Aaron Ramon Miller, an Abingdon resident linked to multiple Zarati cannabis stores in Southwest Virginia, has been indicted on felony drug and gun charges. The indictment was issued on April 21, 2023, for distribution and possession with intent to distribute up to five pounds of marijuana, conducting an unlawful financial transaction, and possessing a firearm as a nonviolent felon. According to Washington County Circuit Court documents, Miller is currently listed as a fugitive.
The charges coincide with a significant law enforcement operation that occurred on September 27, 2023, when local police and the Virginia State Police executed raids on several cannabis-related shops, including those owned by Miller. The operation targeted a total of nine counties, spanning from Scott to Roanoke County. Miller’s case marks the first known indictment of a cannabis store owner in this region following these searches.
Documents related to the investigation indicate that Miller opened the original Zarati store in Abingdon in November 2021, later relocating it to a site off Lee Highway. Authorities report that Miller not only owned multiple Zarati locations but also sold franchises to other operators. Attempts to contact Miller have been unsuccessful, and there is no legal representation listed in court documents. His store’s social media presence appears to be inactive or deleted.
Details about the raids remained under wraps until court records were unsealed months later. Law enforcement executed the raids after conducting undercover purchases that tested positive for marijuana. During the searches, authorities seized a range of items, including green and dried cannabis material, cash, ATM machines, computers, cellphones, firearms, ammunition, and luxury vehicles such as two Rolls-Royces.
In recent years, the cannabis market in Southwest Virginia has expanded amidst legal ambiguities. In 2021, under then-Governor Ralph Northam, Virginia legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use, yet a retail framework was not established. Since the election of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, attempts to create a regulated retail market have stalled. Observers speculate that a shift in political leadership could lead to changes in cannabis retail laws in the future.
Many cannabis store owners have sought to navigate the legal landscape by implementing various sales strategies, including gifting products contingent on the purchase of other items. Recently, there has been a rise in outright sales of cannabis products, including edibles like gummies and cookies, which remain unregulated and untaxed.
In April 2023, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares declared that the practice of gifting marijuana in exchange for another product is illegal, emphasizing that the establishment’s classification as a private club does not exempt it from legal scrutiny. Miyares has previously warned that selling products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) without proper packaging breaches the Virginia Consumer Protection Act. However, his office does not have broad criminal enforcement authority over marijuana law violations.
Despite Miyares’s calls for law enforcement to take action against illegal sales, many cannabis stores have remained operational, with new establishments continuing to open. For example, three new cannabis shops have started operations off Lee Highway between Bristol and Abingdon, amid a backdrop of numerous stores already established in Bristol and surrounding small towns.
In the wake of the September raids, only a handful of charges related to the operation have surfaced, primarily in Scott County, where local authorities filed drug-related charges against 13 individuals. The Virginia State Police led the raids, and while inquiries about Miller’s charges have been directed to the local Commonwealth’s Attorney, the investigation continues to be active.
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