TORONTO — Uber Eats and online cannabis marketplace Leafly are partnering with local retailers in Toronto to deliver cannabis straight to consumers' homes. This will be the first time cannabis delivery is available on a major third-party delivery platform, the companies said.
Nineteen-year-old and older consumers in Toronto can place orders from local licensed cannabis retailers in the Uber Eats app and have cannabis products delivered by the retailer’s CannSell certified staff.
“We are partnering with industry leaders like Leafly to help retailers offer safe, convenient options for people in Toronto to purchase legal cannabis for delivery to their homes, which will help combat the illegal market and help reduce impaired driving,” said Lola Kassim, general manager of Uber Eats Canada. “Over the last few years, we have invested heavily in our delivery business and selection has expanded tremendously.”
Hidden Leaf, owned by Marissa and Dale Taylor, is one of the three participating retailers in Toronto. Minerva Cannabis and Shivaa’s Rose are also on the app.
“Hidden Leaf has been providing safe, legal cannabis to Torontonians at three locations over the last year and a half,” the Taylors said. “We are a small business, and this partnership is a great way for us to expand our reach and grow our business across the city. Just like the in-store experience, our CannSell certified delivery staff understand and comply with local regulations around cannabis transactions, including checking ID.”
Here's how the cannabis delivery works, according to Uber:
- Open the Uber Eats app and select the cannabis category or search for a licensed cannabis retailers. Users will see a legal-age warning before entering the virtual storefront.
- Navigate the menu of the retailer to place an order. Customers must be within the delivery radius of the licensed cannabis retailer.
- Customers will be notified when the licensed retailer accepts the order and the estimated time of delivery, just like when ordering takeout food from Uber Eats.
- The licensed cannabis retailer’s own CannSell certified staff will deliver the order.
- When the delivery person arrives, the customers’ age and sobriety will be verified as required by regulations.
The partnership will help combat the underground illegal market, according to Uber, that accounts for more than half of all nonmedical cannabis sales in Ontario. Delivery options can also help decrease impaired driving, the company said.
Leafly, Seattle, supports more than 200 cannabis retailers in the Toronto area. Its tools help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions and empower cannabis businesses to attract and retain loyal customers through technology services, Leafly said.
Established in 2010, Uber, San Francisco, was created as a ride-sharing service. More than 25 billion trips later, it is “building products to get people closer to where they want to be,” the company said. “By changing how people, food and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.”
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