Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general to urge Congress to enact legislation allowing trademark holders to hold accountable sellers of unregulated cannabis copycat products that resemble popular snacks and cause accidental THC ingestion in children. The coalition highlighted the public health risk and called for federal action to stop the spread of these dangerous products.
In-house legal teams should review vendor, distribution, and licensing agreements with manufacturers or distributors of cannabis edibles and snack food brand licensors. Focus on intellectual property indemnification clauses to ensure protection against trade dress infringement and counterfeit claims; product compliance warranties requiring adherence to child-safety packaging and THC labeling laws; recall and notification procedures; and insurance requirements covering product liability. Amendments may be needed to mandate strict compliance with state cannabis regulations, enforce child-resistant packaging standards, include audit rights for safety verification, and allow termination for violations involving deceptive copycat products.
Entity
Malicious actors marketing illicit copycat THC edibles
Also known as: Illicit THC Edible Sellers
Industry
OtherOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2022-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-urges-congress-to-protect-children-from-cannabis-copycat-products
thc cannabis letter final.pdf?rev=261d07c06c3d4a88b1092f4581
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2022/thc-cannabis-letter-final.pdf?rev=261d07c06c3d4a88b1092f4581b115ef&hash=84F9AA85405FE6C07CD52A3985D0BF9D
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.