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
$2.0M
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of four other states and the FTC sued Zillow and Redfin after Zillow paid Redfin $100 million to shut down its multifamily rental advertising business and transfer clients to Zillow. The settlement requires the companies to restore competition, with Redfin rebuilding its apartment advertising business, and pay $2 million to the coalition.
Attorney General William Tong sent a letter to the Connecticut Insurance Department urging rejection of double-digit rate increases sought by Anthem, ConnectiCare, and UnitedHealthcare for individual and small group health insurance plans covering about 220,000 people. The letter argues the rates exceed inflationary measures and criticizes the carriers for failing to control costs and for poor claims system management, particularly ConnectiCare's transition to Molina Healthcare.
$275K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $275,000 settlement with TaxAct, an online tax preparation company, over allegations that between January 2018 and December 2022, TaxAct improperly disclosed detailed customer financial information to Meta and Google through third-party tracking technologies without notifying taxpayers. The settlement requires TaxAct to pay $275,000 and implement new third-party tracking compliance measures, including a review committee, written policies, a tag monitoring system, and two independent third-party audits.
$4.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and the Federal Trade Commission announced a $4 million settlement with Manchester City Nissan (Chase Nissan LLC) resolving allegations that the dealership double-charged for 'certified pre-owned' vehicles and collected unauthorized junk fees. The settlement requires payment for consumer redress, prohibits misrepresentations, mandates clear disclosure of the maximum total price, and requires express informed consent for all charges.
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and DHS to block demands for the personal information of 17 million CDL drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data transfer.
Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 10 attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a new OCC rule that preempts state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on homeowners' mortgage escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC ignored federal court decisions and bypassed safeguards, and seeks to block the rule.