Clinton police recovered a huge stash of marijuana and related drug products Friday that Police Chief Paul Rinkel said were “clearly targeted for young kids and teenagers.”

One AR-15 rifle also was seized.

Donald Taplin, 31, of Clinton, was arrested at the scene. Police said more arrests are expected after they confer with the District Attorney’s Office and determine who will be charged with what.

Chief Rinkel said a search warrant was obtained and executed at a house Friday afternoon after police received complaints about lots of vehicle traffic and people in and out at all hours of the night. Detective Capt. Ray Hammans said the house was located at 500 N. 20th St.

“This was set up like a retail convenience store and had nothing to do with medical marijuana,” said Rinkel. “Rather, it was targeted to young teens, kids and adults in the Clinton area.”

Among the items he said were recovered were four to five pounds of marijuana, eight pounds of marijuana edibles, and 200 phc’s of Vape pens. An estimated $2,000 in cash also was found.

One 17-year-old Clinton student and two other individuals were present when the search warrant was executed, said Rinkel.

“One of the adults present was a fugitive from Kansas and was arrested,” he added.

Taplin was arrested on charges of carrying or possessing a firearm by a convicted felon, use of a firearm while committing a felony, acquiring proceeds from drug activities, and three counts of distributing a controlled substance.

Rinkel said police believe the operation had existed for three or four weeks. “But we were on top of it,” he said, adding, “We really appreciate the input of citizens. They made it clear they don’t want it here, and I won’t put up with it. The investigation is continuing, and we anticipate making more arrests.”

Quite a number of marijuana Vapes also were confiscated. They included over 500 black boxes which police said were illegal.

Other products included edible items that looked like gummy-type candy in commercially packaged cellophane packages. Many of the packages had Batman images on the exteriors.

“If a child picks this up, they’re going to think it’s candy,” said Detective Hammans.

“This isn’t your grandfather’s marijuana either,” said Chief Rinkel. “It’s really concentrated. It’s a couple hundred times stronger than your marijuana of the 1970s and ’80s.”

He said its comparative potency would be like drinking 12 ounces of straight whiskey versus one beer.

Other items included what police were calling “Dab” which they described as packaged oil from marijuana plants.

“Dabs or dabbing are names for the use of concentrated butane hash oil,” said Wikipedia. “It is a relatively new method of administering/ingesting cannabis that involves the inhalation of highly concentrated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active chemical in cannabis.”

Other products confiscated included 10 or 12 jars of green marijuana buds.

Hammans, who is presently Clinton’s senior detective, said this was the biggest marijuana bust he has participated in since coming on the police force.

He said police have handled Taplin previously.

“I’ve known him a long time,” said Hammans. “He’s a convicted felon.”