Saying he was stepping up Nebraska’s fight against “mislabeled” and “dangerous” delta-8 products, Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) on Wednesday announced the start of citywide crackdowns on retailers who sell the items.
He said that while his escalated effort started in Norfolk, other cities should expect similar blanket investigations.
“We are ramping up our efforts to clean up Nebraska,” Hilgers said. “For the first time, we have sued every store in a community. The stores are misleading Nebraskans.”
Four new lawsuits
Flanked at a media event by U.S. Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) of Norfolk, Hilgers told reporters of four new lawsuits covering five Norfolk stores. Filed Wednesday in Madison County District Court, they allege violations of the Consumer Protection Act, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act and Nebraska’s Pure Food Act.
The latest suits joined legal actions filed since last year against a dozen other vape shops and businesses across the state. Some cases have been settled, with retailers agreeing not to sell prohibited hemp products that contain or have been modified with synthetic THC.
THC is the compound in the cannabis plant most commonly associated with getting a person high. Some of the THC-containing products in question were packaged and made to look like candy and snacks.
A spokesperson for two of the Norfolk stores said, however, they were unaware there was any problem with the products they buy from a wholesaler distributor.
Tiffany Colsden, general manager of NP Mart stores in Norfolk, said her team learned of the investigation Wednesday, when a reporter came knocking.
By noon, she said, the two stores had pulled the items in question off the shelves.
“All they had to do was tell us,” Colsden said. “If Nebraska doesn’t want us to sell it, we won’t. It’s that simple.”
She described NP Mart, which has two locations in Norfolk, as a convenience store that sells gas.
Lawsuits also were filed against Smokin’ Deals, Smokes R. Less and Vapor Hutt.
A person at Smokes R. Less hung up the phone when a reporter called.
Vapor Hutt officials could not be reached.
Hellbound and Down 