Don’t Slip And Fall: Product Liability Coverage For The Cannabis Sector

A product liability claim presents some of the highest dollar loss potential for cannabis companies, according to Chris Boden, cannabis practice group team leader at the California-based wholesale insurance broker, Crouse and Associates Insurance Services.

It’s one of the most severe exposures cannabis companies face, and yet not all businesses purchase product liability insurance coverage. Many small cannabis companies start off as passion projects. While the owners might be cannabis experts, they’re not always totally business or insurance savvy.

They rely on their insurance agents and brokers to secure their coverage needs, but, unfortunately, even they sometimes miss the mark when it comes to product liability, according to Boden.

“I’ve seen more times than I’d wish when an agent didn’t understand that a policy didn’t have product liability, or didn’t realize they weren’t adequately insuring it,” said Boden. “They’d get excited about a quote for $1,500, but what they’ve really got is a $1,500 piece of paper — and it’s not worth the paper it’s written on. The chances of a slip and fall happening (at a small grow op) are very minimal — that’s not where claims are going to arise."

“What’s much more likely to cause a claim is a customer turning around and saying: ‘Your product made me sick.’"