Some Zeeland residents want him to stop selling the product.

Sehgal has said he would continue to sell the offering because his customers will just go elsewhere to purchase the products that are available in convenience stores throughout the area.

He acknowledged that “very soon it will be illegal, and we’ll stop selling it. I’ll be happy when we have to stop,” Sehgal said in an interview last week at his Holland Township store at 12059 Felch St., one of three stores operated by Sehgal in the area.

A 1.5-gram package of the synthetic marijuana sells for $8 under the name Trip in Sehgal’s Zeeland and Felch Street outlets.

A Holland distributor using chemicals that come from China makes the product, Sehgal said.

He said he has worked with local police agencies to be sure the product is legal to sell.

“We don’t sell it to anyone under 18. That’s our rule — it’s not the law. It can be sold to anyone. We don’t promote it.”

Pressure for Sehgal to cease sales of the product at his 59 W. Washington St. store in Zeeland ramped up this month when Zeeland City Councilwoman Mary Beth Timmer said she was joining with several individuals and organizations within the community to mount a letter-writing campaign requesting Sehgal to stop selling the product to customers in Zeeland.

“Being on the city council and working for the school district, as well as being part of the Zeeland Action Coalition, I really believe we need to stop the sale of this,” Timmer said. “We will have schools, parents and organizations like Students Against Destructive Decisions and ministerial organizations write letters to AJ’s and hope public pressure and publicity will encourage them to stop selling this.”

Sehgal did pull the product from Hudsonville, but said that was because of the store’s close proximity to Hudsonville High School, and not from a public demand to do so.

Sehgal said the majority of the Zeeland customers interested in purchasing the product, which is commonly smoked, are at least 25 years old.

“We don’t sell that many in Zeeland — very few pieces,” he said. “And they’re not kids. People 25 and above ought to know what they’re doing.” Timmer noted the availability of the product to younger people in Zeeland could come from purchases made by older adults.

The city also presented Sehgal with a registered letter requesting he cease selling the product. He acknowledged receiving the letter last week.

“If stores everywhere stop selling it, I’ll be among the first to stop it,” Sehgal said. “If it’s such a problem, why not ban it?”

The synthetic marijuana issue became a hot-button topic during recent Zeeland City Council deliberations in which it voted not to oppose the annual renewal of the packaged liquor license at the Zeeland AJ’s Grocery and Liquor.

 “I understand it’s two different issues but (the selling of synthetic marijuana) doesn’t bode well with me,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Sally Gruppen. “It still bothers me that we are a community that keeps our children safe, valued and loved and something like this is happening. He doesn’t seem to care. He’d rather make $3 selling it. I wish we had some way to influence his decision.”

Copyright 2012 The Holland Sentinel. Some rights reserved