[topshelfdata]

Hi folks, I'm one of the founders. Happy to answer any questions. A few tidbits:

* The data comes from WA public records. Can you believe that every single plant, harvest, and retail transaction is not only stored (that's a law called traceability) but also made available as a public record?

* We have been live since January, 2017, so this is very new.

* The model is SaaS, we have several paying customers already.

* Most of our customers are cannabis businesses in the state, using the site to understand price, competition, and benchmarks (what products to sell etc.).

[ZoeZoeBee]

How do you feel about this data being recorded and available, considering existing Federal Laws supersede state and local laws, making everyone on here an admitted criminal, if the Federal Government chooses to enforce already existing laws?

[topshelfdata]

The idea that the Federal government may crack down is certainly unsettling. Even without the detailed traceability public records data being available, the cat is already out of the bag.

For instance, by entering a highly regulated industry, these businesses have to submit a ton of paperwork - including federal income taxes, company formation documents, employment information, etc.. Furthermore, to operate successful, they have to advertise, and are already visible in print papers, billboards, trade shows, magazines, etc.

If anything, we hope that this data demonstrates that legal cannabis is an industry just like any other: prices go down as competition increases, variety and quality increase over time, jobs are created, there is significant tax revenue, etc.

One last thing: there is nothing identifying about the customers that is in this data, since everyone pays in cash.

(Apologies for my slow response, comments are throttled, and HN is asking me to wait before submitting new answers.)

[torbjorn]

Americans are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

[ZoeZoeBee]

Tell that to the ATF

> As provided by 27 C.F.R. 478.11, "an inference of current use may be drawn from evidence of a recent use or possession of a controlled substance or a pattern of use or possession that reasonably covers the present time"

Therefore any person who uses or is addicted to marijuana regardless of whether his or her State has passed legislation authorizing marijuana use for medicinal purposes, is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance and is prohibited by Federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.

https://www.atf.gov/file/60211/download

Obtaining a medical marijuana card, or purchasing it recreationally is an admission of guilt as far as they are concerned