Dallas Morning News
A man arrested during Allen police’s hemp shop raids in August filed a lawsuit this week, seeking a federal court’s protection to do business in the city.
Sabhie Khan, 70, was one of six people arrested in late August, when Allen police raided nine hemp shops in the city, accusing them of selling hemp-based products with illegal levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
An Allen spokesperson said the city is aware of the lawsuit but declined to comment on pending litigation.
Khan was also accused of selling hemp-based products to an 18-year-old man without checking his identification, states his arrest warrant affidavit.
There is no age limit in Texas to purchase consumable hemp products, including those intended for smoking.
Authorities, including the city’s police chief, Steve Dye, have described the situation as a crackdown on illicit products dressed up as legal and being sold under a gray area of regulation. They have said products seized and tested by police have shown 7% to 78% THC levels compared to 0.3% — the legal limit in the state.
David Sergi, Khan’s lawyer, has said authorities targeted his client and similar businesses and filed a lawsuit Tuesday asking the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas to step in.
“The DEA, Allen Police Department, and Collin County Sheriff’s Office targeted Khan’s small business, bringing the full force of the federal government, teamed with an aggressive, headline-seeking police department, and together they treated Khan like the kingpin of a drug cartel, despite hemp being legal,” the Tuesday filing states.
Read the full report
https://cannabislaw.report/wp-admin/post-new.php
