Four arrested in Nebraska CBD case

A vaping shop in Nebraska has been shut down and the owners and two employees charged with crimes for selling cannabidiol, which Nebraska considers a controlled substance.

The arrests in Herman, about 35 miles north of Omaha, come two months after Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson declared CBD products illegal because they haven’t been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The Dec. 5 bust at DJ’s Vapes came after Washington County authorities got community reports that the shop was selling CBD along with tobacco products, according to the Washington County Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise.

The co-owners, a manager and an employee were arrested and face charges including conspiracy and possessing a controlled substance.

Authorities hinted at more arrests if CBD sales continue in Nebraska.

“To those people who continue to possess or purchase these items, they are on notice that we will enforce the laws of the state of Nebraska and prosecute those individuals to the fullest extent of the law,” county prosecutor Scott Vander Schaaf told the newspaper.

Retailers across Nebraska have reported taking CBD off their shelves because of the attorney general’s decision. But the Herman arrests are thought to be the first Nebraska cases of criminal charges for selling CBD.

A North Dakota tobacco-shop owner faces similar charges in that state.