Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia For Farm Bill Compliant Gummies.

Location: TX

Driving through a small town I got pulled over for failure to signal lane change. The officer comes to my door, asks the standard questions (I answer, like a dummy), sees how nervous I am (I'm visibly nervous everytime I've been pulled over, regardless of what I have in the car) and starts asking to search. I decline - "I do not consent to any searches or seizures", the sheriff then tells me that we'll wait for a k9 to do an open air sniff, I tell him I'd rather not but if we have to we have to (dumb), to which he responds by telling me he has probable cause to search my vehicle because he can smell Marijuana. I tell him about the gummies I had in my backpack and that I bought them here in Texas. He searches my car, comes back with my edibles, tells me that they are the "real thing" and issues me a Class C misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia. I was not arrested.

The gummies in question are the 25ct sumo half bak'd gummies. If you check the marketing and the labeling of the product, it is sold as a federally compliant hemp product - as far as I understand. After all, I did just walk into a smoke shop and purchase it no questions asked. I also had another single serve edible in my bag, which the sheriff said was "fine" - but ended up confiscating anyways. The whole time I'm repeating to him that again, I purchased everything in the state if texas, and as far as I am aware, what I am in possession of is perfectly legal. I understand that this is a world of gray area so I'm not exactly expecting a clear cut dismissal of the case - I've spoken to a couple of lawyers and law firms at this point, and honestly I'm just feeling even more confused. I don't want this to be on my record, I don't want this to prevent me from getting a job or a house in the future. I'm here to ask for any advice, thoughts, or experiences that anybody can share. What do I do next? I know I want a lawyer on my side, but how do I know who to pick? What should I expect next? What are the best ways to get my record clean here? Is the only path forward for a clean record at this point a deferred adjudication followed by an expungement?