Eventbrite, an event board and ticket processor is pulling some cannabis-related events and often suspending the host accounts after years of allowing such events to be hosted on the site, according to a report from Forbes. Eventbrite claims that the events violate “laws surrounding a federally regulated substance” and are asking the event hosts to “agree to only publish events” that comply with the law, the merchant agreement, and the site’s terms of use before unlocking the account.
Michael Zaytsev, the organizer of the New York Cannabis Film Festival, told Forbes that his account was suspended and the event pulled from the site despite him using Eventbrite to sell tickets for cannabis-related events, such as High NY networking events, for the past three years. Zaytsev said that he thinks the suspension of the film festival event could be due to the reference of CBD-infused popcorn.
James Jordan, an organizer for the Southern California Cannabis Business and Investment Group, said his account was frozen after listing a finance panel featuring cannabis investment firm executives, adding that he tried to contact Eventbrite about the action but couldn’t access the URL to file a complaint because his account was locked.
“This is a ridiculous way to do it. I probably lost half of my crowd from the event,” he said in the report. “I’ve had ticket companies calling me trying to get me to be on their platforms, but I like Eventbrite.”
Moreover, Jordan said that he has yet to receive payment for the 11 tickets sold on Eventbrite. Zaytsev, however, did have his account unlocked and Eventbrite had initiated a payout for the film festival tickets – but that only occurred after Forbes published the organizers’ accounts.
“In situations like this, organizers can expect any remaining payout balance from ticket sales made prior to the event being unpublished, to be issued the following week,” an Eventbrite spokesperson said in an email with Forbes. “We cannot permit any event where cannabis is included with the purchase of a ticket or consumption is facilitated.”
Despite the shutdown of the events, and at least two others, other cannabis events – such as a “420-friendly” yoga event in Boston and a Washington, D.C. “cannabis happy hour” which advertises “FREE DABS all night” remained on the site.