5 Cannabis Retailers Sued, Connecticut AG Alleges THC Products Are Designed To Attract Kids

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is suing five state retailers for alleged sales of illegal delta-8 THC products designed to look like popular snacks and candies for children.

Furthermore, Tong is also working on sending warning letters to all Connecticut licensed retailers of electronic vaping products reminding them that the sales of products with more than .3% THC without a proper license are illegal.

The following companies are being sued for the sale of edibles mimicking popular shacks and candies:

• AZ Smoke Shop and Wireless, 695 Main Street, Manchester
• Reheem Mini Mart, 352 Main Street, Manchester
• Smokers Paradise, 320 Main Street, East Hartford
• 7 Puff, 700 Burnside Avenue, Enfield
• Anthony’s Service Station, 136 East Main Street, Plainville

“Our undercover investigation revealed widespread sale of untested, unregulated, delta-8 edibles mimicking popular youth snacks,” Tong stated. “The five retailers we are suing today offered some of the most egregious look-alike edibles posing the worst risks for accidental youth poisoning. None of these edibles are tested or approved for sale in Connecticut, and packaging statements regarding THC content and safe serving sizes are not to be trusted. If you see delta-8 THC offered outside any licensed cannabis retailer, do not purchase it, and report it to my office immediately.”

As per data from the Connecticut Poisson Control Center, one in five children who eat marijuana edibles ends up admitted to the hospital. Between 2000 and 2022 there were 189 cases of marijuana consumption in children younger than 19, with most of those cases resulting in an ER visit and one-third in hospital admission.

The problem with copy-cat edibles is that children can accidentally eat the entire bag, unknowingly taking more than 100 times the maximum THC adult serving.

Challenges Of The Nascent Market 

For illegal sales of products containing more than .3% THC, Tong noted businesses may be subject to both criminal and civil penalties. “Cannabis products in Connecticut cannot be sold by unlicensed retailers and must meet rigorous testing and packaging requirements. Period.”

The Attorney General highlighted that warning letters are being sent to thousands of vape shops that might be involved in these illegal activities, requesting them to remove such products from their shelves immediately.

Connecticut's legal adult-use cannabis market officially started on Jan. 10, with the first day of sales garnering more than $200,000 in total. It can be expected that in such a nascent market there will be troubles in the beginning, such as the above-mentioned illegal activities.

Additionally, just several weeks after the launch, some residents in New Britain complained of marijuana facilities being too close to five schools.

Photo: Benzinga edit with image from Wikimedia Commons, Alex Person on Unsplash, and sergeitokmakov / 2392 images on Pixabay