McCreary Investigation highlights Tennessee, National Problem
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McCreary Investigation highlights Tennessee, National Problem
By Shane Gilreath
[email protected]
From the outside looking in, McCreary County has had a rough few weeks. With recent occurrences of a grisly Stearns murder, a former principal in federal prison, and a state police investigation into an alleged school hazing, when allegations broke of illegal activity at two popular Pine Knot convenience stores many immediately assumed the worst. Those reports, however, highlighted a national pandemic and one which has not evaded Tennessee. According to the McCreary County Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant was obtained for the two businesses – Good to Go, just off Highway 27, and Hazel Mart on East Kentucky 92 – and searches were subsequently conducted after reports surfaced that juveniles were suffering medical episodes related to the ingestion of illegal controlled substances allegedly obtained at the two locations.
Data from recent years has indicated such instances have become a widespread national epidemic, prompting recent legislation in Tennessee. The most common of these issues involves the sale of tobacco and vaping products. FDA compliance checks have repeatedly shown that stores illegally sell e-cigarettes to underage buyers, making it a concern that transcends the region. While the better-known issue of alcohol sales to minors does continue to happen – at a lower rate due to strict penalties and routine enforcement – a greater area of concern has been the sale of unregulated or synthetic substances, such as cannabinoids—chemicals designed to mimic the effects of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana – or kratom, which some stores have been caught selling without fully disclosing the risks or legality. While it is rare for legitimate convenience stores to sell outright illegal drugs to minors, the ongoing violations with tobacco, vaping products, alcohol, and unregulated substances show that it remains an issue of national public health.
While the exact violations of the two Pine Knot locations have not been announced, during the course of the investigation, the McCreary County Sheriff’s Office found it necessary to request the assistance of agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as well as the Kentucky Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).
While most instances of sells across Tennessee do not result in businesses being subjected to court-ordered padlocks and shutdowns, despite speculation of such, several 2024 investigations resulted in citations, including 17 retailers in East Tennessee and multiple smaller operations that cited 3–6 shops in other counties as recent as November 2024. The most widely reported statewide incident became known as Operation Candy Crush, a controversial law enforcement operation conducted in February 2018 in Rutherford County, when authorities padlocked 23 businesses, including convenience stores and vape shops, accused of selling candy-like products containing cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from hemp, to children.
Due to an on-going investigation, the McCreary County Sheriff’s Office had no further comments, and both Kentucky locations have subsequently re-opened for business.
“We value and welcome legal businesses in McCreary County,” a statement sent to SCN read. “However, if any business violates Kentucky Revised Statutes (law) or provides products that harm our children, we will take appropriate investigative and enforcement action.”
