STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — Law enforcement officers in Stanly County conducted controlled purchases at 17 vape shops as part of an investigation into youth vaping and the sale of products authorities say may contain illegal levels of marijuana compounds. The operation, led by the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, follows repeated confiscations of vaping devices from local students. Lt. Trent Middlebrook, who is overseeing the effort, said schools turn over roughly 600 to 700 vapes during a typical school year. Sheriff Jeff Crisco said testing of products obtained from the shops found chemical concentrations above the 0.3% threshold cited by authorities. He said the results were consistent with street-level marijuana, not legal hemp. The investigation has included controlled buys at all 17 establishments. Officers collected items from the shops and transported them to the sheriff’s office command center for further processing and counting. Authorities have not provided a count of the seized products in the information released about the operation. Uwharrie Kush, one of the businesses named in the investigation, said it is committed to complying with applicable laws and prioritizing product safety. The business also said it supports enforcement efforts that protect the public and hold businesses accountable. The sheriff’s office launched the countywide effort amid concerns about the volume of vaping devices found in schools. The announcement did not detail any arrests or charges.