An East Cobb man who owns vaping and tobacco shops at the East Marietta Shopping Center has been arrested and jailed without bond on drug charges after Marietta Police conducted a raid on his businesses Tuesday.
Marietta Police said Wednesday that Billy Scott Christian, 28, was charged with three felony counts related to the possession, sale and distribution of marijuana and another felony count of possession of a firearm during the commission or attempted commission of a crime.
According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Christian lives at a Yancy Road address, in a neighborhood near Sedalia Park Elementary School.
He is the owner of the Royal Cigar and Tobacco Store at 1514 Roswell Road, and the Endangered Botanicals Shop at 1510 Roswell Road, both in the East Marietta Shopping Center.
Police said during the raid that lab equipment to manufacture gummy edibles and capsules of what may be Kratom (an opiate) were confiscated, along with more than nine pounds of marijuana, multiple scales, baggies and three firearms.
More than 100 pounds of the gummy edibles and possible Kratom capsules were collected at the scene for further testing, according to police. Kratom is a substance with similar effects as heroin.
Marietta Police said in a release that following safety alerts issued by the Centers for Disease Control about deaths relating to vaping and THC oil (the key ingredient in marijuana), they began investigating the sale of hemp and CBD oil in the city.
Samples from Christian’s store were identified by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation as containing THC, not hemp, and Marietta Police said they secured search warrants as a result.
The police release said additional charges may be considered regarding the capsules “once the GBI confirms the actual chemicals” they may contain.
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