Update: Deputy Joshua Dubin told SCVNews.com that four Santa Clarita Valley businesses – on Lyons Avenue, Railroad Avenue and Soledad Canyon Road – were checked for illegal sales. A retailer at the Mobil gas station at the northwest corner of Soledad and Sierra Highway was arrested and field-released. The retailer “agreed to no longer sell the products and was cooperative,” Dubin said.

[LASD] – On Wednesday, September 05, 2012, deputies from the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station Juvenile Intervention Team (J-Team), along with deputies from the station’s Crime Prevention Unit (CPU), conducted an undercover operation in an effort to ensure that Santa Clarita businesses are complying with local and state laws regarding illegal substances. Information obtained by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station indicated that some local retailers may be selling illegal substances, such as bath salts and spice, to children and adults in our community.

California Health and Safety Code Section 11357.5 makes it illegal for any person to sell, dispense, distribute, offer to sell, or possess for sale any synthetic cannabinoid compound, or any synthetic cannabinoid derivative. This misdemeanor crime can be punishable by imprisonment in a county jail.

Spice, also known as synthetic cannabis is a psychoactive designer drug made from natural herbs sprayed with synthetic chemicals that, when consumed, can mimic the effects of other illegal drugs. The term bath salt is another name for a family of designer drugs containing numerous chemicals, which can have effects similar to amphetamine and cocaine and are illegal. The white crystals resemble legal bathing products, such as Epsom salts. Chemically the two have no other relation.

The J-Team works to keep drugs out of our community and away from our youth and schools. During the operation, four locations were checked for compliance. Three did not have any illegal products or violations. One retailer was arrested and field released on a notice to appear when he was caught selling these illegal products. The products were seized. Deputies are hopeful that the word is getting out to local businesses that this practice is illegal and those found in violation will be subject to enforcement under the law. Additional operations will be conducted in the coming months.

When dealing with illegal items such as narcotics, sometimes residents wish to remain anonymous when reporting criminal acts such as narcotic sales. If you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.