Cumberland Farms has filed a lawsuit against boards of health in three cities and three towns in Massachusetts.
According to the complaint, the boards allegedly forced the convenience retailer to cease selling various flavored tobacco and nicotine products but allowed competitors to continue selling the same.
The lawsuit was filed against the boards of health in Barnstable, Framingham, Somerville, Billerica, Sharon and Walpole. The six boards have adopted and implemented new regulations that have been based on a model developed by a private organization. The restriction is being applied to various products including Copenhagen wintergreen smokeless tobacco, Garcia y Vega flavored cigars, Juul vaping devices,and Newport menthol cigarettes.
“Cumberland Farms is in the business of retailing the products that our guests want. That's why we are here to celebrate our 80th anniversary this year,” said Brian Glennon, general counsel for Cumberland Farms. “We are proud of our excellent compliance rates in selling age-restricted products. Nobody does it better than Cumberland Farms, which is why we find the new regulations so nonsensical and frustrating. We're simply calling for a level playing field where we can continue to serve all of our customers, without unelected local officials taking away their right to choose where to shop and what to buy.”
Cumberland Farms is a family owned and operated business which has a network of more than 500 convenience stores across eight states.
