Online Black Market Cannabis Still a Problem
BC Customer Gets Runaround, Out $524 – LPC
BC Solicitor General Mike Farnworth said he’s aware of online black market cannabis in the province – and it’s still a problem.
“(Online black market cannabis dispensaries) are illegal,” Farnworth said. He added that he’s already in communication with federal law enforcement to help deal with the problem. “They will be looking at a number of ways of dealing with this right across the country,”
The comments came after a BC customer, who is not named in the article, lost $524 trying to buy online black market cannabis. The customer bought through Bud Express Now on November 17. After the order didn’t come through, the customer lodged a complaint with the BBB (Better Business Bureau) of Mainland BC. The article doesn’t state which city he or she lives in.
“Since then I have emailed Bud Express Now numerous times inquiring into the status of my order,” the person wrote in the complaint. “I received numerous responses to those enquiries ranging from, ‘We are looking into this ASAP,’ and ‘shipping management’ had been contacted and ‘[we] will have this matter resolved ASAP,’ to, they’re ‘not sure why the tracking number is not working,’ and “the warehouse will resend the order tomorrow.”
Ultimately, neither the shipment nor the refund came. Soon after, the company stopped answering emails.
Online Black Market Cannabis “A Serious Risk” – LPC
Part of the reason for cannabis legalization was to eliminate the cannabis black market – and illegal activities attached. Online scams like this are one reason why legal sources are less risky.
“When you’re dealing with businesses that are not legitimate, you run a serious risk,” said BBB spokesperson Karla Laird. “They are not abiding by an order, or by rules, because they are not even under the rules to begin with.”
Last summer, BC had the lowest legal cannabis sales – and there’s little to suggest anything has changed. Online black market cannabis is just one part of that. Black market cannabis is still strong in Quebec, where an estimated 82 per cent of cannabis sales are illegal. It’s likely no coincidence that Quebec also has some of the most stringent regulations around legal cannabis use.
Alberta has the strongest legal cannabis market with over 300 stores. Saskatchewan also recently opened up its cannabis market, and even Ontario’s retail cannabis market recently announced changes.
Price has always been one of the big arguments against legal cannabis – particularly in BC. But at least you know you are getting what you pay for. There will always be scams, but online black market cannabis is one that’s easily avoided.
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