Police confiscate bath salts from Kannapolis store

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — Police confiscated bath salts from a smoke shop in Kannapolis on Tuesday.

It's the same place a local mother took Eyewitness News last week, where she claimed she's bought bath salts to get high.

Officers walked out of Smokers Depot on Tuesday with bags of bath salts and incense.

An investigation into whether the store is selling illegal bath salts has been brewing for months, according to an undercover officer.

“We've observed people come out of there with synthetic marijuana and bath salts,” the officer said. “We've gotten complaints on the telephone from families concerned about that.”

Last week, Channel 9 talked to a local mother who said she bought bath salts there, snorted them and became addicted.

Eyewitness News took those packets to police.

On Tuesday, as police took products from the store, the manager talked to Channel 9.

“I know that the products that we have are not illegal,” Rosie Homen said.

Homen said she's upset because she makes sure her products do not include chemicals in the North Carolina ban.

“I work really hard at making sure we stay in compliant with all the laws,” she said. “I work really hard at making sure I deal with vendors I can trust."

She defended her right to sell bath salts, even though many abuse them.

“They're not to be used for human consumption or snorted. They're basically to be used in your bath,” Homen said. “I would hope that people are using them in the right way.”

Police want to make clear that no arrests have been made because they don't know if the products are illegal. They're sending them to the SBI to be tested.

More information: NC bath salts ban

Previous Stories: November 8, 2011: Woman says bath salts addiction tearing up family

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