Mobile cannabis dispensaries are coming

Startup Meadow is offering cannabis dispensaries the tech they need to go mobile.

Californians who enjoy cannabis may no longer have to go to the dispensary. Instead, the dispensary will come to them.

Mobile cannabis dispensaries are coming

Once-illegal cannabis sure has come a long way. In 2020, weed sales were worth $4.4B in California alone, an increase of 57% from 2019.

And it’s never been easier to get. Instead of covert cash sales, many patients and recreational consumers can now get it delivered straight to their door — which 60% of them did in 2021, per WeedMaps.

But can it get even easier than that?

Typically, ordering cannabis would mean choosing items from a local dispensary’s online shop, then waiting for someone to drop it off. But this can take a while, especially if the nearest dispensary isn’t close by.

Bay Area startup Meadow provides POS systems specifically for cannabis retailers, processing $1B+ in sales since 2014.

Its “dynamic delivery” offers the tools for faster on-demand, mobile delivery, per TechCrunch. It can:

  • Dispatch drivers
  • Manage real-time inventory
  • Process payments
  • Help ensure compliance with local laws

Delivery vans can carry up to ~$3k in merchandise, per California law, or $5k if preorders are included.

Meadow can also set up specific zones to vend near (e.g., near events or neighborhoods without dispensaries), and send notifications and discounts to customers within those zones.

Stuff like this may be fun for recreational consumers, but will be greatly appreciated by medical cannabis patients who can’t easily leave their homes or travel far.

Meadow is starting with California, but may also expand to Michigan, Massachusetts, and New York.

Fun fact: California consumers ordered 12% more weed on Election Night 2020, per Eaze.

Topics: Cannabis

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