BRATTLEBORO - At 11 a.m. this morning, the Brattleboro Police Department served a search warrant on a local business and seized a number of products containing suspected banned substances.

The materials were branded as Twilight Zone, Crippler, Tales from the Crypt and Disorderly and are suspected of containing 5F UR-144, a derivative of UR-144, which was developed by Abbott Laboratories as a synthetic cannabinoid and is banned under state law.

A person who answered the phone at Harmony Underground in downtown Brattleboro told the Reformer he had no comment about the serving of the search warrant.

Brattleboro Police Chief Eugene Wrinn told the Reformer that he would not confirm the raid took place at Harmony Underground because the owner of the business where the search warrant was served was cooperating with investigators.

"The substances are being sold as potpourri but people are smoking it," said Wrinn. "It has had hallucinogenic effects on them."

At least two local people have required medical assistance after using the substance, he said.

"We conducted an investigation and have probable cause to believe what is in those materials is on the banned list," said Wrinn. "Some substances were not on the search warrant but the owner allowed us to take those with his consent. He doesn't want to be found to be in possession of something illegal."

Selling a substance that is on the state list can result in a three-year prison sentence.

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