Legal Canadian Pot Sales Spur Data Privacy Concerns

Canadian marijuana sellers have attracted more than new customers now that their product is legal.

A recent data breach at an Ontario online retailer shows the real risks to cannabis sellers who don’t protect consumer data. The Ontario Cannabis Store announced Nov. 1 that delivery information was accessed for approximately 2 percent of its users—roughly 4,500 orders.

Canada’s privacy office is taking a hard look at the industry that was legalized in October given the personal data it’s likely collecting from users, Corey Larocque, communications adviser for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, told Bloomberg Law.

“The legalization ...