# Kernersville Police Department — Pattern of Improper Cannabis-Related Seizures

**Source:** YES! Weekly — "Kernersville Police seizure of legal CBD raises questions"
**Date:** Original article published ~2020
**Retrieved:** May 26, 2026
**URL:** https://www.yesweekly.com/news/kernersville-police-seizure-of-legal-cbd-raises-questions/article_42d1f505-4582-518a-91ec-473cd1e508ac.html

---

## Article Summary

The YES! Weekly investigative report documents an incident where **Detective J.N. Smith** of the Kernersville Police Department entered AAA Quick Mart (744 Piney Grove Rd., Kernersville) and seized eight units of "Hemp Symmetry" CBD products — **without a warrant, without consent, and without any legal justification**.

### Key Facts from the Article

| Fact | Detail |
|------|--------|
| **Date of seizure** | May 8 (year not specified, ~2020) |
| **KPD Officer** | Detective J.N. Smith |
| **Supervisor** | Captain Kevin Clodfelter, Investigative & Technical Services Bureau |
| **Police Chief** | Tim Summers |
| **Product seized** | Hemp Symmetry CBD Gummies (5mg) and CBD Tinctures (250mg, 300mg) — **legally compliant hemp products** |
| **Legal basis** | **NONE** — no search warrant, no consent, no checked box on AOC CR-206 form |
| **Result** | No charges filed. Product returned 3 months later after media inquiry, **unopened and untested** |
| **Conflicting stories** | Detective Smith claimed ALE conducted the seizure; ALE Assistant Director Rodney Beckom **denied this** and stated KPD acted alone |

### Quotes from the Article

> **Bob Crumley (attorney who wrote NC's hemp law):** "As a lawyer and as a business owner and quite frankly as a citizen, I have concerns when a police officer illegally enters a business and seizes a legal product. On its face, the actions taken by this police officer were clearly wrong."

> **Bob Crumley:** "I have trained multiple law enforcement agencies across North Carolina regarding industrial hemp versus marijuana, and in one of the recent training sessions, I gave this scenario to law enforcement officers, and universally, they have said this should never have happened."

> **Captain Kevin Clodfelter:** "I don't know that [the product seized] is illegal. Some of these cannabinoids, or whatever, synthetic cannabinoids, some are illegal; some are legal, I don't know. We don't make the laws."

> **ALE Assistant Director Rodney Beckom:** "Kernersville seized that evidence. The detective brought that particular location in Kernersville to our attention as one to do, but we didn't do that case. They seized the evidence on that. I'm still not sure why she's saying it was ALE."

---

## Relevance to McAchran Case

### 1. Monell Claim — Pattern of Improper Seizures
This article provides **direct evidence of a pattern** of KPD improperly seizing cannabis-related products:
- KPD seized legal hemp products without a warrant (CBD case)
- KPD seized medical cannabis under an invalid warrant (McAchran case)
- Both seizures involved **improper legal justification** and **confusion about cannabis laws**

### 2. KPD Training Deficiencies
- Bob Crumley, the attorney who wrote NC's hemp law, **offered free training to KPD** on distinguishing hemp from marijuana
- Captain Clodfelter admitted: *"I don't know that [the product seized] is illegal"*
- This demonstrates a **failure to train** that supports a *Monell* claim under *City of Canton v. Harris*

### 3. AOC CR-206 Form Pattern
Both cases used the **AOC CR-206 (Inventory of Items Seized)** form:
- In the CBD case: No boxes checked, no legal basis indicated, no signatures
- In McAchran's case: OCR of the CR-206 is incomplete, and the form's handling is relevant to chain of custody

### 4. Credibility of KPD Officers
- Detective Smith contradicted herself about who conducted the seizure
- The ALE publicly contradicted her account
- This pattern of conduct is relevant to the credibility of all KPD officers, including Det. Inman

### 5. Officers and Supervisors Identified

| Name | Role | Relevance |
|------|------|-----------|
| **Det. J.N. Smith** | KPD Detective | Seized legal CBD without warrant |
| **Captain Kevin Clodfelter** | Investigative & Technical Services Bureau | Supervising officer; admitted uncertainty about cannabis laws |
| **Chief Tim Summers** | KPD Police Chief | Ultimately responsible for KPD policies |
| **David M. Brown** | KPD Task Force Officer / FBI Task Force | Present during seizure |
| **Rodney Beckom** | ALE Assistant Director (SBI) | Confirmed KPD acted alone, not ALE |
| **John W. Wolfe III** | Town of Kernersville Legal Counsel | Did not return calls about the incident |
| **Bob Crumley** | Attorney / Hemp law author | Offered free training to KPD on hemp vs. marijuana distinction |