H_Ko Shutterstock.comThe Los Angeles Times published an investigative series this week on a Southern California cannabis brand, Stiiizy, despite attorneys for this brand and its co-founder sending a cease-and-desist letter and threatening a lawsuit beforehand. The Times wrote about how nine properties owned by holding companies connected to Stiiizy co-founder Tony Huang have been identified by state and local authorities “as sites of illegal dispensaries, according to a Times review of property, court and tax records. “The lawyer, Ekwan Rhow, wrote it was ‘obvious’ the former (chief) executive (of Stiiizy) had leaked information, potentially from confidential arbitration proceedings, and warned he would sue The Times for defamation,” the newspaper wrote, noting that it hadn’t, in fact, spoken with the former executive. It's yet another example of the lengths some groups will go to to attempt to suppress critical reporting—and how these hamfisted efforts can lead to more attention on these stories. Read the article “Stiiizy’s founder built an L.A. cannabis empire, while being landlord to illegal dispensaries” on LATimes.com.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 18, 2023 07:46 UTC