The seizure and destruction of about 5,000 pounds of raw and packaged tianeptine—also known as “gas station heroin”—as well as THC-O from four Florida distribution facilities was announced today by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson.
The Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement and Division of Food Safety of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) seized and destroyed the illegal products that inspectors had previously placed under stop-sale orders in order to prevent any potential harm to consumers.
“We will relentlessly pursue and use the full force of the law to combat the proliferation of narcotics and illicit substances that continue to be found across Florida,” said Commissioner Wilton Simpson. “Thanks to coordination with local and state partners, as well as the Florida Legislature, we are protecting our communities, particularly our children, from these dangerous products.”
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FDACS inspectors seized the tianeptine and THC-O products from the following locations:
- Atofil LLC: 710 NE 19th Place, Cape Coral, FL
- Approximately 400,223 packages of THC-O products
- Approximately 35,961 packages of tianeptine products
- Epic Wholesale: 2094 Beacon Manor Dr, Fort Myers, FL
- Approximately 87 packages of tianeptine products
- FNM Distributing: 11495 S Cleveland Ave Unit A Fort Myers, FL
- Approximately 241 packages of THC-O products
- Approximately 354 packages of tianeptine products
- Summit Labs: 6375 Harney Road, Suite 106, Tampa, FL
- Approximately 3,264 packages of THC-O products
- Approximately 9,614 packages of tianeptine products
Attorney General Ashley Moody filed an emergency rule last month that prohibited the sale of tianeptine, or “gas station heroin,” in Florida. THC-O is categorized as a controlled substance under federal and state law, §893.03(1)(c)190, Fla. Stat.
Today’s announcement follows the department’s previously announced seizures of over 1,900 tianeptine and THC-O products and 1,700 illegal hemp, THC-O, and Amanita Muscaria mushroom products from Florida business.
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Commissioner Wilton Simpson collaborated with Senator Colleen Burton and Representative Will Robinson in the 2023 Legislative Session to update Florida’s food laws to better safeguard consumers and kids.
SB 1676 protected Florida’s minors by outlawing child-targeted marketing, protected consumers by requiring products sold in the state to be packaged in a safe container, and held hemp products that are consumed to the same health and safety standards as other food products. It also added age requirements for purchasing hemp products intended for human consumption.
In July and August, the department carried out the biggest-ever inspection sweep of companies selling goods containing hemp extracts to enforce these new laws.
The sale of hemp extract products that are appealing to children and/or marketed to them is specifically the focus of the statewide inspection sweeps, which is against Florida law.
During the sweep, which involved inspecting over 700 establishments across all 67 Florida counties, over 83,000 packages of hemp extract products—including high-potency, euphoric products—aimed at children were found. The department has found over 98,000 packages of hemp extract products meant for children since July 1.
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