The year 2020 has brought enormous change to the cannabis world. Cannabis deliveries have become a new, but popular trend and using this type of service has become a way to avoid person-to-person interaction and ensure safety. Curbside delivery at a retail dispensary location has allowed purchasers to pick-up pre-ordered cannabis without entering a crowded store. Cannabis home deliveries have also become common and many are opting to receive their cannabis the same way they receive Amazon packages. Although cannabis deliveries are becoming the new norm, many purchasers are having to remain flexible in their method of payment due to existing bank restrictions for cannabis businesses.
Successes
San Francisco has demonstrated a high level of flexibility with cannabis deliveries. The city has turned into a cultural hotspot for cannabis deliveries via licensed shops, such as SPARC, Purple Star, and Medithrive, as well as many others. One of the main reasons that cannabis deliveries have become so popular in this area is simply because this is where the first public cannabis dispensary in the US was established during the early 1990s. After that, it did not take long for medical cannabis to become legalized in California as well. To this day, California has never hesitated to meet the supply and demand of their cannabis consumers – even now when purchasers want cannabis at the push of a button.
Challenges
Despite success in California, challenges still exist in other states – especially those with medical-use only, such as Washington, Colorado, and New York. In these states, illegal cannabis purchases and deliveries are still fairly common. To this day, only five states have legalized adult-use cannabis delivery: California, Oregon, Maine, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Michigan. So far, twelve states have legalized medical cannabis delivery: Arizona, California, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Dakota, and Oregon.
Although some deliveries can be made the same day, selection can be limited, the quality may be lacking, and the price may be high. Orders scheduled for delivery within 1-3 business days typically have better selection, higher quality, and lower prices.
For those who do use cannabis delivery through licensed dispensaries or services, leaving reviews is important. It lets other cannabis consumers know how the experience was so that they can make their own educated cannabis decisions. It is also important to be prepared to leave a tip for cannabis delivery drivers, just like a pizza delivery. It is a kind gesture for those continuing to work to ensure cannabis is dispensed as safely as possible.