Illinois Court Allows Hemp Distributor’s Training Claim to Proceed After Police Seizure
A federal court in Illinois partially threw out a civil-rights lawsuit by a legal hemp seller whose stock was taken by county police, but it let his claim that officers weren’t trained to tell hemp from marijuana go forward.
In East St. Louis, Illinois, a federal judge partially dismissed a civil-rights action filed by a legal hemp distributor who alleged his inventory was seized by county police during a traffic stop. While the court ruled that the county is immune from the distributor’s tortious interference allegations and that the officers’ behavior did not rise to willful misconduct, it allowed the failure-to-train claim to move forward.
The judge noted that the county had not provided adequate training to help officers distinguish lawful hemp from prohibited marijuana. The distributor’s attempt to show documentation at the stop did not prevent the seizure. The ruling leaves the training-related claim open for further litigation. No other parties or damages were specified in the decision.
Why it matters
The case highlights gaps in law-enforcement training that can affect legal hemp businesses.
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