2 Danbury Vape Shops Fail Police Compliance Check: DPD

DANBURY, CT — Two vape shops in Danbury recently failed a compliance check with the Danbury Police Department, with one clerk facing charges from police.

According to the DPD, police cited both shops on Wednesday, Jan. 7, and they were assisted by the CT Department of Consumer Protection, CT Department of Revenue Services, CT Department of Labor, and CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

The police activity was part of a campaign to enforce vape shop regulations regarding underage sales of tobacco products, the sale of CBD products with THC concentration beyond the allowable levels, and the outright sale of illicit THC products, including oil, bud, and edibles.

Danbury vape shops cited were:

• Cali Exotic Convenience, 35 White St., did not pass the compliance check.

Police said a clerk there made an illegal sale of a marijuana product to a Danbury police officer acting in an undercover capacity.

Additionally, they were found to have 29 pounds of raw (flower) equivalent pounds of illicit THC products, including flower, oil, concentrates, and edibles.

As a result, police said Cali Exotic Convenience was closed down and issued a Stop-Work order by the DOL for violating labor law requirements.

Additionally, the DRS found that Cali Exotic had an expired permit to sell tobacco products.

During the sweep, police said the clerk of Cali Exotic Convenience, later identified as Mariana Valentino Do Amaral, 27, of Pleasant Drive, Danbury, was charged and transported to the DPD.

She was charged with illegal sale of cannabis and second-degree failure to appear in court regarding a prior charge. She was given a court-set bond of $5,000.

This investigation remains open and is being actively investigated by the Danbury Police Department Detective Bureau.

• Star Rose Smoke Shop, 2-4 Mill Ridge Road, did not pass the compliance check as well, police said.

Star Rose was found to have 4.8 pounds of raw (flower) equivalent pounds of illicit THC products, including flower, oil, concentrates, and edibles, according to police

Police said the DCP located a hidden compartment behind a shelving unit in the rear bathroom, which contained illicit THC products.

Police said such sweeps are a result of citizen complaints, primarily from parents of minors, regarding the sale of THC products and vapes to their children.