A Texas smoke shop is suddenly missing quite a bit of inventory after a narcotics investigation ended with a search warrant, an arrest, and the seizure of thousands of grams of THC products.
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said investigators searched Exotic Kings Smoke & Vape in south Montgomery County on August 18 after receiving multiple tips about suspected illegal activity at the business. The shop sits at 324 Rayford Road, directly next to a daycare center, according to the sheriff’s office.
Investigators reported finding nearly seven pounds of marijuana, more than 1,200 grams of THC vape devices, more than 4,000 grams of THC edible products, a firearm, and roughly $30,000 in cash believed to be connected to illegal drug sales.
The raid comes at a particularly complicated time for Texas’ THC market. Hemp products remain legal under certain conditions, while state lawmakers and regulators have tightened rules around intoxicating cannabinoids and THC vape products. That distinction quickly became a point of debate after the sheriff’s office announced the bust.
Investigators Arrived With a Search Warrant
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the search involved its Narcotics Enforcement Team and Crime Reduction Unit along with Homeland Security Investigations.
The sheriff’s office described the raid as the culmination of an “extensive narcotics investigation” prompted by multiple tips from the public.
Inside the shop, investigators said they recovered nearly seven pounds of marijuana along with more than 1,200 grams of THC vape devices and more than 4,000 grams of THC edibles. The agency did not provide a product-by-product breakdown of the THC concentrations or cannabinoids investigators say were present, so it would be premature to assume every seized vape or edible was illegal for the same reason.
Authorities also seized one firearm and approximately $30,000 in cash. The sheriff’s office said investigators believe the money was connected to illicit drug sales.
Texas’ THC Laws Are More Complicated Than They Look
The announcement prompted a pretty obvious question from readers: Aren’t THC products sold legally at smoke shops all over Texas?
Some are.
Texas has allowed the retail sale of qualifying consumable hemp products, and the state’s current rules still permit products containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis. Retailers selling consumable hemp products also have to register with the Texas Department of State Health Services, while products are subject to testing, labeling, packaging, and other requirements.
The rules around other THC products have been moving, however. The Texas Department of State Health Services says the Texas Supreme Court confirmed that delta-8 THC is a controlled substance and that only naturally occurring trace amounts in hemp are exempt. A state scheduling action reflecting that position took effect July 31, 2026.
That timing makes one comment under the sheriff’s post particularly understandable. One person asked whether the products involved “would this have been against the law one month ago?”
There isn’t enough information in the sheriff’s announcement to answer that question for the specific products seized.
The agency identified marijuana, THC vape devices, and THC edibles, but did not say whether the packaged products contained delta-8, delta-9, THCA, another cannabinoid, or THC concentrations exceeding the legal hemp threshold. Without laboratory results or additional charging documents, the recent delta-8 change cannot simply be applied to everything investigators carried out of the store.
There was already another major restriction on the books before July. Texas Senate Bill 2024, which took effect September 1, 2025, prohibits the sale or offering for sale of certain e-cigarette products, including products containing or mixed with cannabinoids.
In other words, “THC product” does not by itself tell us whether something was legal hemp, an illegal controlled substance, or prohibited under another part of Texas law. The details of what was actually inside the products matter.
One Arrest Followed the Search
Investigators arrested 25-year-old Mohamed Elwaseem following the search. The sheriff’s office said he was charged with Manufacture and Delivery of a Controlled Substance and taken to the Montgomery County Jail.
As of the agency’s announcement, Elwaseem was being held on a $50,000 bond.
Texas law makes it an offense to knowingly manufacture, deliver, or possess with intent to deliver controlled substances covered by the applicable penalty groups. The potential punishment can vary considerably depending on what substance is involved and its aggregate weight.
The sheriff’s announcement does not explain which seized products form the basis of Elwaseem’s charge, and the quantities announced by investigators should not automatically be treated as the amount attributed to the criminal charge.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information about criminal activity to contact Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-7867.
Elwaseem is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.