Connecticut’s Attorney General Sues Five Retailers For Selling Delta-8 Products
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Connecticut’s attorney general is suing five of the state’s retailers for allegedly selling illegal delta-8 THC products mimicking popular snacks and candies.
In a press notice published on February 9, William Tong, the attorney general, also announced that he was in the process of sending warning letters to all Connecticut retailers licensed to sell electronic vapes.
The letters advise that the sale of delta-8 by unlicensed retailers may be illegal in Connecticut, given that products exceeding 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis are considered cannabis products, which require a license to sell.
“If you offer delta-8 THC products for sale in your establishment that exceed .3 percent THC on a dry weight basis and you do not hold such a license, you are in violation of Connecticut law,” Tong wrote.
“The sale of such products may expose you to criminal and civil liability. Please remove any such products from your shelves and dispose of them immediately.”
Tong’s actions follow his unannounced visits in late December to vape shops and gas stations in the state. Illegal delta-8 products were reportedly found for sale at every vape shop visited, as well as a gas station. In many instances, the products found mimicked popular youth-oriented snack foods, including Fritos, Skittles, and Airheads.
A photo of some of the seized delta-8 products. Image credit: The Attorney General's Office in the state of Connecticut.
The threat delta-8 products pose, particularly to children, has been a growing area of concern within the legal cannabis industry for years.
Speaking to Analytical Cannabis in 2021, Christopher Hudalla, chief scientific officer at the cannabis testing company ProVerde Labs, commented on the health and safety risks associated with the production of delta-8 THC, which is often converted from federally legal CBD.
“It’s very easy to do in your garage,” he told Analytical Cannabis. “CBD is almost free. There’s so much oversupply of CBD that it’s very, very inexpensive. It used to be something like 12 cents a milligram. Now I can buy it for probably 0.1 cents a milligram.”
“And you can take that and, in your garage, convert it into delta-8. So there’s very good margins in it.”
“There’s no regulatory control,” he added. “And so we know children are consuming these products without any indication about how safe they are. That’s hugely irresponsible in my opinion.”
