Legal Hemp, Illegal Seizure: Tennessee Sheriff Hit with $3.9M Federal Lawsuit

A California hemp company has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Madison County Sheriff’s Department after deputies illegally seized and destroyed nearly $4million worth of legal hemp products during a routine traffic stop.

The lawsuit, filed by Litson PLLC on behalf of California Gold Farms LLC, alleges that deputies unlawfully seized approximately 1,000 pounds of legal hemp flower that was being transported to processing facilities in North Carolina and New York.

According to the complaint, deputies disregarded documentation showing the product was legal hemp - including laboratory test results attached to each box confirming THC levels were well below legal limits. Instead, they relied solely on the smell to identify the product as marijuana, despite being trained that hemp and marijuana have an indistinguishable odor.

“This case exposes yet another critical failure in law enforcement’s approach to hemp,” said Alex Little, attorney for California Gold Farms. “Modern testing equipment exists to differentiate between legal hemp and marijuana, but officers chose to ignore proper documentation and use inadequate methods instead, devastating a legitimate agricultural business.”

The lawsuit details how the seized hemp was improperly stored for over a month, causing chemical changes that rendered the once-legal product unsellable. While a judge dismissed the baseless criminal charges against the driver, the company’s valuable inventory was destroyed through improper handling.

The complaint seeks compensatory damages exceeding $3.9 million, punitive damages, and demands improved law enforcement training by Madison County on the legal distinctions between hemp and marijuana.

Litson PLLC is a boutique law firm focused on white collar criminal defense and high-stakes litigation. It is part of Hemp Law Group, which provides regulatory advice to hemp businesses in Tennessee and nationwide.

‍