Looks can be deceiving. It’s a fair assumption that the average individual may not be able to distinguish the difference between cannabis and its THC-free cousin, hemp. However, it appears the NYPD would do well to brush up on those distinctions.
Following a lead provided by a FedEx delivery driver, NYPD’s 75th precinct confiscated 106 pounds of legal hemp. The hemp was en route to provide CBD to aid local cancer and medical patients.
The owner of the product, Oren Levy, is a wholesale provider of hemp through his company, Green Angel CBD. Levy claims that the paperwork for the plant was present alongside the product. This paperwork clearly outlines that the hemp’s THC levels are well below the federal limit, making the plants legal to possess.
Making Matters Worse
Following the seizure of the hemp, NYPD’s 75th precinct contacted GreenAngel CBD and arranged for the product to be reclaimed. When Levy’s brother Ronen arrived to do so, he was promptly arrested.
The NYPD proceeded to double-down on their claims, posting a picture to Instagram of officers posing with the hemp. The caption mentioning a “great job,” commending the officers involved with “arrest[ing] the individual associated with the intended delivery.”
Green Angel CBD fired back within the comment section, demanding that the product be returned. They were also claiming that the farm responsible for the product had already sent paperwork establishing the legality of the hemp.
Ronen was released without posting bail on Sunday, but the NYPD claims that the investigation into the shipment is ongoing. They claim further testing is needed in order to confidently determine that the plants are, in fact, hemp. They are holding the product until then, despite having been provided with paperwork that proves that such is the case.
As of yet, the product has not been given back to Green Angel CBD. Their lawyers claim that the officers have no legal grounds to continue holding the product as evidence. They’re voicing a big concern that the hemp can lose its potency over time. What good is this product to medical patients without its high levels of CBD?
