Welcome to the Paradise Gifting Community ("Paradise," "we," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you apply for membership, interact with our website, and participate in our gifting community. Paradise operates in the District of Columbia and supports the non‑commercial gifting of entheogenic plants and fungi under Initiative 81. Membership is restricted to adults 21 years of age or older, and all contributions are voluntary gifts. By using our services or becoming a member, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

When you visit our website or sign up for membership, we collect various types of information to verify your eligibility, fulfill our obligations, and improve our services:

Personal information you provide: We collect your name, email address, phone number, date of birth, delivery address, government‑issued photo ID, selfie, and any other information you voluntarily provide to verify that you are at least 21 years old and reside in the District of Columbia. If you make a payment or donate, we may also collect payment details such as credit card numbers and billing addresses to process your contribution.
Automatic data collection: When you visit our website, our servers automatically record certain data, such as your computer’s Internet protocol (IP) address. As part of improving our website, we may place a small text file (cookie) on your device to recognize it. These cookies help us maintain a functional site and are typically only a few bytes. We do not attempt to read any additional information on your hard drive, and we do not combine collected information with other personal information to determine your identity.
Log and usage data: We may collect information about how you access and use our website, including the pages you view, the links you click, and other actions you take. This data is used in an aggregated form to analyze site performance and does not personally identify you.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

Eligibility verification: To confirm your age and identity and to determine your eligibility to participate in our gifting community under Initiative 81. We require members to be at least 21 years old.
Membership and delivery: To process your membership application, coordinate deliveries within the District of Columbia, and provide you with complimentary gifts when available. Delivery addresses must be within DC and not on federal property or school grounds, and we may verify your identity at the time of delivery.
Communication: To send you confirmations, community updates, event announcements, and other membership‑related communications. You may opt out of non‑essential emails at any time.
Site improvement and security: To monitor and analyze usage trends, administer the site, and ensure the security of our systems. Our website uses security measures, including encryption for credit card numbers and other data that must remain secure, to protect information.
Compliance and legal obligations: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, or legal requests. Although Initiative 81 directs local law enforcement to treat non‑commercial possession and sharing of entheogens as a low enforcement priority, these substances remain illegal under federal law. We may disclose your information if required by a valid subpoena, court order, or other legal process.

3. Legal Basis and Community Focus

Paradise is committed to operating within the boundaries of District of Columbia law. Initiative 81 makes the non‑commercial planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, possessing or engaging in practices with entheogenic plants and fungi the lowest law‑enforcement priority, but it does not legalize or decriminalize these substances. We collect and use personal information to ensure compliance with this legal framework and to uphold our community standards. Your information will not be used to facilitate illegal activity, and we will not voluntarily disclose member information to law enforcement unless legally compelled to do so.

4. Security and Data Retention

We take reasonable precautions to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse:

Secure transmission: We encrypt credit card numbers and other sensitive data during transmission to meet legal requirements. Our website incorporates technical safeguards to protect the information you provide.
Limited access: Personal information is available only to authorized Paradise staff or contractors who require the data to perform their duties, such as verifying age or coordinating deliveries. We do not share personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
Retention: We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, such as verifying your membership status or processing donations, and to comply with legal obligations. Photo IDs and selfies may be deleted after verification, but donation histories may be kept for compliance and audit purposes.

5. Sharing of Information

Paradise does not share, sell, or transfer your individual identifying information to any third party without your prior consent. The only circumstances under which we may disclose personal information are:

Service providers: We may share information with trusted third‑party vendors who process payments, manage communications, or provide technical support. These vendors are required to protect your information and may use it only for the services they perform on our behalf.
Legal compliance: We may disclose information when we are required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal process, such as a subpoena or court order.
Protection of rights: We may disclose information to protect the safety, rights, or property of Paradise, our members, or the public, or to investigate potential violations of our Terms and Conditions.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve user experience and gather statistics. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that allow us to recognize repeat visitors and maintain your preferences. As noted above, we do not attempt to read additional information on your hard drive, and we do not combine collected information with other personal information to determine your identity. You can configure your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent; however, some site features may not function properly without them.

7. External Links

Our website may contain links to third‑party websites or services that are not operated by Paradise. The District of Columbia privacy policy notes that its protections extend to DC government websites only, and visitors should read other organizations’ privacy policies to determine their practices. Similarly, we are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third‑party sites you visit.

8. Children’s Privacy

Paradise does not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 21. Our services are intended for adults 21 years of age or older. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a minor, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

9. Your Choices and Rights

You have certain rights regarding your personal information:

Access and correction: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct or update it if it is inaccurate.
Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to our need to retain certain data for legal or operational reasons.
Consent withdrawal: You may withdraw your consent to our processing of your personal information at any time. Withdrawing consent may limit your ability to participate in the Paradise Gifting Community.
Opting out of communications: You may opt out of marketing or informational emails by following the instructions in those communications. Essential membership notifications may still be sent.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the address provided below.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. If we make material changes, we will post an updated policy on our website and indicate the effective date. Your continued participation in the Paradise Gifting Community after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the new policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Email: info@paradisefamersmarket.shop

By submitting your membership application or using our website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the collection and use of your information as described herein.