THOMASTON, Conn. (WFSB) – Four smoke shops in town were fined after failing compliance checks that found some were selling tobacco to minors while others were illegally selling cannabis products, police said.

Thomaston police and several state agencies sent an undercover minor into the four smoke shops last week as part of an investigation. All four stores broke the law, authorities said.

“It’s ridiculous. I can’t believe there’s that many,” said Zachary Michaud of Thomaston. “Four in town, that really blew my mind.”

Smokers Choice LLC on Main Street sold tobacco to a minor, authorities said. The store was fined and closed down and has not yet reopened.

King’s Cigar Smoke and Vape was fined $300 by the state for selling tobacco products to a minor despite having a sign on the door stating “we card.” The store’s owner said over the phone that it was a mistake made by an employee who was still being trained and did not properly check the buyer’s identification.

Police said Thomaston Smoke and Vape on South Main Street was illegally selling cannabis products. About five pounds of cannabis were seized from the store. The shop was forced to close but reopened yesterday.

Smokers Mart on Watertown Road is accused of selling a vape product to someone under 21 and selling cannabis products. The store was forced to close but has since reopened.

John Russman, a former smoker from Thomaston, said he was disappointed to see how easy it was for a minor to get tobacco products.

“I’ve got a defibrillator, a pacemaker, and I just had a watchman put in,” Russman said. “So, it’s all catching up with me, and it does catch up with you.”

Megan Fitzpatrick of Thomaston said stores should be checking identification consistently.

“You should at least be carding people,” Fitzpatrick said. “Across the street at Cumby’s, they card everybody, regardless of what your age is, and I don’t have a problem with that.”

Michaud said he had not personally purchased cannabis products from the stores but knew people who had.

Copyright 2025 WFSB. All rights reserved.