Passaic County cracks down on retailers accused of selling tobacco, THC products illegally
Several businesses in Passaic County are facing allegations of illegally selling tobacco and THC products, including sales to minors, as local officials call for stronger penalties against repeat offenders.
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Authorities cited multiple businesses in recent weeks for violating New Jersey laws governing tobacco and cannabis-related products.
Earlier this week, three employees at a smoke shop and two gas stations in West Milford were charged with selling tobacco products to underage customers, according to local police.
"We support businesses locally, but you have to follow the law, especially when it comes to minors and something that can be very harmful to minors," said West Milford Mayor Michelle Dale.
Authorities identified those charged as:
Sukhdeep Singh of West Milford, an employee at the Delta Service Station on Marshall Hill Road.
Yaman Ozturk of Haskell, an employee at Puff City on Route 23 South.
Kehinde Qudus of Newfoundland, an employee at the Shell Service Station on Route 23.
All three were served with complaint summonses and given court dates to appear in West Milford Municipal Court.
The enforcement action comes just weeks after the Passaic County Sheriff's Office seized more than $80,000 worth of THC and suspected mushroom-infused products from a smoke shop in Clifton.
Investigators said the seizure included marijuana, THC-infused cookies and vape products, suspected psilocybin mushrooms and drug paraphernalia.
"You can't trust these stores because they're going to do what they can to make money," said Clifton Mayor Raymond Grabowski. "If they can get people addicted or hooked to different things like THC, things like that, it's not good."
New Jersey law prohibits the sale of flavored tobacco products and restricts THC sales to licensed cannabis dispensaries. State lawmakers approved legislation last year aimed at closing what officials called the "hemp loophole," limiting where hemp-derived products can be sold.
Despite those restrictions, local officials said illegal sales continue to be a problem. Officials across Passaic County and New Jersey are now pushing for tougher consequences for businesses that repeatedly violate the law.
"Right now they get a fine. Sometimes the fine is less than what they're making," said Grabowski. "If they know they get a certain amount of fines and they're out of business, it would be a bigger deterrent. So we're hoping for that."
