The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) has temporarily shut down a Cookies dispensary following several violations, including a video that “appeared to show large plumes of medical cannabis smoke being blown from a large gun apparatus into the mouths of persons outside the dispensary,” according to the suspension notice outlined. The action came less than a week after Cookies held the dispensary’s grand opening on May 27.
Inspectors also cited Cookies for advertising online in a way that “targets or is attractive to minors, including a cartoon character.” The notice also said that Cookies social media advertisements violate the agency’s rules for including the likeness of two, unnamed, celebrities, using “at least three publicly known non-cannabis trademarks,” and the use of cannabis in the ads.
The dispensary is also accused of refusing to provide inspectors with material needed for their investigation, including security footage, despite being asked several times. Inspectors said Cookies did not maintain security footage, which “constitutes an operational failure risking diversion and endangering the public’s health.”
Additionally, the MCA said the dispensary did not have a secure door between its service and operational areas which “also creates a risk of operational failure risking diversion because the purpose of the door is to help monitor and limit the number of cannabis agents with access” to all parts of the dispensary.
Cookies has 30 days from the date of suspension to request a hearing and could face a $10,000 fine per violation. (Full Story)