Summer is here, a massive heatwave just hit the west coast, and fire season is right around the corner. This is the harsh reality for west coast residents and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. Wildfires have a severe impact on entire communities and everyone can be impacted. But there are some unique issues for cannabis businesses that will be mentioned this post.
First off, cannabis businesses are unlike many other businesses because they are siloed in specific locations and have many regulatory restrictions concerning moving goods in the event of a natural disaster such as a fire. Fortunately, many states’ regulators had the foresight to include provisions for relief from regulatory requirements in some cases when natural disasters strike.
Second, cannabis businesses are very susceptible to damage as a result of fires. Outdoor cultivators are usually hit the hardest–even when fires don’t damage their crops, smoke and other particulate matter (even from seemingly far-off fires) can destroy outdoor crops. There were many examples of this happening last year. So even when fires may not be at a cultivator’s literal doorstep, they need to be thinking about things like air condition and whether they need to get in touch with the state about seeking any relief as noted above.
For any cannabis business, actually having a fire at the premises is about the most serious problem one could face. This is a particular challenge for businesses that may be storing tons of cash and valuable products and that may not have adequate insurance coverage (as is often the case) to cover losses caused by fires. Moreover, loss in the ability to operate due to fire damage can be a major, if not fatal, setback for many cannabis businesses.
Read more at thefreshtoast.com