By John Schroyer, The Associated Press
Cannabis businesses, beware: The Hershey Co. is on the warpath.
Perhaps the most famous confectionery peddler in the world has a well-documented history of actively protecting its trademarks, and the marijuana industry is no exception.
Although Hershey’s has been relatively quiet in the marijuana sector since it sued two cannabis businesses in 2014, the company seemingly ramped up its oversight of possible trademark infringements in 2017.
Hershey’s — a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of more than $7 billion — sent cease-and-desist letters last year to at least two California marijuana companies:
Harborside, a well-established dispensary in Oakland.
Good Girl Cannabis Co., an edibles maker in rural northeast California.
Those cases — along with several others in recent history — emphasize that the still-maturing cannabis industry still must face such legal issues as complicated trademark laws that can force small companies to change course… Read more at The Cannabist
