Introduction
This website is designed to make it easier and more efficient for individuals and businesses to interact with the Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA). The CLA recognizes that it is critical for individuals and businesses to be confident that their privacy is protected when they visit the CLA's website.
Consistent with the Data Protection Act, 2020, this policy describes the CLA's privacy practices regarding information collected from users of this website. This policy describes what information is collected and how that information is used. Because this privacy policy only applies to this website, you should examine the privacy policy of any website, including other agency websites, that you access using this website.
Definition of Personal Information
For purposes of this policy, "personal information" refers to any data relating to a natural person, as opposed to a corporate entity, which, because of name, number, symbol, mark, or other identifier, can be used to identify that natural person. The CLA only collects personal information about you when you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail or by initiating an online transaction or completing an online form, such as a survey, registration or order form.
Information Collected Automatically When You Visit this Website
When visiting this website, the CLA automatically collects and stores the following information about your visit:
- The Internet Protocol (IP) address and domain name used, but not the e-mail address. The Internet Protocol Address is a numerical identifier assigned either to your Internet service provider or directly to your computer,
- The type of browser and operating system you used,
- The date and time you visited this site,
- The web pages or services you accessed at this site,
- The web site you visited prior to coming to this web site,
- The web site you visit after leaving ours; and were any forms downloaded.
None of the foregoing information is deemed to constitute personal information.
The information that is collected automatically is used to improve this website's content and to help the CLA understand how users are interacting with the website. This information is collected for statistical analysis, to determine what information is of most and least interest to our users, and to improve the utility of the material available on the website. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and the CLA is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose the information collected from the website for commercial marketing purposes.
Use of Cookies
Cookies are simple text files stored on your web browser to provide a means of distinguishing among users of this website. The use of cookies is a standard practice among Internet websites. To better serve you, we use "session cookies" to enhance or customize your visit to this website. Session cookies can be created automatically on the device you use to access the website. These session cookies do not contain personal information and do not compromise your privacy or security. A session cookie is erased during operation of your browser or when your browser is closed.
The software and hardware you use to access the website allows you to refuse new cookies or delete existing cookies. Refusing or deleting these cookies may limit your ability to take advantage of some features of this website.
Information Collected When You E-mail this Website or Initiate an Online Transaction
During your visit to this website, you may send an e-mail to the CLA. Your e-mail address and the contents of your message will be collected. The information collected is not limited to text characters and may include audio, video, and graphic information formats included in the message. Your e-mail address and the information included in your message will be used to respond to you, to address issues you identify, to improve this website, or to forward your message to another agency for appropriate action. Your e-mail address is not collected for commercial purposes and the CLA is not authorized to sell or otherwise disclose your e-mail address for commercial purposes.
During your visit to this website, you may initiate a transaction such as a survey, file a complaint or complete an application form. The information, including personal information, volunteered by you in initiating the transaction is used by the CLA to operate the CLA programs, which include the provision of services, and information. The information collected by the CLA may be disclosed by the CLA for those purposes that may be reasonably ascertained from the nature and terms of the transaction in connection with which the information was submitted.
Children’s Privacy
The CLA does not knowingly collect personal information from children or create child profiles. Any personal data submitted by minors will be treated as if provided by an adult and may be subject to public access unless legally exempt.
The CLA strongly encourages parents and teachers to be involved in children's Internet activities and to provide guidance whenever children are asked to provide personal information online.
Information and Choice
As noted above, the CLA does not collect any personal information about you during your visit to this website unless you provide that information voluntarily by sending an e-mail or initiating an online transaction such as completing a survey, file a complaint or complete an application form. You may choose not to send us an e-mail, respond to a survey, or complete an application form. While your choice not to participate in these activities may limit your ability to receive specific services or products through this website, it will not prevent you from requesting services or products from the CLA by other means and will not normally have an impact on your ability to take advantage of other features of the website, including browsing or downloading most publicly available information.
Disclosure of Information Collected Through This Website
Personal information collected through this website will only be disclosed with your consent, unless required by law or necessary for:
- Fulfilling the CLA’s legal duties
- Complying with court orders
- Validating user identity
- Statistical analysis (in anonymized form)
The CLA may also share data with law enforcement to prevent unauthorized access or misuse of its information systems.
Retention of Information Collected Through this Website
The information collected through this website is retained by the CLA in accordance with the records retention and disposition requirements of the Data Protection Act, 2020.
Information, including personal information, that you submit in an e-mail or when you initiate an online transaction such as completing a survey, file a complaint or complete an application form is retained in accordance with the records retention and disposition schedule established for the records of the program unit to which you submitted the information. Information concerning these records retention and disposition schedules may be obtained through the Internet privacy policy contact listed in this policy.
Confidentiality and Integrity of Personal Information Collected Through this Website
The CLA is strongly committed to protecting personal information collected through this website against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Consequently, the CLA limits employee access to personal information collected through this website to only those employees who need access to the information in the performance of their official duties. Employees who have access to this information are required to follow appropriate procedures in connection with any disclosures of personal information.
In addition, the CLA has implemented procedures to safeguard the integrity of its information technology assets, including, but not limited to, monitoring, auditing, and encryption. These security procedures have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-to-day operations of this website as part of our continuing commitment to the security of electronic content as well as the electronic transmission of information.
For website security purposes and to maintain the availability of the website for all users, the CLA employs software to monitor traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information or otherwise damage this website.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this privacy policy should not be construed as giving business, legal, or other advice, or warranting as fail proof, the security of information provided through this website. Users are encouraged to take their own precautions when submitting personal information online.
Links
In order to provide users with certain information, the CLA provides links to the websites of local and government agencies, and to the websites of other organizations. A link does not constitute an endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of that website. Once you link to another website from this website, including one maintained by the government, you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including, but not limited to, its Internet privacy policy.