AG suing Mesa Countybased company
Nov 26, 2024
MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) - Attorney General Phil Weiser announced Tuesday he filed a lawsuit against a local Mesa County business.
In the lawsuit, Weiser alleged Foxhole Farms and its owner Dane Snover marketed cannabis products as federally legal industrial hemp. The suit - filed in Adams County District Court on Nov. 21 - said investigators allegedly conducted undercover buys later testing the items and finding they far exceeded the legal levels of Delta-9 THC.
“Companies that sell recreational cannabis do so under strict laws designed to keep THC away from kids and ensure consumers are buying products that undergo rigorous testing,” Weiser said in a press release. “When companies like the defendants in this case brazenly break the law, they undermine Colorado’s regulated cannabis market, make it easier for kids to get their hands on cannabis and may be exposing consumers to dangerous products. We will continue to hold accountable companies that try to make a quick buck by breaking the law.”
The AG's office became aware of the business' possible illegal practices last year when someone filed a complaint against the company after it allegedly sold marijuana products to their 16-year-old son, the press release said.
Foxhole Farms couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
Other tests have allegedly shown products were almost 250 times the legal limit of Delta-9 THC. The products purchased and tested included edibles, concentrates and flowers, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Additionally, products contained potentially dangerous levels of chemicals. One item contained extremely high levels of solvent benzene, which - according to the Attorney General's Office - is illegal for use in marijuana extraction because of carcinogenic - which could cause cancer - and other health hazards.
"Products containing high levels of benzene can be extremely toxic, even deadly when ingested, and these dangers can be compounded when smoked or inhaled," the press release read.
Labeling on the packages allegedly had a "notice to law enforcement" that the products contained the legal levels of Delta-9 THC. This wording probably led buyers to believe the products were not marijuana, according to the lawsuit.
"Despite several products containing higher Delta-9 THC levels than products sold in legal recreational dispensaries, and selling products that resemble and/or are identical to popular children’s candy and snacks, none of the company’s packaging was childproof, child-resistant or explicitly stated the products contained THC at all," the press release alleged.
Investigators also found that 21 of 23 products tested were allegedly mispresented on the Foxhole Farms website. Currently, the business's website pops up as a mostly blank page.