U.S.A – Cannabis is legal in many American states in some form, from CBD to THC, recreational to medical. The demand for discreet and convenient ways to obtain cannabis is higher than ever, and companies are monopolizing the demand from coast to coast. Along with the drive or profit comes the decrease in safety concerns for cannabis employees.
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency, the government body in charge of monitoring the licensed industry in Michigan, released a bulletin back in January of 2023, which reported 13 robberies of licensed delivery workers during the 6-week period of December 2022, to mid January 2023. Some of these were armed robberies, where the delivery employees were beaten and assaulted before being robbed at gun point.
The thing is, violent robberies of LICENSED cannabis delivery drivers has been going on for years in legal states, with the trend being perpetuated – and even baited – by local law enforcement and legislative language. In California, targeted robberies of delivery workers has been a long-standing problem; as of early 2023, the state intends to implement new rules with that would allow dispensaries to send delivery drivers out with double the amount of product previously allowed, from $5,000 to $10,000. I’m not rocket scientist, but that does not sound like a solution for keeping drivers safe.
Okay, back to Michigan. Of course former Detroit chief of police had to weigh in on the matter:
“There are some things that the industry can do to tighten, but the question is, because it’s so lucrative right now – is that just an acceptable risk for the persons engaged in that industry?” he said.”
Interesting question. Godbee is claiming the industry is lucrative, but he does not say for whom it is lucrative. Great risk comes with great reward, and numbers do not lie. It is no secret that cannabis workers are not seeing any of that financial reward at $13-15 an hour, but are being told they should accept the risk anyway in pursuit of a solid and dream-like career path.
There is a staggering amount of risk for all workers in the cannabis industry. Police are trained for tense and violent situations, not delivery drivers. It’s important to know what you could be facing as a worker in this industry. You’ve got to have your own back before anyone else, let alone a business. States must implement actual protections for workers, like requiring at least two persons for all deliveries.
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Sources:
https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/nabis-cannabis-delivery-driver-robbed-in-oakland
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