Last verified: May 2026
The Coordinated Operation
On October 1–2, 2025, KBI agents and local police executed at least 15 search warrants on hemp/CBD shops across 8 Kansas cities:
- Wichita — Two EZ Smoke and Vape (among others).
- Topeka.
- Salina.
- McPherson — Hanging Leaf.
- Pratt — Whiskey River Trading, Cigarette Outlet, Pratt Tobacco and Vape, Space Out Smoke Vapor & Tobacco.
- Concordia.
- Independence — Indy Vapes.
- Abilene — Abilene Vape and CBD.
KBI seized inventory and cash totaling over $35,000 in announced figures, with one store reporting $7,000 in inventory plus cash seized.
The Legal Theory
The Kobach / Mattivi enforcement theory rested on the argument that many products on Kansas hemp-shop shelves exceed 0.3% delta-9 by some testing methodology, particularly when factoring in THCA content. Under the theory, if a product’s total THC (delta-9 + 0.877 × THCA) exceeds 0.3% by dry weight, the product is no longer "hemp" under federal or state definition and is therefore an illegal controlled substance subject to seizure under K.S.A. § 65-4105 (Schedule I) and prosecutable under K.S.A. § 21-5706 (possession) or § 21-5705 (distribution).
Kobach’s public framing — that targeted stores were "nothing but weed dealers" — signaled the broader political messaging: the AG’s office views Kansas hemp retailers as functional cannabis dealers operating under a pretext of legal compliance with the federal Farm Bill.
The Counter-Argument
The hemp industry counter-argument: the federal 2018 Farm Bill controls the definition of "hemp" at 0.3% delta-9 by dry weight. THCA is not delta-9 THC; it does not produce psychoactive effects until decarboxylated by heat. THCA flower at sale is therefore federally compliant hemp. State enforcement of a "total THC" standard contradicts the federal Farm Bill’s plain language.
This counter-argument is the basis for the federal Fourth Amendment lawsuit filed by Indy Vapes and Abilene Vape and CBD on March 5, 2026. See lawsuits page.
The Hanging Leaf Injunction
On December 15, 2025, McPherson CBD store Hanging Leaf — represented by former U.S. Attorney for Kansas Barry Grissom (Grissom Miller Law Firm) — filed for a court injunction in McPherson County District Court. The injunction sought to prevent further enforcement against Hanging Leaf and recover seized inventory.
The Hanging Leaf injunction is significant because Grissom’s involvement adds substantial federal-prosecutor expertise to the defense bar; he served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas during the Obama administration.
The March 2026 Federal Lawsuit
On March 5, 2026, Indy Vapes (Independence) and Abilene Vape and CBD filed a federal Fourth Amendment lawsuit against Kobach, Mattivi, KBI agents, and individual local officials. The lawsuit alleges:
- Defective warrants — the underlying warrant applications failed Fourth Amendment particularity requirements.
- Illegal search and seizure tactics — including unplugging in-store cameras during the searches.
- Civil-rights violations against the store owners under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
The lawsuit is pending in federal court as of May 2026.
The Manhattan American Shaman Predecessor
The October 2025 raids were preceded by similar — though smaller-scale — enforcement actions. The notorious January 2025 raid by Riley County Police Department on a CBD American Shaman store in Manhattan illustrated how aggressively local police were already enforcing Kansas hemp law before the Kobach-led statewide coordination.
The Political Context
The October 2025 raids took place in the context of:
- Kobach’s broader 2026 re-election campaign positioning. He filed for re-election January 8, 2026 with a record $502,626 in cash on hand for a January-1 filing.
- Senate President Ty Masterson’s July 2025 launch of his Republican gubernatorial campaign.
- The pending November 12, 2025 federal Public Law 119-37 signature (which Trump signed weeks after the raids).
- The October 2025 Fort Hays State University Docking Institute survey showing 70.4% Kansas voter support for medical cannabis.
The political signal: Kansas Republican leadership is moving harder against the hemp gray market, even as Kansas voters move toward broader cannabis reform.
The Cumulative Civil-Asset Forfeiture Picture
According to Kansas Bureau of Investigation data, Kansas law enforcement seized approximately $8 million in civil forfeitures from motorists between 2019 and the lawsuit period. KHP was responsible for half. The most prominent case — Empyreal Logistics, an armored cash carrier — saw $1.2 million in marijuana-business cash seized in stops along I-70 near Abilene in 2021. See Kansas Two-Step page.
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org
Related on this site: Kansas Delta-8 / THCA / HHC Gray Market, Federal Hemp Cliff, Kansas Industrial Hemp Program.