Jayson Mickle, 31, of Hampton, pleaded guilty Monday in federal district court to charges of conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute controlled substances and controlled substance analogues, according to a court spokesman.

Mickle operated several stores in the region, including a Hampton Pipe and Tobacco location on Route 17 in White Marsh.

According to the statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Mickle sold smokable synthetic cannabinoids, commonly known as spice, in the Hampton Roads area and eventually nationwide from 2008 to 2014.

Spice consists of plant material sprayed with active chemical ingredients often produced in clandestine laboratories in China. These chemicals mimic the effects of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Although the packets of spice were labeled “not for human consumption,” Mickle knew that the spice was to be smoked for its intoxicating properties, according to the statement of facts.

Mi...