Michigan dispensary faces sanctions after blocking Flock camera with “No Flock Zone” sign
The city gave JARS Cannibis 48 hours to remove the sign – sparking a viral debate online.
Image by Bluestork | Shutterstock
- A Michigan dispensary faces sanctions after blocking the Flock camera it was required to install with a "No Flock Zone" sign.
- JARS Cannibis says the city – not the company – operates the camera and threatened sanctions unless the sign was removed within 48 hours.
- The dispute comes as opposition to automated license plate readers grows and privacy advocates map thousands of cameras across the US.
It’s a Flock-block fail in Michigan after local officials threatened sanctions against a cannabis shop for using its own “No Flock Zone” sign to block the Flock camera officials required it to install.
JARS, a cannabis retail chain with 54 dispensaries across Michigan, Arizona, and Colorado, is learning the hard way not to mess with local Flock camera requirements.
It all started when the City of Madison Heights, Michigan denied JARS a license to open one of its dispensaries there in 2022.
JARS Cannibis, under its corporate name Arctic Fox LLC, subsequently sued the Detroit suburb, arguing the city's marijuana licensing process was unfair.
In November 2023, the two parties came to a settlement agreement granting the cannabis company a license to operate – all on the condition it would install a Flock camera with police access in the shop’s parking lot.
"No Flock Zone" or bust
The settlement stated that the company "must place a FLOCK license plate scanning camera system at the entrance of the customer parking lot prior to commencement of retail sales" and provide the Madison Heights Police Department "unhindered live access" to the camera, footage, and "any and all data" collected.
The Flock camera has reportedly been at the Madison Heights dispensary for about a year, coinciding with the store's September 2025 grand opening.
Since then things have apparently gotten sticky for JARS. Months after installing the required Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR), it decided to erect another sign.
The sign – reading “NO Flock Zone” – was erected directly in front of the required Flock ALPR, effectively blocking its view.
undefined Orwell Day (@OrwellDay) August 3, 2026
Now, the city has threatened the dispensary, giving the company 48 hours to remove the sign or face unspecified sanctions if it remained in place.
JARS official response
Addressing the controversry and ensuing debate, JARS put out its own official statement on X.
“We share our community's concerns about increased surveillance, which is why we placed the No Flock Zone sign in front of the camera to block its ability to record,” it said.
“JARS does not control the camera or have access to any of the data it collects.”
"The camera was required and is operated by the City of Madison Heights, and any third-party, crowdsourced databases claiming that JARS operates it are incorrect,” the company said.
The cannabis retailer went on to say that since receiving the removal letter, it has been in close contact with city representatives and is working toward a resolution.
JARS also reminded customers that they can always visit “one of our other 32 flock-free stores in Michigan,” if they feel uncomfortable at the Madison Heights location.
Viral video sparks debate
News of the controversy and a video showing the JARS "No Flock Zone" sign have since spread across social media, with many praising the shop for taking a stand against surveillance, while others accused the dispensary of attempting to distance itself from a system it had agreed to install.
"They agreed to have that camera AND provide the police with 24/7 live access. They sold everyone out to get their license. Now they pretend to be outraged. It's literally a written agreement,"one user commented on Instagram.
For some customers, the revelation that police could potentially review license plate data each time they visited the dispensary adds another layer to the debate.
"Flock at a dispensary?! That's just fucked up," one user commented. Another, in agreement, stated, "It's certainly A BIG BROTHER move... It's constant SPYING."
Still others didn't seem to mind the automated surveillance. "You realize this catches criminals, right?" they said, while another simply labeled the Flock Safety cameras "data-terrorism."
Growing backlash against ALPR surveillance
Used regularly by law enforcement and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), ALPR cameras have rapidly expanded across the country.
As of January 2026, open-source tools such as deflock.me and alpr.watch had mapped out tens of thousands of ALPR cameras in use across the US.
These cameras can capture license plates, vehicle characteristics, timestamps, and other metadata that participating law enforcement agencies can search.
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Privacy advocates have compared the rapid expansion of ALPR networks to mass surveillance of ordinary drivers, particularly when cameras are placed near sensitive locations such as medical facilities, places of worship – or, as in this case, cannabis dispensaries.
However, supporters of the controversial tech say it can help police investigate and solve crimes by locating stolen vehicles or missing persons, identifying suspects, and enhancing neighborhood watches.
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