$100,000 worth of weed, inventory stolen at gunpoint from Oakland Dispensary

Suspects are still at large after CRAFT Cannabis was robbed at gunpoint and about $100,000 worth of product stolen in Oakland, California. To make matters worse, eyewitnesses say it was hours before police got to the scene – after everything was taken and the damage already done.

In the early hours of August 6, officers responded to reports of a burglary near the 2500 block of Willow Street in Oakland. Police say three vehicles and three unidentified people parked at the 2400 block of Willow Street around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, then broke into the store and cut power.

KTVU Fox 2 reports that Alan Sorrentino, owner of CRAFT (Citizens Research Alliance for Therapeutics) cannabis, was notified of the break-in by his alarm company early Saturday morning. The Oakland Police Department was called multiple times. So Sorrentino checked the situation but had to leave when a suspect pointed a gun at him. He continued to watch them from a distance and looted the building via a surveillance camera.

“Around 2:50 a.m. they cut power to the entire building,” Sorrentino, owner of craft cannabis in Oakland, told KTVU Fox 2.

According to Sorrentino, the invaders appeared to be carrying out an elaborate plan in stages.

“Unfortunately, they were able to get away with basically all of our inventory, so we had to close,” Sorrentino said. The police were able to identify some vehicles from surveillance videos.

“A white Toyota pickup, a small black sedan, possibly a Mazda or Toyota. Then a few other vehicles were involved when they made it into the vault area to help them unload,” Sorrentino said.

Over the next few hours, the suspects smashed into walls, smashed door locks and stair steps. Oakland Police said they arrived at the scene around 7:30 a.m. and said they couldn’t respond immediately because officers simply weren’t available at the time.

CRAFT Cannabis has won numerous awards with offerings such as Dimepiece, 1st place at the 2019 High Times Bay Area Cannabis Cup for Indica Flower, or perhaps the 2016 NorCal Medical Cannabis Cup First Place for CBD Flower.

CRAFT as processors and Keepers of the Craft Gardens as growers have been Clean Green certified since 2012.

No arrests were made in this incident. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Oakland Police Department Burglary Division at (510) 238-3951.

Crime waves in Oakland pharmacies

It’s just the latest in a recent crime wave. Last February, a man was shot dead at Oakanna Pharmacy. Joshua Chase, an Oakanna pharmacy owner, was shot in the foot after a group of burglars set off an alarm at his relatively new retail store in the early hours.

The cannabis supply industry in the region has also been hit hard.

Cannabis dispensaries a target? In particular, one reason is the lack of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would protect pharmacies from carrying large amounts of cash.

Politico reported that the crime spree in Oakland — and the West Coast as a whole — caused enough uproar to spark support for banking reform on Capitol Hill with bills like the SAFE Banking Act.

Access to banking services could solve many of these problems and make pharmacies safer for the people who work in them.