Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers recently announced the first two settlements in his statewide campaign to clean up the Delta 8 retail market in Nebraska. The settlements are with High Flow Cannabis, Stewart Scott Ritter, and Alejandro Castro, who were selling THC hemp products in Grand Island, Nebraska, and with Ms. Vape Shop and Lisa Lomack, who were selling THC hemp products in Crete, Nebraska.
“I am proud to announce these settlements, which represent important steps towards getting these untested, mislabeled, and dangerous THC products off the shelves in Nebraska,” said Attorney General Hilgers. “I am pleased that these two groups came to the table and will be taking these products off of the shelves.”
“I want to be clear and forthright in our message to other retailers selling these unlawful products: Time is running short to settle on favorable terms with our office,” Hilgers added. “The door will soon close on obtaining settlements that waive penalties, and for those who do not settle, we will seek relief to the fullest extent of the law. We will not stop until those retailers cease selling these products which put Nebraskans’ health at risk.”
These settlements are the first reached in a major, statewide campaign of lawsuits the Attorney General has filed against THC shops to address rampant unlawful conduct in the industry, which continues to cause serious harm to Nebraska consumers.
Thanks to the settlements, one provider of these unlawful products has shut down completely and the other has agreed to stop selling these products entirely. In addition, Nebraska consumers, especially children, are no longer at serious risk of harm due to High Flow Cannabis’s and Ms. Vape’s deceptive and unfair trade practices, including the sale of products that have sent Nebraskans to the hospital.
These settlements provide numerous benefits to the State of Nebraska, including:
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No More THC Sales: Both High Flow and Ms. Vape are immediately prohibited from selling any THC hemp products in the State of Nebraska;
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Destruction of Products: Both High Flow and Ms. Vape have 14 days to turn over all remaining THC hemp products to the State for immediate destruction;
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Significant Financial Penalties:
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Breach of this agreement by High Flow Cannabis results in a $96,000 payment for the first breach, a $192,000 payment for a second breach, and loss of all gross revenues for any subsequent breach.
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Breach of this agreement by Ms. Vape Shop results in a $126,000 payment for the first breach, $252,000 payment for a second breach, and loss of all gross revenues for any subsequent breach.
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The lawsuit against High Flow Cannabis was filed in the District Court of Hall County, Nebraska. The complaint alleged that High Flow Cannabis violated the Consumer Protection Act, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and Nebraska’s Pure Food Act.
The lawsuit against Ms. Vape Shop was filed in the District Court of Saline County, Nebraska. The complaint alleged that Ms. Vape Shop violated the Consumer Protection Act, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and Nebraska’s Pure Food Act.
The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office is responsible for enforcing consumer protection laws and advocating for the interests of Nebraska consumers. Protecting consumers, especially children, from harmful products and practices is a top priority for the office.