Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrested more than a dozen convenience store owners and clerks in a month-long undercover drug operation.

Hillsborough County

Fourteen convenience store owners and merchants in Hillsborough County, Florida, have been arrested after a coordinated law enforcement operation targeting the sale of synthetic marijuana and other illegal drugs. The investigation, conducted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, focused on seven convenience stores, primarily in the university area.

Authorities seized substances including synthetic marijuana (also known as spice or K2), THC, mushrooms, and sativa resin, as well as $40,000 in cash. Medical experts highlighted the heightened potency and health risks associated with these synthetic drugs, emphasizing the importance of public awareness and caution.

Fourteen people arrested in synthetic marijuana busts

Six more than a dozen Hillsboro County convenience store owners and merchants are in jail accused of selling synthetic marijuana and other harmful drugs. The bust was simultaneously conducted by deputies and detectives at seven different locations. We want to bring in FOX 13's Jennifer Veglis live at her newsroom tonight. And Jennifer, these drugs pack a harmful punch, don't they? Yeah, Lloyd, that synthetic marijuana is also known as spice and could land you in the ER. Today, I visited all seven locations accused of selling those drugs and they're for the most part in the university area and things were quiet. A trip to the gas station or convenience store used to mean picking up lottery tickets, tobacco products. When I was a little kid, I would go to a store, get a little pieces of candy, maybe some gum. But in a month-long investigation by the Hillsboro County Sheriff's Office leading to simultaneous busts with 14 arrested on Thursday, detectives uncovered what's behind the counters at these seven convenience stores is much more dangerous. The idea that you're going there and getting schedule one or illegal drugs is so scary. Illegal drugs like THC, mushrooms, sativa resin and synthetic marijuana, also known as K2 or spice, a drug that may look like normal marijuana. It's not a marijuana plant, yet the chemical hits the same receptors in the brain that the marijuana plant does, yet it's so much more powerful. Experts say it's up to 100 times more powerful. Dr. Steven Goldberg, chief medical officer at HealthTrackRx says less than 1% of marijuana users turn to it. It triggers not only euphoria or giddiness, but it can also cause psychosis. Meanwhile, sativa resin does stem from a plant. It, however, is much more powerful in terms of containing more THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, than marijuana from decades ago. That's a big, big difference. Triggering effects like disorientation, chest pain and shortness of breath. Dr. Goldberg says there's three takeaways from this. The first, know what you're putting in the body. Talk to your kids. The marijuana of today is much more powerful than the past, and the synthetic materials today are much more powerful than the past. And because of that, they can be dependence driving, addiction driving and have much worse physiologic effects. Those drugs, $40,000 in cash, was also seized by detectives in this unified bust. Lloyd. Eggless reporting live from the newsroom. Jennifer, thanks.

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