A Millstone Township man was charged with maintaining and operating a marijuana manufacturing facility in Hightstown after local police, answering a house fire alarm, detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from inside the house.
The Hightstown Fire Department and Hightstown Police Department were dispatched to the home at 109 Mercer St. on Oct. 19 for a fire alarm. Fire and police personnel inspected the inside of the house for fire hazards and while doing that, detected the odor of raw marijuana.
Police obtained and executed a search warrant Oct. 20 for the home and seized 80 pounds of bulk marijuana, $2,449 in cash and a plethora of products containing THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), including 808 energy drinks; 3,489 pill bottles containing high-grade designer marijuana, 448 bags of assorted edible THC products (hemp gummies, trail mix, honey bars); 2,144 vials of THC powder; 122 jars of THC ointment; seven boxes of massage oil; 40 jars of relief balm; three boxes of dog buscuits; and 26 boxes of THC pretzels.
According to Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, the seized marijuana products have an approximate street value of more than $900,000.
During the course of the investigation by the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force, Schloss was identified as the owner/operator of CannaSence, a supplier of high-grade marijuana products. The investigation indicated that orders for marijuana products were being placed by customers utilizing a CannaSence website and shipped from 109 Mercer Street via the U.S. Postal Service.
Additionally, members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Economic Crimes Unit served court orders freezing approximately 26 bank accounts totaling approximately $777,900 belonging to Schloss and his associates.
Neil Schloss, 46, of Millstone Township, is charged with maintaining and operating a marijuana manufacturing facility, possession of marijuana over 50 grams, possession with the intent to distribute, a first-degree offense, possession with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and possession with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of public housing. The first-degree offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in state prison.
Schloss was released from the correction center pending future court appearances.
“The market for marijuana edibles has dramatically increased as medical cannabis legalization has spread across the country,” Onofri said. “The fact that they are a very tantalizing, tempting way for people to experiment poses even greater risks to keeping marijuana out of the hands of children and teens.”
Taken in large doses, marijuana edibles can lead to anxiety attacks, paranoia and hallucinations, and several reports have found that respiratory insufficiency can also be a major side effect in young children, according to Onofri.
Officers with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hamilton, Hightstown and Trenton police, under the command of the prosecutor’s Special Investigations Unit, assisted with the investigation.
