LULING — Two Harvey men are facing charges they sold liquid synthetic cannabinoids to patrons from their St. Charles Parish store.

St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said investigators assigned to the Special Investigations Division received information in July from a concerned resident indicating the Triangle Food Store in Luling was selling liquid synthetic cannabinoids.

“This liquid synthetic cannabinoid is being marketed to use in conjunction with electronic cigarettes and are a threat to our kids,” Champagne said. “This chemical can cause hallucinations, seizures and even psychosis.”

According to the concerned resident, the liquid chemical was being sold in conjunction with a vaporizer, or electronic cigarette, which is commonly used to ingest liquid nicotine.

An undercover detective assigned to the Special Investigations Division purchased a sample of the liquid substance on three occasions, police said. The liquid substance named “Strawberry Spade Oil” was inside a small plastic bottle and was purchased for $35 per bottle.

During the three undercover purchases, Champagne said, the undercover officer purchased the drug from Tai Nguyen and Hoa Nguyen. Samples were sent to the Louisiana State Police drug lab for chemical analysis and found to contain a synthetic chemical that was placed on the list of Schedule I controlled dangerous substances in March.

“This new liquid form of ingesting synthetic cannabinoids can be a lot more potent, because if too much of the liquid is in the pen, one will get a significant dose from the vapors,” Champagne said. “Another concern for parents is that kids may be able to do it undetected by using the vaporizer pen.”

Based on the undercover purchases of the liquid synthetic cannabinoid, investigators obtained a search warrant for the business, where they located 23 bottles of the liquid synthetic cannabinoid.

Store employees Tai Nguyen and Hoa Nguyen were charged with distribution of a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance and other criminal charges.