You can use mobile apps to summon just about anything to your doorstep, from liquor to camping gear, but one thing it hasn’t been legal to have delivered is marijuana. That looks set to change under new regulations which set out a framework for pot delivery apps to operate legitimately.
The problem with some apps and services that have cropped up in recent years is that the delivery services were typically third parties, not connected to licensed dispensaries. One popular service, Speed Weed, was shut down by the city when they were caught operating multiple warehouse-like distribution centers and dispatching drivers from there, L.A. Weekly reports.
Under the proposed rules, any delivery services would have to be operated in conjunction with sanctioned brick-and-mortar dispensaries. The dispensary in question wouldn’t necessarily be required to operate a storefront as well—if they want to be delivery-only, that would be left up to the business owner—but they would need a physical location that meets all other requirements for a legal pot shop in whatever area they serve.
One possible grey area are services such as Nestdrop, apps that exist to match eligible customers with dispensaries that want to offer delivery. Since Nestdrop doesn’t employ the drivers themselves but just facilitates a driver from the dispensary making a housecall, the rules may be a little unclear. As the regulations are currently written, this would be fine under L.A. city law but might not meet California state requirements.
In any event, it seems clear that legal delivery will be the in the near future for marijuana sales. Now we just have to wait and see if they team up to offer any deals with our favorite late-night food delivery spots.
credit:timeout.com