Seven local retailers and wholesalers have been slapped with lawsuits for selling illegal cannabis products. This comes after several warnings from state investigators.
On Tuesday, we heard from the state's attorney general who talked about the latest efforts to curb this ongoing problem.
"Just because we have an adult-use cannabis market doesn't mean you can do whatever you want," Attorney General William Tong said.
Tong took legal action after he says seven CT-based, non-licensed retailers and wholesalers were found to be selling illegal cannabis products repeatedly, despite several warnings.
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These are the locations facing lawsuits so far this year:
- Shark Wholesale Corp. in Bridgeport
- Star Enterprise 74, LLC in New Britain
- RZ Smoke, Inc. in Suffield
- Greenleaf Farms in New London
- Smoker’s Corner in Norwich
- Anesthesia Convenience and Smoke in New Haven
- Planet Zaza in East Haven
None of them are licensed to sell cannabis products. The products are also typically untested, despite rigorous testing requirements, according to Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli.
"We have no idea what's in them," he said.
Some are made to look like regular snacks — which can pose a dangerous threat to children.
"This says Doritos, but if you read the fine print, it says it has THC - 600 milligrams. The maximum you can have in CT is 100 mg," Tong said.
Since 2021, CT Poison Control has reported 400 cases of children being exposed to cannabis, including 181 children under the age of six exposed to cannabis edibles - many ending up in the emergency room.
"Kids have been opening them and eating them and ingesting entire package," Tong said.
Each violation carries a penalty up to $5,000.
While the state's Attorney General's Office is working to enforce the regulated cannabis market through fines and penalties, law enforcement and state prosecutors are being made aware of the ongoing problem and enforcing criminal penalties of their own.
Last week, Tong issued a cease and desist letter to HighBazaar organizers that its unlicensed cannabis marketplace appears to violate multiple state statutes. An additional letter was sent to the Masonic Temple Day Spring Lodge in Hamden, which no longer hosts the market.
