Program may resolve Delta 8 case

Former CBD store owner takes steps that could see charges expunged

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The former owner of a Hollidaysburg CBD store is entering a Blair County discretionary program that could pave the way for dismissal of criminal charges accusing him of selling illegal products.

Michael Joseph DeAngelo, 58, Altoona, advised Judge Jackie Bernard on Monday that he would waive his speedy trial rights and enter the county's Disposition in Lieu of Trial program.

In that program, DeAngelo can ask for his criminal charges to be withdrawn and expunged if he remains crime-free for six months. He's charged with two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and two misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession.

"It's my best option," DeAngelo said outside court, where he spoke of wanting to remain focused on rebuilding his life. "I've got two jobs now and I'm making headway."

DeAngelo has been free on unsecured bail since being arrested in August 2023 by state police at Hollidaysburg, who accused him of selling illegal products from the Innovative Extracts/Our CBD store in Hollidaysburg.

The accusations reflect what was then and continues to be an ongoing debate over the sale of Delta 8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products made from hemp plants.

While proponents say Delta 8 products were legalized through the 2018 Federal Farm Bill, others say it's still considered illegal in Pennsylvania. And news stories show that police continue to make arrests in response to problematic reactions.

District Attorney Pete Weeks, who controls entry into the Disposition in Lieu of Trial program, told Bernard that he agreed to DeAngelo's entry into the program after reviewing lab reports provided by DeAngelo and defense counsel, First Assistant Public Defender Julia Burke.

"The lab reports convinced me that (DeAngelo) thought he was selling a legitimate product," Weeks said outside court. "That's what changed my mind about the direction of this specific case."'

Burke said those lab reports -- which showed different levels from the state police lab reports -- came from a reputable seller that DeAngelo was buying from.

"There's no question about this. He thought he was running a legitimate business," Burke said.

DeAngelo also emphasized that his goal has always been to help people and provide them with alternatives to drugs and addiction. But after the charges were filed and state police seized his inventory, that ended because he had no option but to shut down.

While the county's discretionary program gives him a chance to have his charges withdrawn, he is still required to cover the cost of lab tests and state police purchases totaling $1,043. Bernard said he could have up to five years to pay those costs.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.