There were always going to be people who didn’t feel comfortable putting their names, addresses and credit cards into a government database to buy cannabis.

Some people have a niggling concern that provincial governments or Ottawa might decide to use that information down the line for something other than shipping legal pot to one’s doorstep. Others fear their names will eventually be shared with U.S. law enforcement.

American authorities have an endless appetite for information they deem to be of national security interest and a dubious track record for how that information is used, as plenty of people discovered with the advent of no-fly lists. And they’ve already said cannabis use may be cause to be denied entry to the U.S., even permanently barred.

But now, thanks to a data breach at Canada Post, thousands of people also get to wonder who managed to randomly access some of their information.

On Wednesday, the postal service admitted that someone using their delivery tracking tool accessed some personal information for 4,500 customers of the Ontario Cannabis Store.

A data breach of any kind is the last thing legal pot sales in Ontario needs.

Doug Ford’s government made a sensible decision to overhaul the previous pot sale plans and opt for a private retail model, but those stores aren’t expected to open until April 2019. Until then, the only legal way to buy pot in Ontario is through the online provincial store and have it delivered by Canada Post.

And if some cities and towns take Ford up on his far less sensible decision to allow communities to opt out of having retail stores entirely, online purchases will remain the only legal method for some Ontarians to obtain pot.

For legalization to succeed in curbing the black market, which funds criminal enterprise, consumers must have faith that their personal information will be kept secure. Otherwise, they’ll be driven back to their neighbourhood dealer and that’s not good for anyone.

Fortunately, this data breach appears to have been quite limited. According to the Ontario Cannabis Store, which informed its affected customers, the compromised information was limited to postal codes and the names or initials of the person who accepted delivery of the package. And Canada Post says the accessed information was deleted and not shared.

Few Canadians expected that ending almost a century of prohibition would not come without a few challenges. Indeed, provincial and municipal governments, along with police and employers, are all struggling to come to terms with this enormous social and legal change.

But, at a minimum, cannabis consumers should be able to expect that when they follow the rules and buy online Canada Post won’t make them regret it.

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