Medical marijuana dispensary hit with stolen Kia amid Philadelphia looting incidents
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police said a stolen Kia was used to break down the front door of a medical marijuana dispensary in the city's Wynnefield section on Tuesday night, amid multiple incidents of looting across Philadelphia.
Police leadership said the looting was committed by groups of juveniles and was unrelated to protests after a judge dismissed all charges including a murder count against Mark Dial, the officer who shot and killed Eddie Irizarry in Kensington last month.
Police were called to the Curaleaf at 51st Street and City Avenue for reports of a break-in.
Our cameras saw the door broken down, scattered broken glass and multiple damaged display cases in the store.
It's not clear if anything was taken.
A Curaleaf spokesperson sent a statement saying the incident was an "urgent reminder of the industry's need to advance SAFER Banking," a bill that would give cannabis businesses the ability to use traditional banking methods.
Currently, marijuana dispensaries rely heavily on cash to conduct business, as many banks fear federal prosecution if they handle money obtained through the sale or cannabis, a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
The SAFER Banking Act passed in a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Wednesday.
The dispensary was temporarily closed Wednesday while Curaleaf's security and retail teams assess the damage, according to the statement.