John Schroyer
As part of a broader crackdown on illicit cannabis, the Connecticut attorney general sent a formal cease-and-desist order to a marijuana events company that organizes farmer’s market-style gatherings.
At the events, vendors “gift” marijuana goods to customers who purchase noncannabis items, a business model that was thought by some to be a loophole in the state’s recreational marijuana law.
The company, which does business as HighBazaar, was told by Attorney General William Tong that the unlicensed events, which have been held at the Masonic Temple Day Spring Lodge in the town of Hamden, must stop “immediately” or the company could face prosecution.
“It appears that these events involve the illegal marketing and sale of cannabis outside of the regulated market and that the events are accessible to individuals under the age of 21,” Tong wrote, adding that the company is likely in violation of multiple state laws.
“We request that you cease holding these events immediately,” Tong wrote.
If the company ignores the warning, Tong said, his office would “explore all legal options” to shutter it.
HighBazaar has been operating since at least early 2022, WFSB reported, and this is only the latest enforcement action by Tong’s office against the underground marijuana trade.
In 2023, Tong sent warning letters to all retailers of vaping devices, noting that the sale of delta-8 THC “may be illegal,” according to a press release from his office. Tong’s office also has three other pending enforcement actions involving illegal delta-8 THC sales, and has notched four legal judgments against retailers that were selling such goods.
