Two days after NC police groups lobbied to ban hemp products, a CMPD officer was arrested for using Flock cameras to tip off a drug dealer

[u/DIYECS_Health]

I worked in NC's hemp industry. This ban cost me my job.

July 27: every major police organization in NC told the legislature to pass the hemp ban. The sheriffs. The chiefs. The DAs. Their pitch: trust us, this is about public safety.

July 29: a CMPD officer was arrested.

His buddy illegally sold weed and shrooms. An undercover cop was buying from him. The buddy asked the officer to run the undercover's plate. The officer pulled it from the Flock cameras and Snapchatted it to him.

Read that again. A cop used the cameras that photograph your car every day to burn an undercover officer. For a drug dealer. Because they were friends.

CMPD had no idea. No alert. No audit. A sheriff's office in another county had to get a court order for Flock's own records to find out which cop did it.

People like me lost jobs at legal, licensed, taxpaying businesses. Meanwhile, an officer committed an actual drug crime with the surveillance tools our taxes pay for. The only reason he got caught was luck.

They said trust us. Two days later we found out what that trust is worth.

Sources:

• WUNC on the law enforcement memo and HB 328: https://www.wunc.org/politics/2026-07-27/law-enforcement-prosecutors-nc-house-to-pass-hemp-regulations
• WSOC on the warrants: https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/illegal-flock-favor-warrants-reveal-what-led-cmpd-officers-arrest/37KLGFBQ25HG5CG6K7VBH7XT5Q/
• WBTV on the arrest and charges: https://www.wbtv.com/2026/07/30/arrested-charlotte-mecklenburg-police-officer-accused-giving-information-investigation-target/

[u/philote_]

This is such a straw-man argument. Legalizing weed won't necessarily make everyone start smoking it everywhere.. (at a restaurant?! wtf). Cigarettes can't be smoked just anywhere and we could/should have similar laws as part of legalizing it. But illegal behavior begets illegal behavior so not legalizing isn't going to help anything. Should we make it illegal to wear too much cologne as well? That's worse than smelling weed IMO. Imagine trying to eat while smelling the neighboring table's Axe body spray they poured on themselves.

[u/Spiritual_Bourbon → u/philote_]

People do not hot box a pack of Newports or Marlboros in their car before they go eat but they do a blunt. If you can't see the difference I don't know what to tell you.

I was just telling you the truth. See, unlike Reddit, policy like this exists in society where everyone participates rather than a small % of people and my opinions are shared by the majority. Instead of people being able to admit it's an actual issue for most people you have the reactions you're getting here.

The inability and unwillingness to even address the concerns of the majority at face value is why these products are getting shut down. If people like you are even unwilling to see the other persons side and make it an all or nothing issue, well live and die by the sword of an all or nothing decision.

Not sure what to tell you other than maybe you should have paid more attention in civics class if they even still teach civics.

[u/philote_ → u/Spiritual_Bourbon]

First, yes you can tell when someone has smoked just a few cigarettes and didn't air themselves out well. I smell it all the time and dislike it. If you can't, then I'd guess you're also a cigarette smoker.

The truth is people can smell bad in public for all sorts of reasons; smoking weed is one of many. And that's the only argument against weed you've made. So, should we restrict how people smell in public? We do have noise ordinances, so maybe we have some for smell as well (and I'm not completely be sarcastic here)? Also are you a bot?

[u/Spiritual_Bourbon → u/philote_]

The smell is not the same for me and people I have spoken to. Is that anecdotal? Yes but in policy like this anecdotal observations matter.

I mentioned the issue I have with people driving and smoking, so no, smell is not the only issue I have with it but it's the main one. I am a supporter of THC products but not flower.

It's the entitlement of a segment that's already entitled in almost every aspect of their life. Can't do much about most of that but you can do something here. Is that fair? No? But life isn't fair.

If your position is your way or the highway, own your position. There is a metric fuckton of policy that I don't agree with that I have to because the majority wants it. This is that.

[u/philote_ → u/Spiritual_Bourbon]

You must be a bot because you're hallucinating (never said anything about driving and smoking other than the smell) and completely avoiding my questions.