Buffalo Grove hikes fines on smoke shops selling THC products

Buffalo Grove is raising fines on licensed tobacco shops that sell synthetic and hemp-derived THC products like Delta-8 in violation of village regulations.

The village board Monday amended the village code to increase the fine from $150 to a minimum $500 and maximum of $750. In addition, the village extended the moratorium on reusing a premises for tobacco sales from six months to two years following license revocation.

Police Chief Brian Budds said the changes are aimed at protecting minors from purchasing products containing Delta-8 that are packaged like fast food and candy.

“Synthetic and hemp-derived THC products have proliferated the marketplace in recent years,” Budds said. “These products are marketed as Delta-8 and widely accepted to be safe to ingest. There is, however, little to no oversight of production controls, sanitation, potency, added substances, or other assurances of the quality of these products.”

Village code allows the sale of THC products only at licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries. The only one in town, Sunnyside at 830 Milwaukee Ave., does not sell Delta-8 products, Budds said.

Police recently identified and cited three licensed businesses attempting to sell synthetic or hemp-derived THC products, he added.

“This is not a theoretical issue. The FDA has declared Delta-8 a serious public risk,” Trustee Joanne Johnson said. “Nationally, poison control centers reported over 2,300 exposure cases in just over a year, with nearly half involving children.”

Stevenson High School junior Yana Malpani, who leads a student organization advocating for substance-free communities, applauded the board’s action.

“Delta-8 THC is being sold in smoke shops that don't follow the same standards as legal dispensaries,” she said. “No ID scanning, no tracked inventory systems, and minimal age checks. These conditions have created easy access points for youth.”