Massive leak of data linked to Ontario government-run cannabis stores, Canada Putting retailers into disarray. However, consumer data is not part of the equation, and it was not disclosed during the data breach.
The Ontario Hemp Store (OCS), a government-run agency that oversees the distribution of cannabis from licensed producers to retailers, reported that some of its sales data had been “misappropriated.”
The OCS letter was sent to retailers on May 10 and was quickly received Canadian Press Be warned that confidential sales data is being circulated throughout the industry.
“This data was not disclosed by OCS, and we have not provided any permission or consent to distribute or use this data outside of our organization,” is reading The letter is signed by Janet Ayham, Vice President of Wholesale Partnerships and Customer Service at OCS. “The data has been misappropriated, disclosed and distributed illegally. As a result, we are confident that you will refrain from sharing or using this stolen data in any way.”
More than 1,200 Ontario retail stores have been affected. Cannabis retail stores in Ontario soared to 1333 through a recent censusup from 1,115 in September.
Three unknown sources Say the store names, license numbers, and data that says whether the store is independently owned, company-operated or franchisor has also been leaked. The matter is being investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
MJBizDaily He confirmed with OPP that the breach was a “criminal matter”. The data was also distributed illegally, according to the authorities.
The data reportedly contained ranked sales information for every cannabis store in Ontario. Given that the data also showed kilograms sold during the month, kilograms sold per day, total units sold, and total inventory – this could put retailers at risk.
The data may end up in the wrong hands or for the wrong reasons, such as competing retail stores. The data provides “a lot of really competitive insights into who is doing what, who is moving what, and which retailers are selling what,” said Deepak Anand, founder of Materia Cannabis, Tell Canadian Press. “This could certainly be a step up and a boost to competition within the industry looking to outpace the next person.”
This kind of accident has happened before in the area.
In 2018, OCS revealed that The data of 4,500 of its customers was part of the Canada Post data breach. The 2018 breach was found as a result of someone accessing data via a Canada Post tracking tool. The data included the names of people who purchased pot deliveries and OCS reference numbers as well as postal codes.
Meanwhile, residents are concerned about rising competition. Some areas are filled with cannabis stores, such as Queen Street West in Toronto. This eventually led to the Toronto City Council issuing a hold on licenses for new cannabis stores. The moratorium will last for a year or until a provincial bill is introduced, allowing local communities to have their say on the matter.
It’s concentrated areas of cannabis retail such as Queen Street West, where competition is fiercest, which may look weaker amid the data leak.
Lisa Campbell, CEO of Mercari Cannabis Marketing, Tell Canadian Press It could be a “death sentence” for some companies seeking takeovers.
Ontario retail cannabis companies are already facing stiff competition, so underperforming stores may suffer if their data is exposed.
