Indy Smoke Shop Owner Responds to Recent Raid
INDIANAPOLIS — The owner of an Indianapolis smoke shop is speaking out after his store was raided by Indiana State Excise Police.
Brandon Howard told WISH-TV this week that police were in his shop looking for illegal products. It’s part of a statewide crackdown on unregulated sales.
“They took CBD hemp flower, which is legal under the farm bill,” said Howard, who owns Higher Life CBD Dispensary & Smoke Shop in Fountain Square. “In Indiana’s eyes, it’s illegal, but with the federal law, it’s legal pretty much.”
The excise police took over 700 smokable hemp products from Howard’s shop. He said at first, he wasn’t sure if he was going to get prosecuted or be fined.
“They pretty much just told me, ‘Hey, this is what we took,’ and they didn’t say anything else after that,” Howard said. “So, I just hired a lawyer to protect myself.”
According to the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission (ATC), it’s illegal in the state for a retail store to possess or sell smokable hemp, including hemp bud and hemp flower.
In a statement from ATC Chairwoman Jessica Allen, she said, “The Alcohol and Tobacco Commission expects retail certificate holders, and all other businesses, to be aware of the law related to these illegal products and to be fully compliant with the law. Excise is actively taking enforcement action as necessary.”
Howard has been selling hemp products since 2017. In a post made to social media, he said “Everything I did at Higher Life CBD Dispensary was 100% federally legal. I’d never compromise my reputation or business for money.”
Howard added that he’s willing to work with the government to make sure his shop stays in compliance and is hoping state officials will reconsider some of Indiana’s laws about THC products.
“I would love for us to actually take a step forward toward some type of legalization, either medical or possibly recreational,” Howard said.
With about seven other smoke shops in his area, Howard is hoping other businesses will take the necessary steps to remain open and remove any items from their store that could lead to a similar situation. He called the raid a “wake-up call” and said he’s taken a “pretty big hit” financially.
