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Police brief council on vaping awareness: curfew removed by state; THC in products raises felony risk for minors
Summary
The police chief updated council on vaping enforcement and school outreach, explaining that state law removed local juvenile curfew authority and warning that unregulated CBD/THC vaping products can trigger felony controlled-substance prosecutions when lab-tested above statutory thresholds.
Ingleside — Police and school officials told the City Council that enforcement of juvenile curfew is no longer available to municipalities because of a 2023 state law change, and they urged families to monitor devices and purchases after describing cases in which vape cartridges test above legal hemp-THC thresholds.
“Back in 2023 the state removed the curfew authority,” the police chief told council, noting that officers can still make welfare checks, contact parents and return juveniles to guardians but cannot issue citations for a municipal curfew. The chief said school resource officers and school-based education programs are the primary tools being used to reduce youth vaping.
The chief also described a law-enforcement pattern: vape products sold as CBD or hemp are not regulated in the same fashion as tobacco. When an officer seizes a product and laboratory results show THC levels above the statutory 0.3% hemp threshold after combustion or testing, that evidence can support felony controlled-substance charges. “If that THC is over the 0.03, it's a felony charge and it could ruin their life for having a felony charge as a minor,” the chief said, warning parents of the legal risk.
Council members asked about typical parental reactions to late-night welfare checks and about juvenile mischief calls; the chief said many parents are not immediately reachable and officers often contact extended family for custody. The chief and council emphasized education and parent engagement as primary strategies.
Nut Graf
The update combined an operational note — municipalities can no longer enforce local juvenile curfews because of state action — with an enforcement warning about commercially sold CBD/THC vape products. The police presentation framed the issue as primarily educational, with criminal risk where laboratory testing shows controlled-substance levels.
What council asked of staff
Council requested continued coordination with the school SROs, documentation of confiscations sent to laboratory testing, and further outreach materials for parents explaining the legal risks of unregulated vaping products.
