The ongoing mass demonstrations in the US have led to a series of lootings and wanton property destruction. Cannabis dispensaries in Bay Area are among the businesses which met the wrath of the protesters on Friday night.
Oakland cannabis dispensary looted
A medicinal cannabis store in downtown Oakland was looted amid Friday night protests. According to the owner, a group of about 10 people broke into the ECO Cannabis dispensary and took off with products worth thousands of dollars. The store, which is located on Telegraph Avenue had deployed a heavy security system to monitor any activity and even had its front entryway shut. However, protesters somehow managed to gain access to the premises.
They also had a lot of cannabis paraphernalia on, like sweatshirts and t-shirts, so they were looking to get free cannabis, and they got it, said Kevin Ahaesy, the owner of the store.
Speaking to KCBS Radio, Ahaesy declined to say exactly how much he lost, except he said it was ‘a lot.’ He also believed the looters took advantage of the demonstrations taking place downtown, but “weren’t necessarily outsiders.”
“From everything we could tell, it was local people,” Ahaesy said. According to police investigators, several dispensaries in West Oakland were equally looted. Two people were arrested on Saturday.
Australia to set up the biggest medicinal cannabis plant in Melbourne
On to some related news, Australia is set to build its biggest medicinal cannabis plant at an undisclosed location in southeast Melbourne. The $50 million project aims to boost self-reliance in the local cannabis industry.
The Valens Company, a Canadian medicinal cannabis enterprise listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, will own, fund, and operate the proposed facility in collaboration with an Australian medicinal cannabis distributor Cannvalate.
Cannvalate will manage the project, hire staff, and fit it out with the necessary tools. The 4500-meter facility will focus on manufacturing medicinal cannabis including ointments, capsules, tablets, and assorted finished medicines.
The facility will have an elaborate security system including a 24-hour CCTV, double perimeter fences, and other modern security apparatus. It will also have a vault for storing finished products.
It will be very, very secure. It’s going to be the biggest manufacturing plant in Australia, probably by a factor of at least five times. So it’s going to completely change the dynamic of cannabis extraction and cannabis manufacturing, said Dr. Sud Agrwal, the CEO of Cannvalate.
The physical address of the plant is still unknown, according to licensing requirements. However, the word is out that it will be near cannabis cultivation sites.
