Irmo business license suspended

By Al Dozier 

An Irmo business deemed “a nuisance” by the town had its license revoked. 

But the Irmo Town Council Tuesday voted to reinstate the license if certain guidelines were followed. 

Irmo Tobacco & Vapor at 1100 Dutch Fork Road was cited by town officials for selling controlled substances, a finding confirmed by law enforcement officials. Various substances were cited, including Delta 8 and Delta 9, hemp derivatives identified as cannabinoid. It’s a psychoactive compound that can make a person get high. 

An attorney for the business, Andy Delaney, complained to the council that the business owner was not informed of the reason for his license revocation. 

“There was no explanation as to what was wrong.” 

But Irmo Town Administrator Bob Brown said the Irmo Police Department, assisted by SLED, obtained substances sold at the business and determined they could not be lawfully sold. 

Council members expressed concern that the issue would be better addressed through a court process than by a license revocation. The council agreed to reinstate the license if the business owner agreed to remove items determined by law enforcement to be unlawful. The vote was Danielson and Condom against reinstatement with Sickinger, Walker and Busch for reinstatement. 

“Clean your act up,” said Councilman Erik Sickinger. 

Irmo Police Chief Courtney Dennis did not object to the council’s action but pointed out that the investigation by the police is still ongoing.