01-05-2025
AG Tong: $4.93 million penalty against Planet Zaza for illegal cannabis sales
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Attorney General William Tong announced Thursday the largest civil penalty ever imposed in Connecticut for illegal cannabis sales.
Attorney General Tong said he secured a $4.93 million judgement was levied against Planet Zaza of East Haven and its owner, Mohamed Alraishani in his personal capacity, following persistent illegal cannabis sales in spite of a court order and repeated law enforcement visits.
Attorney General Tong first sued Planet Zaza and Alraishani in January 2024 for violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, after multiple unannounced inspections conducted by the Department of Consumer Protection and Office of the Attorney General found numerous high-THC cannabis edibles.
Investigators also discovered unauthorized labels, including 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.
On Nov. 12, 2024, the judge issued a temporary injunction, ordering Planet Zaza and Alraishani to cease illegal sales, but Planet Zaza and Alraishani ignored the court's order.
The court this week ordered Planet Zaza and Alraishani to pay $5,000 for each of the 621 days they willfully violated CUTPA, and $25,000 for each of the 73 days the defendants violated the court's temporary injunction, for a total civil penalty of $4.93 million.
'The State of Connecticut is not playing around. 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,' Attorney General Tong said in a statement.
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