UPDATE: Synthetic Marijuana Bust In Lonoke County

For the first time ever, Lonoke County law enforcement agents raided tobacco stores for selling synthetic marijuana.

This morning, they simultaneously seized the illegal stuff from stores in Ward, Austin and Cabot.

The substance the agents were targeting is like "K-2," agents say, but modified slightly so sellers think they can get around the law banning "K-2."

"From our investigation, they were selling a lot of it," said Lonoke County Sheriff's Deputy Sgt. Branden Hampton.

Sgt. Hampton, says just like "K-2," the substances they took out by the case-load can be very dangerous.

"People are having seizures from it, they are having mental break-downs, they get physically violent towards police. I've had several medical calls from it," Sgt. Hampton said.

"I am glad it's gone," said Ward resident Tim Seymour.

People who live nearby say they are relieved to see the raid. The store in Ward, they say, was a known hot-spot.

"More people buy more of the K-2 or whatever you want to call it, they buy more of it here than they buy cigarettes," Seymour said.

So we wanted to see what other stores were selling the stuff.

We went to three tobacco shops in North Little Rock and Sherwood. But none had it on the shelves.

One store manager says despite lots of money to be made, they won't let anyone light up, what's illegal.

"It's not worth it. And I don't like it, I don't want to be around no one that's on it," said Pat, a manager at the Tobacco Outlet at Sherwood.

Little Rock police did not make any seizures for synthetic marijuana in the last year.

Lonoke County authorities believe other stores are selling it and they plan to continue their investigation to target them too.

Trouble is, they say, once they crack down on the stores sellers might just take to the streets.

So, we'll probably keep hearing about synthetic marijuana for some time to come.