores have a THC percentage higher than the allowed 0.3 or less.
"I'm trying to make sure that nobody gets arrested and nobody gets prosecuted under the statute. But I am going to enforce the statute as the legislature wrote it. And people need to understand that," said Stanton.
The D.A. encourages people who are buying these products to check the label to ensure they are using items with the allowed THC percentage.
"If you've got a business who is selling illegal products and making money on that, that's not fair to all of the producers out there who are following the law and are making sure that every product that they sell and they put on the market is legal," said Stanton.
the d-a saying he isn't planninng to raid stores or create panic.. but wants stores to understand and follow state laws. he encourages all businesses to consult with legal advisors to ensure they stay within kansas laws.