Bristol, VA Police Chief Reveals Key Factors Behind Recent...

BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) — A significant law enforcement operation unfolded in Bristol, Virginia, on Wednesday as authorities served warrants at multiple cannabis stores. The operation led to the discovery of over 300 pounds of marijuana, raising the potential for substantial fines and penalties against the businesses involved, according to Police Chief Byron Ashbrook.

The Virginia State Police (VSP) in collaboration with the Bristol, Virginia Police Department (BVPD), confirmed that these search warrants had been executed over the course of May. The seized marijuana, with its street value exceeding $1 million, was found at several locations including CannaBoyz, Space Apes, The Mile High Club, and the site of the former Bristol Herald Courier building.

Items confiscated in the raid comprised marijuana, marijuana plants, and THC-infused edibles. The BVPD noted in a news release that many of these cannabis products were packaged in a manner resembling candy, posing significant risks to public safety.

Chief Ashbrook highlighted that in the summer of 2025, police officers had visited several cannabis storefronts to clarify Virginia’s cannabis laws and ensure compliance. This ongoing effort underscores the importance of adhering to state regulations in the burgeoning cannabis industry.

“We gave them handouts on, you know, this is what is legal and this is what is not legal,” Ashbrook said. “We’re not really sure what you’re doing here. We have some ideas, but this is the law, this is what you can and can’t do.”

Ashbrook said investigators were easily able to make undercover purchases and determine wrongdoing at some stores.

“It wasn’t very hard to send law enforcement officers in undercover to purchase marijuana out of these establishments,” he said. “[They] did it on multiple times and that is clearly illegal according to law.”

Virginia does allow up to a certain amount of cannabis to be legally possessed, and up to four plants can be grown per household, but the plants cannot be visible to the public. In Virginia, it is legal to possess cannabis at a private residence for personal use, and up to one ounce can be possessed in public for personal use.

Adults are also allowed to privately share one ounce or less of cannabis, but selling or buying cannabis between adults is illegal.

“Private sharing is fine,” Ashbrook said. “You can grow a certain amount of plants in your house and share it with other people, as long as you are not trading it for money, and these stores, you have to realize, they were making millions of dollars off of selling marijuana.”

According to Ashbrook, some of the products at the store were also illegally labeled.

“Some of the items we seized, specifically at Space Apes, that were labeled as SweeTARTS,” he said. “They had the appearance of Nerds or Nerds Ropes or something of that nature, and other things. If that was to be taken home, and a kid was to see that, they could just tear it open and start eating it, so that’s not something that’s legal.”

Ashbrook said criminal charges or indictments are pending, and the investigation is still ongoing. The Bristol, Virginia Police Department (BVPD) is working with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office in reference to civil fines and penalties, which Ashbrook said “could be very, very high.”

“A lot of people are online talking about the legalization piece,” Ashbrook said. “As long as they are doing it legally, I have no concerns, but when you begin a multimillion-dollar business by selling it… And there is also pieces in here that say you can’t gift it as part of a sale or another for a good or service, like a sticker or anything else. There is no way around this; you can’t say, ‘Hey, I’ll buy this t-shirt, I’m going to give you $50 worth of marijuana.’ That’s not a way around the law.”

CannaBoyz provided a statement to News Channel 11 on Thursday, stating the business was fully cooperating and believed it was working within the law. That statement can be read below:

Canna Boyz is fully cooperating with all agencies involved and remains committed to operating with transparency, professionalism, and integrity throughout this investigation.

We are confident that our business follows all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards. Our team takes compliance seriously and works diligently to ensure that every aspect of our operations meets required guidelines.

At this time, we will continue to cooperate respectfully with authorities while remaining focused on reopening to continue serving our customers and community responsibly. We appreciate the continued support from our clients, partners, and community members as this matter moves forward.

CannaBoyz

Ashbrook said the department’s goal is not to hurt local businesses.

“We don’t want this. We don’t want to try and get businesses in trouble,” he said. “That’s not our goal; our goal is for people to follow the law. We don’t make the law again, but we have to enforce it.”

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Bristol, VA Police Chief Reveals Key Factors Behind Recent Cannabis Store Raids

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