AccomplishmentsIllegal Cannabis and Nicotine
Attorney General Tong is cracking down on illegal, untested and unsafe cannabis and bootleg nicotine products.
Illegal Cannabis: Legal cannabis is not a free-for-all. If you are unlicensed, if you sell untested, unregulated cannabis, Attorney General Tong will hold you accountable. In 2025, Attorney General Tong won the largest civil penalty ever imposed in Connecticut for illegal cannabis sales– a $4.93 judgment against an East Haven smoke shop following persistent illegal sales. Prior to this judgment, Attorney General Tong obtained judgments totaling $300,000 against nine retailers and wholesalers.
Attorney General Tong works closely with local law enforcement and state partners, including the Department of Consumer Protection and State Police, to investigate and hold accountable bad actors who sell illegal, unregulated, untested cannabis products. Enforcement actions have resulted in the seizure of hundreds of pounds of illegal cannabis products, including potent edibles that look like common snacks and candies.
JUUL: In 2022, Attorney General Tong led 34 states and territories in reaching a $438.5 million settlement with JUUL over marketing to kids. In addition to the financial terms, the settlement forced JUUL to comply with a series of strict injunctive terms severely limiting their marketing and sales practices. Connecticut is due to receive approximately $16 million through the settlement, which is to be used for cessation, prevention, and mitigation. Attorney General Tong backed legislation to direct those JUUL settlement funds to community-based Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations to combat youth vaping and nicotine use.
Bootleg Nicotine: Attorney General Tong works closely with states across the country to stop the illegal import of flavored nicotine products from overseas. In January 2025, as part of a coordinated coast-to-coast crackdown on bootleg nicotine products, Attorney General Tong served civil investigative demands on 12 Connecticut smoke shops and convenience stores and two wholesalers.This investigation seeks comprehensive information to determine how these unapproved, unregulated, and illegal e-cigarettes are entering the state. That investigation is active and ongoing.