‘Not immune to these issues’: Surfside Beach mayor addresses arrests at cannabis store

SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Surfside Beach Mayor Robert Krouse on Friday addressed the arrests of two people at a cannabis store.

Authorities charged Myrtle Beach residents Jason Joseph Papotto, 46, and Sabrena Lee Papotto, 45, with two counts of distribution of marijuana and two counts of distribution of marijuana in proximity to a school or park. The store, Delta Dispensary, is located in a strip mall at 327 N. Highway 17 Business.

The arrests came as part of a three-month-long investigation that focused on the sale of “unregulated and untested substances that were represented as hemp,” a town spokesperson said.

“You may have heard of drug-related arrests at Delta Dispensary in town,” Krouse said in his weekly newsletter. “Surfside Beach Police Department executed a search warrant after making multiple purchases over a three-month period and finding hemp product contained THC levels many times above the legal limit.”

“This product was even available to unsuspecting shoppers,” Krouse continued. “Surfside Beach is a very safe and law-abiding town, but not immune to these issues; I am pleased that SBPD is vigilant and on top of the situation. I expect there will be more news on this in the future.”

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here .

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