Juul and Altria to Pay $60.5 Million in Minnesota Deal

Juul Labs and Altria Group will pay more than $60 million to settle Minnesota litigation relating to Juul’s marketing practices, according to Law360.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued Juul in 2019, alleging its marketing was deliberately targeted to minors and that the company failed to adequately verify customers’ ages, as required by law.

In April, the parties announced a settlement without disclosing the terms pending public filing of the papers.  

Under the terms of the consent judgment filed with the Hennepin County District Court, Juul and Altria—a one-time Juul investor—will jointly pay $60.5 million to the state over an eight-year period. Altria will foot $5 million of the bill, according to the agreement.

The deal is front-loaded and will require the companies to pay nearly 60 percent of the settlement in less than one year, according to the Attorney General’s office.

The agreement also prohibits Juul from marketing or selling to children and young adults, restricts the company’s ability to sponsor certain events and use outdoor advertising in the state, prevents it from distributing product samples and requires that it accurately disclose the nicotine content of its products, according to the judgment.

The deal with Minnesota follows a $438.5 million settlement with more than 30 states and territories in September, a $255 million deal in December to end economic loss claims in multidistrict litigation and a $23.8 million deal in March to resolve the city of Chicago’s suit, among others.

And Juul last month agreed to pay $462 million to settle claims with California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York and Washington, D.C., over youth marketing claims.