Oils, edibles from councilman’s CBD and kratom shops were target of DEA raid. Here’s why.

The raid of multiple CBD and kratom stores in Mississippi and North Carolina on Thursday is part of a year-and-a-half-long U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency investigation that was sparked by complaints of illness after taking products sold there.

DEA agents raided six Candy Shop & Kratom stores across Mississippi, three in Hattiesburg and three on the Mississippi Coast, along with two stores in North Carolina. They are owned by Biloxi City Councilman Robert Deming III.

His home in the upscale Taylor Oaks Subdivision also was raided. An agent confirmed to the Sun Herald that Deming, who unsuccessfully ran for U.S. House seat in 2020, has not been arrested or detained.

The warrants served at the three Hattiesburg locations were in connection to synthetic cannabinoids connection — known as oils and edibles — “that were having additional substances added to them, which have led to serious health issues for consumers,” according to a press release from the Hattiesburg Police Department.

Chris Bell, special agent in charge for the DEA in Gulfport, said the agency got several complaints that people were getting sick after consuming products from Deming’s stores.

The raid on Thursday was mostly to recover documents, Bell said, adding that authorities are concerned over the age of some of the victims. The stores involved on the Coast were in Ocean Springs, Biloxi and Gulfport.

Kratom is a polarizing supplement that is sold as a pain reliever and to help people focus. It has also been linked to drug overdoses and is outlawed in several states, including Alabama.

There are several bills in Mississippi Legislature targeting kratom this year.

The Sun Herald reached out to Deming early Thursday afternoon for comment.