House Bill No. 7181 passed through the state legislature. It aims to protect public health and hold criminals accountable for illegal sales and distribution.
HARTFORD, Conn. — It’s likely going to become more difficult to illegally sell cannabis or tobacco in Connecticut.
Earlier this week, the state legislature passed House Bill No. 7181, “An Act Concerning Enforcement of the State’s Cannabis, Hemp and Tobacco Laws.” Now, it must be approved by Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, which appears likely to occur.
The bill aims to protect public health and hold criminals accountable for illegally importing, selling and distributing cannabis and tobacco products.
In a release on Wednesday, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised the final passage of the bill through the legislature.
He added that the state has no tolerance for criminals who “peddle” unsafe and illegal nicotine products, especially those who break the law to sell the dangerous items to kids.
“This legislation gives state regulators, as well as state and local law enforcement, powerful new tools and incentives – both civil and criminal – to hold violators accountable and protect public health and safety,” Tong said.
In Connecticut, individuals ages 21 and older are allowed to possess and consume cannabis, but those products may only be sold at licensed dispensaries and must meet strict testing and packaging requirements before hitting shelves.
However, illegal sales have continued across the state, as law enforcement personnel regularly find cannabis products illegally for sale during unannounced visits and raids.
The new bill enhances both criminal and civil laws pertaining to illegal cannabis sales. The bill will make it a class E felony for a cannabis shop to sell synthetic cannabis or sell cannabis or cannabis paraphernalia to anyone under the age of 21.
The bill also incentivizes municipalities in pursuing civil actions against “bad actor retailers” by allowing those towns or cities to retain all civil penalties from illegal cannabis civil enforcement actions. Up to this point, that money has been shared with the state.
The new legislation would additionally create a state Hemp and Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce to strengthen the partnership between state agencies and communities in cannabis enforcement actions.
Tong’s release further highlights that the sale of youth-attractive nicotine products such as flavored e-cigarettes is a major public health concern, as teens can currently access the products far too easily using online outlets.
The legislation confronts this trend by expanding the state’s existing ban on online sales of traditional tobacco cigarettes to now cover e-cigarettes. This closes a loophole in Connecticut’s e-cigarette age verification law.
Three years ago, Tong helped 34 states and territories agree to a $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs to resolve a two-year bipartisan investigation into the e-cigarette producer’s marketing and sales practices.
Beyond the financial ramifications, the settlement forced JUUL to follow a series of scrupulous injunctive terms, which drastically limited their marketing and sales techniques.
This January, Tong served civil investigative demands on 12 Connecticut smoke shops and convenience stores, as well as two wholesalers. An investigation is ongoing to discover how unapproved, unregulated and illegal e-cigarettes enter the state.
Regarding the illegal sales of cannabis products in Connecticut, enforcement actions have led to the seizure of hundreds of items. These include potent edibles that look like common snacks and candies, making them dangerous to children.
As of June 4, Tong has won judgements against nine retailers and wholesalers, amounting to $300,000. He also secured a judgement against a tenth retailer, Planet Zaza of East Haven, for $4.93 million earlier this year.
In 2023, Tong sent letters to all licensed vape shops in Connecticut reminding them that cannabis products sold outside of the regulated market may leave sellers vulnerable to civil and criminal penalties.
If Lamont passes the new bill, individuals illegally selling tobacco or cannabis products in Connecticut will soon be confronted with a series of significant challenges.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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