Attorney General Alan Wilson announces indictments in State Grand Jury Operation ‘Ganjapreneur’ involving marijuana and illegal THC products being sold openly in SC businesses

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today in the drug trafficking investigation known as “Ganjapreneur” that the South Carolina State Grand Jury has issued the first indictments directly resulting from the searches and seizures of Midlands area distributorships and vape shops on December 9, 2025. In total, from all the distributorships involved, Operation Ganjapreneur seized, just in the Midlands, approximately 30,000 pounds, or 15 tons, of allegedly illegal product. This product is conservatively estimated to have a street retail value of just shy of 77 million dollars.

The indictments released today focused on two of those businesses: Dab City Warehouse, LLC, and its associated vape shops, and Jay’s Head Shop and Wellness Center LLC. First, the State Grand Jury indicted Shazan Ghani, Zeeshan Ghani, and Haad Hassan, the alleged operators of Dab City Warehouse, LLC, for hundreds of counts, including Trafficking Marijuana, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances.

“As expected, because of the hard work and preparation done prior to the day of Operation Ganjapreneur, the vast majority of the massive amounts of product seized from these two businesses back in December has allegedly been found to be illegal after testing by the SLED lab,” Attorney General Alan Wilson said. “261 of the 270 brands of product tested so far from these businesses came back hot,” Wilson stated. 

On December 9, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search warrant at the Dab City warehouse and recovered over 400 pounds of Marijuana, 60 pounds of THC vapes, 900 pounds of THC edibles and Gummies, and over 80 pounds of Magic Mushroom extract substances. The indictments announced today include a count of, and specifically name, each brand of product being openly sold by Dab City that was tested by SLED and allegedly either contained marijuana or illegal amounts or types of THC, or both. 

Specifically, the Dab City indictments against Shazan Ghani, Zeeshan Ghani, and Haad Hassan allege each committed the following crimes:

2026-GS-47-25:

• Trafficking Marijuana 100lbs to 2000 lbs. (by conspiracy) 44-53-0370(e)(1)(b) 25 years and $25,000 fine 1 Count
• Possession with Intent to Distribute (PWID) Marijuana 44-53-370(b)(2) 0-5 years, up to $5000 94 Counts
• PWID Controlled Substance Sch. I (THC) § 44-53-370(b)(2) 0-5 years, up to $5000                         102 Counts
• PWID Controlled Substance Sch. I (THC analogue) § 44-53-370(b)(2) 0-5 years, up to $5000 21 Counts
• PWID Controlled Substance Sch. I (Psilocin analogue) § 44-53-370(b)(2) 0-5 years, up to $5000 4 Counts

Shazan Ghani, Zeeshan Ghani, and Haad Hassan had been previously indicted by the State Grand Jury in December 2025 for six counts of Trafficking Marijuana 10-100 pounds, 5 counts of PWID marijuana, seven counts of PWID of a Schedule I Controlled Substance, and PWID Schedule I Controlled Substance Analogue. These indicted counts resulted from the seizure of product that allegedly tested hot and was ordered by and destined for Dab City locations (2025-GS-47-32 & -34).

The allegedly illegal products from Dab City include such brand names as Sticky Icky Jelly Rolly, Exotic Dank Frosted Kust Packets, Puff Popz Watermelon Runtz, Ice Kream Powdered Donuts, Jerry Cherry Gelato, Zaza Peach Rings, Diamond Boyz Watermelon Bubble Gum, Vanera Watermelon Zkittlez, Munchies Gassy Taffy, Not Ya Son’s Weed Grapes ‘N Cream, Ztarburst Candy Chrome, and Cali Dime Bag. Some of the products allegedly contained a psilocin analogue, such as Hazy Shrumz and Tre House Mushrooms Magic Mushroom Gummies. In most cases, the content of Delta-9 THC was at least triple the legally permissible limit. A list of all the allegedly hot products from the Dab City indictment counts is set forth below. 

Next, the State Grand Jury issued an indictment against Jay Kalin, Jr., the alleged operator of Jay’s Head Shop and Wellness Center LLC. On December 9, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search and seized over ten pounds of allegedly illicit THC products. Kalin was indicted as follows:

2026-GS-47-15:

• Trafficking Marijuana 10-100 lbs. (by conspiracy) 44-53-0370(e)(1)(b) 25 years and $25,000 fine 1 Count
• Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana 44-53-370(b)(2) 0-5 years, up to $5000 29 Counts
• PWID a Controlled Substance (THC) § 44-53-370(b)(2) 0-5 years, up to $5000             12 Counts

Again, the indictments include a count of, and specifically name, each brand of the product being openly sold by Kalin’s business, known as Jay’s Vape and Wellness, that was tested by SLED and allegedly either contained marijuana or contained illegal amounts or types of THC. The allegedly illegal products included some of the same brands as seized from Dab City, but also other brand names such as Zour Stasch, Hollyweed, High Potency, Sour OG Kush, STIIZY, HiXotic, and SLUggeRS.  A list of all the allegedly hot products from the indictment counts is set forth below.

“These drug traffickers sought to peddle these products to anyone who would buy them. In turn, they were directly profiting off the backs of our children. That is unconscionable,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “I want to make it clear: law enforcement in South Carolina stands united in our effort to rid our state of these dangerous, illicit products.”

“Our success today reflects a unified approach to confronting the threats posed by synthetic chemicals in the illicit drug trade,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This operation brought together investigators, analysts, and officers from numerous agencies who worked seamlessly toward a common goal. Their efforts dismantled a criminal network that was profiting off dangerous substances and exploiting vulnerable communities. We remain committed to identifying and pursuing anyone who contributes to the spread of these harmful chemicals.”

“As I said back in December, this is not the dirt weed that was around 25 years or more years ago,” said State Grand Jury Division Chief Attorney S. Creighton Waters. “These products are marketed as very intoxicating. Some are marketed to resemble candy, cookies, and snacks that appeal to teens and children. All of them were being sold openly in South Carolina, despite the fact that they are allegedly very potent,” he added.   AG Wilson and Waters thanked all the partner agencies in this State Grand Jury investigation for their hard work.

The case has been investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury, which has functioned in this case with the partnership of the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Participating agencies in Operation Ganjapreneur included not only the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Division, SLED, and the DEA, but also Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, City of Columbia Police Department, Airport Police Department, and the University of South Carolina Police Department, the South Carolina Governor’s Counterdrug Task Force, and South Carolina National Guard Counterdrug Task Force.  Special assistance was provided by the East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore. The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Jennifer McKellar, Assistant Attorney General John Conrad, and State Grand Jury Division Chief Attorney S. Creighton Waters. 

Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.