DETROIT – A Detroit hookah shop is now shut down after getting caught selling weed to a 15-year-old kid.
The shop is along East 7 Mile Road between Mound Road and Conant, a block from Pershing High School.
After a woman caught someone behind the counter in Detroit Hookah selling marijuana to her 15-year-old grandson, she called the police. That prompted an investigation, and on Wednesday (Feb. 14), Detroit police found 11,000 grams of marijuana along with drinks with THC in the shop.
DPD’s investigation is ongoing.
Tickets were issued Wednesday and Friday, and Detroit BSEED (Building, Safety, Engineering, and Environmental Department) closed the shop for selling marijuana without a license. The owner will have to go to court to reopen.
“It sends a very strong message to everyone in the city, and of course, the chief wants everyone to know in the community, we’re looking out for them, we are here to ensure that businesses are operating legally within every license coding they’re operating,” said DPD 11th Precinct Commander Rebecca McKay.
The hookah shop’s proximity has been a big concern for the administration at Pershing High School.
“We do our best to educate and love on our kids, make sure they get the best when they come to our building, even at dismissal, but now they can come over here and get something that’s going to take all that away from them,” said principal Bryant Tipton. “Our kids deserve more; our kids don’t deserve to be poisoned.”
Detroit police Commissioner Darryl Woods told Local 4 that selling weed to a 15-year-old is alarming and unacceptable.
“It was just so callous for you to just sell this child some dope that could kill him,” Woods said.
This comes after city council passed an ordinance a couple of months ago to limit situations just like this from happening.
“Hookah bars and hookah tobacco shops seem to have a negative impact in our neighborhoods, and so they are now regulated as a conditional use, and so the community will now always now have a say for any tobacco shop to be located in their neighborhood,” said Councilman Scott Benson who represents District 3.
He said Detroit Hookah was grandfathered in, and that’s why their location was able to stay so close to Pershing High School.