D.A. Hopes Synthetic Pot Convictions Will Lead to More Guilty Verdicts in GA

A Douglas County jury convicted a man and his sister last week for selling synthetic marijuana in what WSB-TV called the first synthetic pot trial in Georgia.

Douglas District Attorney Brian Fortner told the TV station he hopes the conviction will lead to more across the state.

Ricky Awtrey, owner of Elite Adult Novelty shop, and his sister Barbara were indicted by the grand jury in October on felony drug charges. They will be sentenced in August. Last August, deputies raided Awtrey’s stores and others, seizing suspected fake pot.

Prosecutors told WSB evidence was later found at Awtrey’s home — including orders of chemicals from China — that indicated he was manufacturing the substance. It took a jury 90 minutes to convict the siblings.

The WSB report said Awtrey made $500,000 in one year. His sister kept the books.

See WSB’s report here