Hialeah police say a man and a woman have been arrested and charged with trafficking and selling synthetic cannabinoids, allegedly from a store near a school.
“On Tuesday, April 11, 2023, Hialeah Police Special Investigations detectives served a search warrant at the Smoke store located at 4775 Palm Avenue,” Hialeah Police Sgt. Jose Torres said.
As a result of the investigation, Hialeah police “arrested and charged Delby Ham and Nancy Diaz-Galeas with trafficking and selling synthetic cannabinoids within 300 yards of a school and park,” according to the report. police.
“These operations are part of our goal to stop the sale of narcotics in our city, which is important for our youth,” Torres added.
A total of approximately thirty (30) pounds of synthetic cannabinoids were found at the business inside safes located under the cash register and in the office, the arrest report states.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) classifies synthetic cannabinoids as “artificial (man-made) mind-altering chemical compounds.”
According to NIDA, they are sprayed “onto the dried, ground material of a smoking plant, or are sold as liquids that are vaporized and inhaled in e-cigarettes or other devices. These products are also known as herbal or liquid incense”. “.
They are called cannabinoids because they are similar to the chemicals found in the marijuana plant.
The ease with which they can be obtained and the belief that synthetic cannabinoids are “natural” and therefore not harmful have likely contributed to their use among young people, NIDA explains on its website.