LONGVIEW (KYTX) - Vehicles drive past Terrie Mogavero as she stands outside glass dragon on Pine Tree Road, four miles from her family's home.
It's one of three stores busted by federal and local drug agents December 3.
Prosecutors say Jeremy Tidwell, his wife Shanna Tidwell and his brother Brian Tidwell, profited $4 million since February, all through illegal sales of synthetic cannabinoids, or K-2. It's a product labeled "not for human consumption," but smoking it can mimic controlled substances like marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine.
Mogavero's plan includes never letting this or any merchant sell the products to customers searching for a fix.
"You've got four states, four surrounding states, that were coming to our town to get this. You tell me there's not a problem. You tell me why the millions of dollars were there to be made, and it's profiting off the backs of addiction," she says.
Her group, Warriors Against Synthetic Products, or WASP has more than 800 members. They want supporters to petition for new laws that kill synthetic cannabinoids. Manufacturers constantly change the variety of chemicals used to make the products. That makes the effect unpredictable to users.
"Three people smoking one packet. One is okay, the other has a seizure, the third one died. That has happened," Mogavero says.
The group also wants to stop manufacturers from skirting laws to sell K-2.
"There's no labeling on this except for not fit for human consumption. Well, for some people, consume means eat. Okay, well, they're not eating it, but they're smoking it."
For now, a federal magistrate is letting Shanna Tidwell open Longview Vapor Store on Fredonia Street to sell legal merchandise.
Prosecutors and all three defendants have until January 26 to reach a plea agreement. If they don't, pretrial hearings start February 2.
To find WASP's Facebook page, and how to send a personal testimony letter about synthetic cannabinoids to state lawmakers, click here.
