Milpitas smoke shops cited over kratom, other illegal substances being sold, police say
Two Milpitas smoke shops have been cited for allegedly selling illegal products, including the highly-addictive substance kratom, from two smoke shops in Milpitas following concerns raised by community members.
The Milpitas Police Department said investigators earlier this week seized products after a search of Puff City at 1225 Jacklin Road and Red Dragon at 1730 N. Milpitas Blvd. Detectives said they found and confiscated two pounds of loose marijuana, about $12,000 in cash, CBD and THC products, psychedelics, E-cigarettes and vapes, flavored tobacco products, and kratom.
Like cannabis, kratom is a plant-derived drug, one largely used for self-treatment of mental health conditions, pain, and opioid withdrawal.
Despite its common uses, a report by the FDA warns that it presents significant dangers, and guardrails on the quality of the product's contents are few and far between. Kratom is currently banned in six states and Washington, D.C., and at least 18 states have some form of regulation, but products containing high levels of the addictive chemicals in Kratom can slip through the cracks, another FDA report said.
Two people were issued criminal citations for multiple drug health and safety violations, police said. A criminal complaint for the business owners for additional violations related to the unlawful sale of cannabis products without proper licensing has been requested through the District Attorney's Office.
Police said similar instances can be reported anonymously by calling (408) 586-2500 or online at www.milpitas.gov/crimetip.