Over 4,820 Illegal Cannabis Products Seized From 8 Stamford Smoke Shops: Officials

STAMFORD, CT — Authorities said they seized over 4,820 “unlawful and unregulated” cannabis products, including marijuana flower and high-THC edibles, from eight Stamford smoke shops during unannounced raids last month.

According to police, the smoke shops found in violation include Hope Breeze, 1074 Hope St.; Stamford Vape and Smoke, 221 Hope St.; World Exotic, 2284 Summer St.; Smoke Clouds, 1136 E. Main St.; Smoke Times, 108 Bedford St.; Landmark Smoke Shop, 118 Broad St.; Smokey Bear Smoke Shop, 59 Broad St.; and Bedford Street Market, 27 Bedford St.

The raids were conducted jointly on Dec. 19, 2024, by the Office of the Attorney General; Department of Consumer Protection; Stamford Police Department Narcotics & Organized Crime Unit; CT State Police; Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services; Department of Labor; and Department of Revenue Services.

On Wednesday at Stamford Police Headquarters, with hundreds of products out on display, state and local officials discussed the joint effort and pledged to continue to “crack down” on the illegal cannabis market that’s being seen across the state.

“These raids send a strong message that the city of Stamford will not tolerate illegal and harmful products being sold in our community,” Mayor Caroline Simmons said. “Protecting public health and safety, especially of minors, is one of my top priorities, and these illegal drug sales are unacceptable. Our city will continue to work to curtail these illicit activities, and I will emphasize again, this will not be tolerated.”

Tong noted that many of the illegal products come in packaging that’s marketed towards young people and that the products are unregulated, untested, and often contain high amounts of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in cannabis that produces a high.

Tong explained that the products that were seized in Stamford were found “in plain view.”

“They’re not trying to hide it, they’re not pretending,” Tong said of the. “They’re breaking the law outright.”

Under Connecticut law, any cannabis product with more than .3 percent THC content must be sold through a licensed dispensary, and packaging must remain plain and unremarkable.

“Having a regulated adult-use cannabis market does not mean you can do or sell whatever the hell you want. It has never meant that. You cannot sell these products. They’re illegal,” Tong said. “If you want to sell cannabis products, you have to get a license and participate in the regulated market. The fact that you can’t make money and you’re a smoke shop is not our problem. You cannot sell these products, particularly to kids.”

The belief is that illegal cannabis products found in smoke shops are coming off the streets, Tong said, and they could contain other harmful drugs and ingredients.

“You basically have illicit drug dealers, weed dealers, no longer selling on the corner, but now they’re just selling in a corner store, running an open-air illegal marijuana market in retail stores here in Stamford,” he added, noting the problem is being seen “everywhere.”

“More often than not, when you walk into a smoke shop in the state of Connecticut, this is what you will see,” Tong said.

Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan Cafferelli urged adults who consume cannabis to purchase products at licensed dispensaries, and he encouraged parents to speak to their children about the dangers of unregulated and untested products.

More educational information can be found on the state’s website.

Ronnell Higgins, who serves as the commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said Connecticut “must be vigilant to protect minors and young people who face a particular threat from the sale of illegal cannabis products.”

Stamford Assistant Police Chief Richard Conklin thanked the coalition of partners who collaborated on the raids.

“Together, we have so much more strength and impact,” he said. “This is something we’ll continue. This isn’t the end of this.”

Along with enforcement, Stamford has also taken steps to make it harder to open smoke shops in the city, Simmons added.

“We are becoming one of the tougher cities in the state to open up a smoke shop because of the new regulations our Zoning Board has passed in partnership with our Land Use Bureau,” she said.

Notably, the new regulations require smoke shops to seek a special permit to open, ban smoke shops from certain districts, and implement minimum distance requirements from other smoke shops as well as schools, community centers, and parks.

Officials said the eight Stamford businesses were found in violation of “numerous criminal and civil statutes including illegal drug sales, underage sales, labor violations, and tax violations.”

Seven stop-work orders were implemented, according to Wage and Workplace Standards Acting Division Chair Dora Senkow.

Additionally, Hope Breeze and World Exotic were both operating under stipulated judgments with the Office of the Attorney General following prior violations, Tong said.

Those businesses paid a combined $50,000 civil penalty to the State in 2024 and are subject to a suspended civil penalty of another $70,000 if found in violation of the judgment, Tong’s office said in an announcement.

The Office of the Attorney General said it is “evaluating all legal options to enforce the judgment, including filing a motion for contempt in Superior Court.”

Due to the ongoing criminal and civil investigations, further details are being withheld, the AG’s office said.