UPDATE: The owner of Cajun Cannabis has been released after posting $97,000 bond. Earlier today, that bond was set, a reduction from Friday’s bond.
Judge Thomas Frederick set Travis DeYoung’s bond Friday during his 72-hour bond hearing at $322,000 for drug charges including a felony charge for the manufacturing, distribution, and possession of marijuana. Upon hearing his total bond amount, DeYoung asked the judge for a bond reduction because “Mayor-President Joel Robideaux himself gave explicit permission to open the shop.”
Frederick responded that he could file a motion for bond reduction.
DeYoung’s store, which opened on April 20, sells several CBD products including CBD oils, lotions, bath products, coffee, soda, and hemp clothing.
Wednesday night, the Sheriff’s Office stopped DeYoung on West Congress in connection to an ongoing narcotics investigation.
DeYoung told KATC’s Chris Welty that he was leaving Festival International when he was stopped around 11:00.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Agents conducted a search of his vehicle and located the following: 17 Bottles of CBD Oil, 14 Bottles of CBD Gummies, 69 Glass jars of CBD Shatter, 1 Box of CBD mints and one handgun.
DeYoung said after the initial stop, deputies drove him to Cajun Cannabis where they executed a search warrant on his store.
A Gofundme account has been set up to help the legal expenses in DeYoung’s case.
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Cajun Cannabis was raided overnight by law enforcement agencies, according to owner Travis DeYoung.
Deputies with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office were on scene overnight going in and out of the store.
Wednesday night, the Sheriff’s Office stopped DeYoung on West Congress in connection to an ongoing narcotics investigation.
DeYoung told KATC’s Chris Welty that he was leaving Festival International when he was stopped around 11:00.
Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Agents conducted a search of his vehicle and located the following: 17 Bottles of CBD Oil, 14 Bottles of CBD Gummies, 69 Glass jars of CBD Shatter, 1 Box of CBD mints and one handgun.
DeYoung said after the initial stop, deputies drove him to Cajun Cannabis where they executed a search warrant on his store.
The sheriff’s office told us that narcotics agents located one handgun, 37,974.1 “gross grams” of CBD, less than 1 “gross gram” of Marijuana, 1,863 capsules containing CBD/THC, 902.2 “gross grams” of THC/CBD edibles, 155 “gross grams” of THC/CBD vapes/Shatter, honey containing THC/CBD, mints containing THC/CBD, and dog treats containing THC/CBD.
The store, which opened on April 20, sells several CBD products including CBD oils, lotions, bath products, coffee, soda, and hemp clothing.
According to arrest reports, DeYoung was arrested on Wednesday and booked into the Lafayette Parish Jail on several drug charges including a felony charge for the manufacturing, distribution, and possession of marijuana. DeYoung’s bond has not been set yet.
Jail records show he has a court date tomorrow at 8 a.m.
The Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control has said that the sale of any CBD products is illegal regardless of THC content. ATC told KATC that there were concerns about the legality of the business.
According to ATC, any business seeking to sell alcohol and tobacco products must obtain a permit to do so through ATC and their sale of CBD products is strictly prohibited. However, stores that do not sale tobacco and alcohol – such as drug stores – do not require an ATC permit, so if those businesses are selling CBD products it falls upon local authorities such as the sheriff’s office and police department to enforce those violations of the law.
Read More: Cajun Cannabis feeling pressure from the state despite not yet opening
The store received its official occupancy certificate from LCG on April 18.
