California County Shutters Shop for Illegal Sales

A county district attorney in California wants to keep vapes, tobacco products and other prohibited items off of store shelves out of the hands of children.

Monterey County is handing down civil penalties to Rubystar Gems and Gifts, a local business accused of doing just that. The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office says they received word in late 2023 from the Monterey Police Department and Monterey Sheriff’s Department about complaints against the store for selling tobacco products to minors.

The store was also allegedly selling flavored tobacco products, which are illegal in California, hallucinogenic mushroom gummies containing a substance that is illegal to sell in California and illegal weapons like “metal knuckles.”

The mushroom gummies contain psilocybin, which is a hallucinogenic controlled substance that is illegal to sell in California. The packaging was counterfeit and did not indicate the actual product and its true manufacturer on the label, according to media reports.

The store’s owner agreed to a civil settlement and has to pay a $25,000 penalty for the violations. In 2022 and 2023, two sales clerks were prosecuted in a criminal court for selling tobacco products to minors. Continued complaints prompted the Monterey District Attorney’s Office to investigate further.

The store is currently closed, but Emily Hickok, a chief deputy district attorney at the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, says it can legally continue to operate. The store owner didn’t want to go on camera but did say the store is closed because of personal health reasons and that he is retiring.