Alison Ettel gained infamy over the weekend as #PermitPatty for calling the cops on an 8-year-old selling water on a San Francisco sidewalk and now Ettel has stepped down from her CEO role at a cannabis firm.
The company, TreatWell Health, offers a range of medicinal cannabis-based products for dogs, cats, and humans.
Treatwell Health’s spokesperson Cynthia Gonzalez issued a statement about Ettel’s resignation.
“Alison Ettel, CEO of TreatWell Health, has resigned, effective immediately. This decision, while not an easy one, is in the best interest of their patients. It is Ms. Ettel’s belief that TreatWell, its employees, and patients should not have to suffer because of a situation that occurred in an escalated moment. And she regrets her part and is remorseful.”
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Gonzalez also characterized Ettel’s actions over the weekend as a mistake that was not at all racially motivated. Ettel is white and the child she called the cops on is Black.
“As a spokesperson for Treatwell Health, we are deeply sorry and regret the incident that occurred this past weekend. A terrible mistake was made that affected a young girl and her family. It is important to know it was never the intention to disparage, harass or cause any harm to the child, nor her Mother. However, in a heated moment, a critically wrong decision was made by our CEO. The guilt lies in that decision, and while it was completely wrong, the act that followed was not motivated by any racist intent whatsoever.”
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Permits for Water Not Pot
The water incident was captured on camera by the 8-year-old child’s mother who filmed Ettel as she used her cellphone to call the police. When confronted, Ettel claimed that she was calling authorities because the little girl should not be selling water on the sidewalk without a permit.
The irony is that Ettel’s former company TreatWell Health had been selling cannabis products without the proper permits/licenses. When Ettel was asked about the grey legal area of the cannabis industry (especially when it comes to federal vs state regulations) in a 2015 interview, Ettel quipped that she essentially operated on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” type of policy.
Interesting that #PermitPatty is such a stickler for following the rules when it comes to children selling water on the street, but plays fast and loose with regulations when it comes to her own business.
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