Leafly, arguably the largest resource for information on cannabis, dispensaries, strains, etc, will be removing all unlicensed cannabis businesses within the state of California beginning on March 1, 2018. In an email and blog post, the company explained that it is: “Not a decision we take lightly, but as laws and regulations shift we want to ensure that we offer our Leafly community the most up-to-date and trustworthy experience possible.”
California, of course, legalized cannabis for adult-recreational purposes, in addition to medicinal use, on January 1, 2018, with state regulators making it clear that for any cannabis-related business entity to continue operating, they would have to acquire the appropriate and necessary local and state licenses.
Leafly, in a post on their company site, made it clear that state regulators have observed a widening gap between legal, state-licensed businesses and unlicensed and illegal businesses. State regulators have been warning unlicensed business since February to cease operation at the risk of criminal and civil penalties. With so much happening in the legalization and normalization of cannabis and cannabis-related businesses, see: Cronos being listed on the stock market this week, it is the right and understandable move for Leafly to take. More importantly, it’s clear that Leafly made this decision with ample deliberation and consultation with the state. Compliance and licensing is the name of the game and the Golden State’s regulators and lawmakers have made that clear from the word go.
“We are encouraged to see Leafly, taking tangible steps to promote the regulated market in California. The regulated cannabis market can only be successful if it is promoted by all of its stakeholders. As one of the largest cannabis resources in the world, Leafly is doing just that and is setting an example for the rest of the industry,” remarked Teddy Blum, MMLG’s CEO.
Leafly also recommended that any businesses who may be removed but believe they have all the proper local and state licensing to contact Leafly directly at: support@leafly.com
If you have any questions or concerns about the legal status of your company’s compliance, feel welcome to contact MMLG’s experts for consultation and auditing services to ensure you and your business are up-to-date and compliant.