Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has secured a $4.93 million judgment against Planet Zaza of East Haven and its owner, Mohamed Alraishani, following “persistent illegal cannabis sales in spite of a court order and repeated law enforcement visits.”
Tong said this is the largest civil penalty ever imposed in Connecticut for illegal cannabis sales.
“Legal cannabis is not a free-for-all. If you are unlicensed, if you sell untested, unregulated cannabis, we will find you and we will hold you accountable,” said Tong.
The attorney general first sued Planet Zaza and Alraishani in January 2024 for violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, after what Tong said were “multiple unannounced inspections” found numerous high-THC cannabis edibles, including those more potent than any authorized for sale in Connecticut.
Investigators said they also discovered fake prescription labels falsely indicating that the store was a licensed dispensary and that the illegal products were medical-use cannabis. The products were not produced in a licensed facility or tested in accordance with state law, and many contained youth-appealing packaging, according to officials.
Prosecutors said the illegal sales persisted after the complaint was filed, and after multiple visits from state consumer protection staff and East Haven police.
On November 12, 2024, a judge issued a temporary injunction, ordering Planet Zaza and Alraishani to cease illegal sales, but, according to officials, Planet Zaza and Alraishani ignored the court’s order.
Planet Zaza did not present the court with any evidence to rebut prosecutors’ claims or with any evidence of mitigating financial circumstances regarding an inability to pay civil penalties.
The attorney general sought penalties of $5,000 per day for every day Planet Zaza and Alraishani offered for sale cannabis products in violation of CUTPA. The court this week ordered the smoke shop and owner to pay $5,000 for each of the 621 days they willfully violated CUTPA, and $25,000 for each of the 73 days they violated the court’s temporary injunction, for a total civil penalty of $4.93 million.
Judge Matthew D. Gordon concluded that the defendants would “likely continue their unlawful activities absent a significant monetary penalty intended to deter future violations,”
Residents age 21 and over can legally possess and consume cannabis in Connecticut, but cannabis products may only be sold in the regulated market and must meet testing and packaging requirements. Tong said the despite the laws, state and local law enforcement “routinely find illegal cannabis products for sale.”
Topics Cannabis
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