Mixups happen all the time with the newly industrialized hemp and marijuana. Even with officers aware of the possibility of a mixup, they still might happen.
This week the New York City Police posted about a 106-pound drug bust of what the officers were sure was marijuana.
The department tweeted that, “Officers Greenidge and Ganshaw from the @NYPD75Pct used precision policing and relentless follow-up, along with a great working relationship with @FedEx and other local law enforcement officials, to confiscate 106 pounds of marijuana that was destined for our city streets.”
The Police were careful in determining probable cause. They were tipped off by a FedEx worker who was suspicious of the delivery. The plants tested positive in their field tests as well.
“We got information about a large package of drugs. We got it in here. We field-tested it as marijuana, called the individual in. He was placed under arrest,” NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan told fox news. “It is currently at the lab at this point to make a final determination, was it hemp?” Monahan said. “The individual had no bill of lading justifying its delivery.”
The shop owner the police confiscated the plants from maintains that what they took was hemp. Ronen Levy is the owner of Green Angel CBD NYC. His store caters to providing CBD to pets. During the bust on November 2, he was handcuffed and taken into custody. He pleaded not guilty to all counts against him of felony criminal possession of marijuana. He has been released and is due back in court on November 19.
The family of Levy isn’t pleased with the result. “They treated him like a drug dealer,” Oren Levy, his brother, said. “He’s never been to jail in his whole life. He still hasn’t slept. He’s paranoid.”
