Illegal Vapes, Weed Sold At Morris County Smoke Shops, Prosecutors Say

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — More than a dozen people are facing charges after a smoke shop crackdown across Morris County uncovered a ring of illegal products, prosecutors said.

On July 1, a massive sweep of smoke shops across the county led police to find illegally flavored vape devices, hemp products, and marijuana that were being sold across a dozen establishments.

Police executed search warrants on the businesses, a residence, and a vehicle, and found the following contraband:

• 17,323 tobacco-flavored vapes
• 56,699 units of THC Vapes (approximately 125.5 pounds)
• 328 pounds of gummies/edibles
• 16.5 pounds of marijuana
• Approximately 100 canisters of nitrous oxide
• $45,265.32 in currency

Investigators said four stores in Boonton, one in Montville, two in Randolph, and four in Roxbury Township were selling marijuana and other smoke products without the proper licensing.

See a list of the investigated shops below:

• Vape Waves Smoke Shop (Montville Township)
• True Blaze Smoke Shop/Wah Wah 2 Smoke Shop LLC (Boonton)
• Green Lux Smoke Shop (Roxbury Township)
• Green Lux Smoke Shop (Morris Plains)
• Crown Cigar & Smoke (Boonton)
• Heritage Marketplace (Randolph Township)
• MK Mini Mart (Roxbury Township)
• Sweet Dreams (Roxbury Township)
• M&S Convenience & Cigar (Boonton)
• Stardust Smoke Shop (Randolph Township)

A search of Smoke & Deli in Boonton also took place, which resulted in a written warning being issued for a first offense of offering for sale less than one ounce of marijuana, officials said.

A total of 18 people face charges after the crackdown, including both owners, part-owners, and employees of these establishments.

Charges include conspiracy to distribute controlled dangerous substances (CDS), money laundering, and unlawful possession of toxic chemicals inhaled to cause intoxication, to name a few.

“This operation represents months of coordinated work between county and municipal law enforcement, health officials, and prosecutors to address a problem that has been hiding in plain sight in our neighborhoods," said Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano. "Smoke shops that sell unlicensed marijuana, intoxicating hemp products, and illegally flavored vapes are not harmless corner stores — they are unregulated points of sale for products that our laws were specifically designed to control, whether because of their appeal to young people, their lack of any safety testing, or their connection to untaxed and unlicensed markets.”