Uber Eats now delivers cannabis to people's doorstep in Canada
The company claims it's the first time a major third-party platform has offered weed delivery
Uber Eats is delivering cannabis in the city of Toronto, Canada, starting today, enabling people to have quicker and easier access to the psychoactive drug.
The delivery platform has teamed up with cannabis marketplace Leafly to offer residents swift weed delivery from local, licensed retailers.
The company claims this is a world first for "a major third-party delivery platform."
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Since last November, users in Ontario could order weed through the app which was only available for pickup.
To place the order, users have to select the cannabis category or search for one of the retailers (Hidden Leaf Cannabis, Minerva Cannabis and Shivaa's Rose are the first three to sign up), reports Engadget.
The app will present a warning that users need to be of legal age, which is 19 in Ontario, to view the products. After placing an order and the retailer confirming it, one of the retailer's own licensed "budtenders" will deliver the items. As is the case with alcohol orders, the delivery person will verify the customer's age and level of sobriety before handing over the goods.
Uber Eats claims the move will reduce the need for people to buy cannabis from the underground market. While the app might make it easier for people to order some cannabis, it's already possible to do so from some retailers on Leafly's platform. Some offer delivery within 45 minutes, but Uber Eats aims to ensure a faster delivery.
