In a turn of events that probably made a bong cough, the State of Connecticut just laid the legal smackdown on an East Haven smoke shop to the tune of $5 million. Yes, million—with an “M.” The Attorney General’s office confirmed that the shop was peddling cannabis products like it was still 2019, blissfully ignoring the fact that adult-use cannabis is regulated, licensed, and generally not supposed to come with a free sticker or a handshake deal in the parking lot.
According to the state, this was less of a smoke shop and more of a weed-themed dollar store—complete with THC vapes, edibles, and enough unlicensed product to stock a reggae festival. Investigators even bought illegal goodies from the store multiple times, which feels like entrapment, but also… kind of deserved. They warned the owner, they sent letters, and eventually they sued, like responsible adults tired of playing whack-a-mole with rogue blunts.
The owner of the shop, who may or may not have Googled “legal gray area” one too many times, failed to show up in court. So the judge—perhaps high on justice—entered a default judgment, which basically means: “You didn’t show up, so now we take everything.” The shop has to stop selling cannabis, pay a staggering sum, and presumably reconsider its business model, which was somewhere between bold and “stoned and hopeful.”
Attorney General William Tong made it clear that this was not a ban on fun or gummies—but rather about enforcing consumer safety, stopping illegal sales to minors, and keeping the cannabis market above-board. Translation: if you want to sell weed, get a license. If you want to play dumb, prepare your wallet. East Haven’s smoke just turned into a financial firestorm—and not the kind you light up with friends.
Dabbin-Dad Newsroom
Smoke Signals: East Haven Shop Gets Burned by the State
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