A Brewton man has been arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance when he was found to be in possession of a large amount of synthetic marijuana.
Billy Jo Robinson Jr., 39, was arrested following an undercover investigation that included the purchase of the substance by an undercover officer in August, officials said.
Sgt. Andrew Casey, a member of the Brewton Police Narcotics Division, said the arrest was made in order to get a large amount spice — fake marijuana — off the streets.
“We have also charged Robinson with distribution of a controlled substance after one of our undercover officers made a purchase of the spice from him earlier in August,” Casey said. “When he was arrested, our agents discovered that he was in possession of 27 individual bags of synthetic marijuana and one bag of marijuana.”
Casey said Robinson also had a large bag of the synthetic marijuana still in retail packaging.
“In our investigation, we found evidence that suggests Robinson received help from another individual,” Casey said. “We believe they were responsible for brining the synthetic marijuana or space to the Brewton area from Florida.”
The arrest and seizure of the synthetic marijuana is fairly substantial and should make it harder for individuals in the Brewton area to acquire the substance, Casey said.
Casey said at least one other arrest is expected to be made in connection with the spice distribution in the city.
The sale, distribution and possession of the fake marijuana, commonly known as spice, was banned in Alabama in October 2011 after state, county and city officials reported the effects of the drug on individuals. City of Brewton officials began working as early as September 2011 to effectively ban the sale of the substance in the city.
According to Brewton Police Chief Monte McGougin in a previous interview, the substances can be known by a variety of names including Spice, Xtreme Spice, Black Magic Salvia, Voodoo Child and others. The most recent discovery of the substance included a package labeled “Mr. Happy.”
Arrests made in connection with the sale, distribution or possession of a spice-type product is a felony offense, officials said.
Anyone with information concerning the illegal spice-type substances is asked to contact Brewton Police at 867-3212.