California Removes Public Information for Cannabis Businesses

In light of the recent protests over the murders of George Floyd, Breyonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, two out of the three different regulatory agencies in California temporarily removed their online databases so that dispensaries will be less easy to find for looters during protests. 

A Call To Action

According to a letter addressed to the Bureau of Cannabis Control, the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), along with the Department of Food and Agriculture, made the decision to remove these listings. The letter made it a point to highlight that the cannabis industry stands for overcoming social injustices, but still cannot stand for looting and vandalism. 

“While we are unified as an industry, a state, and a nation in overcoming social injustices through peaceful civil unrest, CCIA has learned that dozens of cannabis businesses across the state have been subjected to vandalism, looting and even violence over the past few days, the letter reads. “Some of the attacks appear to be well-coordinated break-ins taking advantage of the civil protests and unrest that are occurring in many cities across the country.

“…We respectfully request that the BCC make every effort to safeguard licensees from additional exposure to individuals targeting cannabis businesses,” it continues. “Such efforts include the prompt removal of the physical addresses of these licensees from the website.” 

Currently, the Department of Public Health database only includes limited information, excluding addresses for the state’s dispensaries and related businesses. This means anyone involved in retail, distribution, testing, delivery, and anyone else involved in the cannabis industry, will have their addresses temporarily blocked.

California is not alone when it comes to the presence of these protests. All 50 states have seen a presence of protests, and it has even expanded outside the U.S. It’s not surprising that businesses in California are taking precautions until things calm down. Until then, other information, such as phone numbers and strain information, can still be found online for those interested in purchasing cannabis.