Canada Post Admits Privacy Breach Of 4,500 Ontario Cannabis Store Customers

The full legalization of cannabis in Canada was one of the most anticipated events of 2018 not just in Canada, but also in many other countries.

The country continues to encounter challenges in the rollout of adult-use cannabis: after multiple reports that the legalization was met with shortages of weed, a new issue has arose after it was revealed that thousands of people who ordered pot to be delivered via Canada Post had their private information breached. 

4,500 Orders Compromised

The post service said 4,500 orders in Ontario had their customer data compromised. The breach was first disclosed by the Ontario Cannabis Store, or OCS, which issued a Wednesday. 

Canada Post notified the OCS that delivery information for 4,500 orders was accessed by an individual through the post's delivery tracking tool, according to OCS; this represents 2 percent of the total orders.

The data also included information about other Canada Post clients, and overall included the postal code; the name or initials of the person who signed for the delivery; the date of the delivery; and other information.

Customer names, delivery addresses and order contents were not included in the breach, according to OCS.

The OCS referred the matter to Ontario's privacy commission and has notified affected customers.

Limited Risk To Customer Data

Canada Post said in its own statement that it has taken measures to prevent a further breach of information.

It's worth noting that the compromised information was limited. While some expressed concerns that the disclosure of information tied to cannabis purchases could result in bans on entry to the U.S., where cannabis remains federally illegal, the concerns appear unfounded.  

Benzinga, which recently brought 600 investors to Toronto for the first-ever Cannabis Capital Conference, is hosting the Michigan Cannabis Business Roundtable at its Detroit headquarters Friday, Nov. 9.

Related links:

What Legal Cannabis Means For Canada's Economy

Canada's Province Brands To Release Cannabis Beer In 2019

Public domain photo via Wikimedia.