Ride-sharing company SideCar is planning on getting ahead of the competition by teaming up with local cannabis distributor Meadow to provide same-day medical marijuana deliveries to residents of San Francisco.
According to reports, the offer of special delivery will be much like SideCar's other transport services, wherein customers receive their package within an hour after making the order. Delivery requests will be made through the dispensary of San Francisco's Apothecarium.
"SideCar is able to power the on-demand economy, and medical marijuana is an example of all kinds of products we can deliver," Sunil Paul, SideCar co-founder and CEO, said. "The motivation is also that it's high profile."
For Meadow's part, CEO David Hua shared why they decided to partner with SideCar in offering medical marijuana deliveries.
"They're willing to work within necessary compliance regulations, both San Francisco law and California state laws," Hua said. "They have a delivery network out there that's already processing orders both on [the] delivery side and passenger side."
Hua added that their partnership with SideCar offers an excellent solution for dispensaries to have access to a technology-driven delivery system. It also opens up opportunities for patients who cannot leave their home to receive their supply of medical marijuana.
Meadow is helping SideCar to develop an onboarding course where drivers will be taught about the nuances of delivering medical marijuana. The two companies hope that this will help limit risks typically associated with transporting sensitive substances.
"What you're finding is that people who are coming onto the platform want a more legitimate and safe experience than what they already have," Hua explained.
"We make sure it's professional and discreet."
While SideCar has yet to announce how much the delivery of medical marijuana will cost, the company has said that 80 percent of the fee will be collected by the drivers.
SideCar is only one of many ride-sharing companies to enter the business of on-demand weed delivery in the country.
In August 2014, Uber partnered with a medical marijuana shop in Colorado to deliver weed.
Another company, Eaze, was able to collect $10 million worth of Series A funding to jumpstart its business of connecting medical marijuana patients with dispensaries.
Photo: Dank Depot | Flickr
