Yelp, Google Should Remove Illegal Weed Shops Says Los Angeles Initiative To Clean Up Cannabis Search Results

Search engines and GPS platforms like Google GOOG and Apple Maps give legitimacy to unlicensed cannabis business in California by not distinguishing them from licensed dispensaries in respective search results. That's according to a measure that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved this week in a unanimous vote.

The proposal introduced by supervisor Lindsey Horvath seeks to remove illegal cannabis dispensaries from Google, Yelp and other search engine platforms, reported Los Angeles Times.

The measure also directs several county agencies to compile reports within three months on possible actions to curb unauthorized cannabis advertising in the unincorporated areas of the county. It also says five county leaders should draft and sign a letter urging several major websites “to voluntarily stop advertising illegal cannabis dispensaries in the County.”

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"Regulating online search engines and GPS platforms will ensure only legal, licensed dispensaries appear in results from those platforms and protect the safety of the public," Horvath's motion stipulates.

The document also highlighted that Los Angeles County hosts roughly 10% of the total number of dispensaries estimated to operate nationwide, with nearly 1,500 retailers, citing Pew Research Center's data. That said, data from the California Department of Cannabis Control suggest that only 384 of these dispensaries – as of 2022 – had a valid state-approved license.

The California effort to crack down on the advertisement of unlicensed cannabis businesses follows a call from New York Governor Kathy Hochul and licensed dispensary owners in the Empire State to major social media companies like Meta Platforms Inc META and Alphabet Inc.GOOG GOOGL to stop promoting unlicensed cannabis businesses.

The governor's demands extend to digital services like Google Maps and Yelp, urging them to stop directing consumers to unlicensed vendors, as it is not only a legal dilemma but also a public health concern due to the distribution of untested products.

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