Clanton a part of recent vape shop raids by ALEA
Published 1:47 pm Wednesday, June 25, 2025
- Two vape shops in Clanton were a part of search warrants conducted on June 23 that confiscated products deemed too high in THC value by law enforcement. (CAREY REEDER | ADVERTISER)
By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor
On June 23, special agents with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) conducted search warrants on vape shops across Alabama, two of which were in Clanton. Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon confirmed that both Rhino Smoke Shops at 507 Seventh St. N. and 2023 Seventh St. N. were both part of the search warrants executed. A press release from ALEA confirmed the locations of other stores being searched in Enterprise, Troy and Wetumpka.
The search warrants were conducted by ALEA in conjunction with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office and numerous local law enforcement agencies. The press release stated the operation was the culmination of an investigation by law enforcement over several months following numerous complaints regarding vape shops and certain cannabidiol (CBD) specialty stores violating current, long-standing marijuana laws. The searches of the businesses seized large amounts of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, which are currently being inventoried by law enforcement.
Employees at both of the Rhino Smoke Shops said they were caught off guard by the unexpected search and seizure of their products. Products that were confiscated included leafy hemp products, CBD flower and prerolls. The store’s cash registers, credit card machines and other items were taken as well. Many of the vapes and gummies were left, but those will be deemed illegal after new regulations related to HB445 go into effect on July 1.
The employees said that law enforcement said they were confiscating products that were deemed too high in THC value. An employee detailed how a shipment of CBD products would arrive at the store for sale with three distinct pieces of paper inside each box — a letter signed by the company sending the shipment stating the product is not marijuana, an inventory of the shipment and an invoice for the shipment.
No arrests were made in connection with the search warrants at the vape shops in Clanton.
Additional details about the searches will be provided in a joint press conference between ALEA and the Alabama Attorney General’s Office on June 27 at 9 a.m. in Montgomery.
The raids come a handful of days before HB445 goes into effect across the state that will heavily regulate hemp products. HB445 will ban smokable hemp, high-potency gummies and synthetically produced forms of THC, including Delta 8 and Delta 10. It also bans online purchases.
