Who’s Accountable When Cannabis Containers Are Sold Empty?

Article by Harrison Jordan, Leafly

A number of Canadian cannabis purchasers—including an editor here at Leafly Canada—claim to have opened sealed containers of legally-purchased cannabis only to find that they were completely empty.

An online search finds that this problem has apparently arisen a handful of times, with some individuals posting their disappointment on TheOCS subreddit on the popular link-sharing site Reddit.

In January 2019, user ChedduhGoat posted a photo of an empty container of one gram of Casablanca by Edison. “Has this happened [to] anyone else?” they wrote.

At around the same time, user Dzugavili posted that they too had received an empty package from the OCS—though unlike others, they indicated that the excise stamp and seal were also broken.

And less than two weeks ago, user AndyTheHutt420 posted photos of a preroll package from embroiled producer CannTrust’s Liiv brand that the author said was purchased from the Ontario Cannabis Store and delivered empty.

We have to caution that these reports from Reddit are not confirmed, but when we found out a Leafly editor also experienced an empty delivery, we took note.

Managing Editor Liora Ipsum says she purchased cannabis July 7 at Canna Cabana on Yonge Street in Toronto.

“I purchased four3.5 gram containers of Aurora Blue Dream for an infused recipe,” she shares.

“I went to decarb the products at home. I opened the first container, no problem, ground it up, and emptied it on to the cookie sheet. I opened the second container, and I pulled off the freshness seal and it was empty inside.”

If there were any crumbs in there at all, it was dust, she said.

When Ipsum sent an email about the problem to producer Aurora to seek a refund, they emailed her back asking for photos, later thanking her and stating that “for more information [on] an action on your claim, we would recommend reaching out [to] the Provincial retailer.”

The email noted that “every retailer will have its own intake process and timeline for a possible resolution.”

Ipsum did not follow up with Canna Cabana, the Toronto-based retailer that sold the empty cannabis containers, and requests for comment to both Aurora and the retailer had not been met by press time.

Leafly reached out to the Ontario Cannabis Store, which is responsible for wholesaling cannabis products to private retail stores.

Amanda Winton, Communications Manager for the OCS, said they only work with licensed producers authorized by Health Canada, and they are required to package products in sealed and stamped containers prior to delivery to the OCS.

Read the full article here.