During the past year, the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office and Okeechobee City Police Department received various complaints ...
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OKEECHOBEE — During the past year, the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office and Okeechobee City Police Department received various complaints of local businesses selling e-cigarette/vape pens to underage minors within Okeechobee County.
The Okeechobee Narcotics Task Force, along with the Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco's Bureau of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Food Safety, conducted administrative checks on June 5, 2024.
The aim was to ensure that all targeted local businesses were properly licensed to sell and manufacture hemp-based products, including those containing THC.
The investigation also focused on ensuring businesses followed Florida's "Hemp Program," including all hemp-based flowers, resins, and edibles requirements.
The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office utilized undercover minors to attempt to make purchases from multiple businesses. Only three stores sold THC Hemp-based products to underage minors without asking for proper identification.
The following stores are:
During the investigation, three individuals were arrested. Jordan Hatel (20) and Samuel Clarke (25) were both booked into the Okeechobee County Detention Facility for the Sale of Hemp Extract. Subana Josh (55) was issued a Notice To Appear (Sale of tobacco to a minor) and released.
Subsequently, the Florida Department of Agriculture, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco's Bureau of Law Enforcement, and The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Food Safety conducted administrative checks on Sunshine Vape & Smoke and Danny's Candy Wake and Bake.
According to the inspectors, both locations were out of compliance. Both places were issued "Stop sales," meaning they cannot sell any products containing any THC levels greater than 3%.
Approximately 90% of Danny's Candy products were not compliant, so the inspectors removed them from the store shelves and red-tagged them. You can see the amount from the empty shelves, once filled with illegal items, now bare.
During an inspection of Sunshine Vape, hemp-based products, including flower and resin-based products above the 3% threshold, that were red-tagged will be collected by the Department of Agriculture for destruction.
Many products were mislabeled and were also removed from the shelves for destruction.
The upcoming "Farm Bill" will ban the sales of any Delta 8,9,10 and THC-A-based products within the State of Florida.
The sale of these products to minors is a significant concern that will not be tolerated in Okeechobee County.
