We’ve come a long way from buying weed from a guy in a 1994 Honda Civic in the parking lot of No Frills.
Toronto residents can now order cannabis products directly to their door via Uber Eats. This is the first time marijuana has been available to order in the province through a third-party delivery service. At launch, three cannabis retailers will be available on Uber Eats: Hidden Leaf Cannabis, Minerva Cannabis and Shivaa’s Rose.
“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, the general manager of Uber Eats Canada in a statement.
To make the order, Uber Eats app users need to select the ‘Cannabis’ category. After selecting a retailer, a warning that you must be of legal age appears, followed by a menu of different marijuana products. After selecting your weed, the process is similar to a standard Uber Eats order. You’re notified when the retailer accepts your order and are given an estimated delivery time. And, of course, when the order arrives, the delivery person verifies the buyer’s age.
It’s unclear how much of a cut Uber takes of cannabis sales made through its app. The service typically earns a 20 to 30 percent commission on restaurant orders. The app also offers deliveries of products from Indigo Books, Dollarama, the Body Shop and several grocery stores.
According to a press release focused on the announcement, nearly 57 percent of cannabis purchases in Ontario between the start of January and the end of March were purchased through legal channels, leaving a large swath of weed still coming from the black market.
However, the results of this Statistics Canada survey are likely a little skewed given that those who purchase weed from illicit sources probably aren’t fond of telling the government about their illegal weed-purchasing habits.
This partnership with Uber Eats is an attempt by Ontario’s government to push back against the illicit marijuana market with a faster and more convenient delivery option than what the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) currently offers.
Uber Eats is available on iOS and Android.
Source: PR Newswire
