News Date: Monday, November 2, 2026
DETAILS OF INCIDENT:
On Thursday, October 29, 2026, detectives from the Berks County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force, in a joint operation with investigators and officers from the City of Reading Police Department, served a court authorized search warrant at the commercial retail business "Reading Adult Outlet," located at 316 Penn Street in the City of Reading, Pennsylvania. The search warrant was authorized by Magisterial District Judge Priscilla Campos. This coordinated enforcement action was the culmination of an ongoing investigation initiated in response to recurring community complaints regarding illicit activity and the over-the-counter sale of illegal marijuana, high-concentration THC products, and drug paraphernalia.
Between August 2026 and October 2026, an undercover Berks County District Attorney Detective conducted several separate controlled purchases of suspected marijuana and glass marijuana smoking pipes (drug paraphernalia) directly from store employees at the sales counter. In each transaction, the merchandise was marketed and sold under deceptive packaging and commercial claims of being lawful "Sativa / Delta-9 / under 0.3%." Subsequent quantitative chemical analysis performed by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Forensic Services refuted those representations, confirming that the vegetable material was in fact marijuana, a Schedule I Controlled Substance containing a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration exceeding the statutory 0.3% limit, rendering it illegal in Pennsylvania.
Under both Federal and Pennsylvania statute, a cannabis product qualifies as lawful industrial hemp strictly if its delta-9 THC concentration does not exceed 0.3% by dry weight. Controlled substances sold above that threshold are classified as Schedule I narcotics and are legally identical to illicit street-level marijuana. A commercial storefront, an industrial hemp label, and a register receipt do not convert an illegal drug into a lawful retail product.
A search of the business resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of suspected illegal drugs and drug-related paraphernalia, including THC-infused products, marijuana, THC vape devices, THC-labeled edibles, and suspected crack cocaine smoking devices.
The estimated value of the seized items is in excess of $25,000.00.
District Attorney John T. Adams further cautions the public and retail merchant community regarding the widespread distribution of unregulated, intoxicating, and synthetic cannabinoid products sold in convenience stores, smoke shops, and adult retail businesses without legitimate age verification or manufacturing standards. Synthetic derivatives such as Delta-8 THC, HHC, and THCP, along with concentrated kratom extracts including 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), meet the legal classification of Schedule I controlled substances and illicit designer drugs under Pennsylvania law.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams stated:
“The distribution of illegal controlled substances under the guise of legitimate hemp products will not be tolerated in Berks County. Commercial operators cannot hide behind fraudulent labels, register receipts, and storefront displays to push Schedule I narcotics into our neighborhoods. When products marketed as industrial hemp exceed statutory THC thresholds, they are illegal drugs—plain and simple. Our office, along with our municipal law enforcement partners, will continue to systematically investigate and hold fully accountable any retail business attempting to bypass state drug laws for profit.”
This is an ongoing investigation. If anyone has information, please contact the Berks County Detectives at 610-478-7171. They can also submit an anonymous tip to Crime Alert Berks County by either calling 877-373-9913, downloading the ALERTBERKS app on their mobile device, or via text message by typing ALERTBERKS along with their tip to 847411.
On Thursday, October 29, 2026, detectives from the Berks County District Attorney’s Drug Task Force, in a joint operation with investigators and officers from the City of Reading Police Department, served a court authorized search warrant at the commercial retail business "Reading Adult Outlet," located at 316 Penn Street in the City of Reading, Pennsylvania. The search warrant was authorized by Magisterial District Judge Priscilla Campos. This coordinated enforcement action was the culmination of an ongoing investigation initiated in response to recurring community complaints regarding illicit activity and the over-the-counter sale of illegal marijuana, high-concentration THC products, and drug paraphernalia.
Between August 2026 and October 2026, an undercover Berks County District Attorney Detective conducted several separate controlled purchases of suspected marijuana and glass marijuana smoking pipes (drug paraphernalia) directly from store employees at the sales counter. In each transaction, the merchandise was marketed and sold under deceptive packaging and commercial claims of being lawful "Sativa / Delta-9 / under 0.3%." Subsequent quantitative chemical analysis performed by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Forensic Services refuted those representations, confirming that the vegetable material was in fact marijuana, a Schedule I Controlled Substance containing a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentration exceeding the statutory 0.3% limit, rendering it illegal in Pennsylvania.
Under both Federal and Pennsylvania statute, a cannabis product qualifies as lawful industrial hemp strictly if its delta-9 THC concentration does not exceed 0.3% by dry weight. Controlled substances sold above that threshold are classified as Schedule I narcotics and are legally identical to illicit street-level marijuana. A commercial storefront, an industrial hemp label, and a register receipt do not convert an illegal drug into a lawful retail product.
A search of the business resulted in the seizure of a large quantity of suspected illegal drugs and drug-related paraphernalia, including THC-infused products, marijuana, THC vape devices, THC-labeled edibles, and suspected crack cocaine smoking devices.
The estimated value of the seized items is in excess of $25,000.00.
District Attorney John T. Adams further cautions the public and retail merchant community regarding the widespread distribution of unregulated, intoxicating, and synthetic cannabinoid products sold in convenience stores, smoke shops, and adult retail businesses without legitimate age verification or manufacturing standards. Synthetic derivatives such as Delta-8 THC, HHC, and THCP, along with concentrated kratom extracts including 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), meet the legal classification of Schedule I controlled substances and illicit designer drugs under Pennsylvania law.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams stated:
“The distribution of illegal controlled substances under the guise of legitimate hemp products will not be tolerated in Berks County. Commercial operators cannot hide behind fraudulent labels, register receipts, and storefront displays to push Schedule I narcotics into our neighborhoods. When products marketed as industrial hemp exceed statutory THC thresholds, they are illegal drugs—plain and simple. Our office, along with our municipal law enforcement partners, will continue to systematically investigate and hold fully accountable any retail business attempting to bypass state drug laws for profit.”
This is an ongoing investigation. If anyone has information, please contact the Berks County Detectives at 610-478-7171. They can also submit an anonymous tip to Crime Alert Berks County by either calling 877-373-9913, downloading the ALERTBERKS app on their mobile device, or via text message by typing ALERTBERKS along with their tip to 847411.