Canadian Cannabis Brands Ask Police to Investigate Weedmaps

Eight Canadian cannabis companies signed a letter urging the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to crack down on Weedmaps, who they say are listing unlicensed operators, Bloomberg News reports.

“In view of Weedmaps’ unwillingness to delist illicit market services in Canada and to stop profiting from the proceeds of crimes committed in Canada, we ask that you direct your appropriate investigative units to immediately look into what enforcement action can be taken against Weedmaps’ Canadian operations.” – Letter to RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and Deputy Commissioner Michael Duheme, via Bloomberg

A Weedmaps spokesperson ​told Bloomberg that making the transition to regulated cannabis markets is “inherently complex” but didn’t directly address some of the concerns raised in the letter.

“Safe and convenient access to cannabis for patients and consumers is essential for a functioning and thriving legal cannabis economy, and Weedmaps is committed to working with the federal and provincial governments to ensure this is prioritized,” the spokesperson said in the report.

Mimi Lam, CEO of Superette, which owns dispensaries in Ontario and is a signatory of the letter, said “being lumped in the same group as the illicit market is not beneficial for any legal operator.”

In the U.S., Weedmaps had come under fire in 2018 for listing unlicensed companies in California and in August 2019 said they would no longer advertise such businesses and would require a state-issued license number for all listings by January 1, 2020. By January 10, the company said it removed 2,700 California dispensaries that failed to provide a license number.