In a first for the major food delivery app players in the industry, Uber Eats in moving into the cannabis market. Starting this week, Uber Eats users in Ontario, Canada can place an order at Tokyo Smoke through the app, a local cannabis retailer. For the time being these orders are only for pickup, however.
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An update to the app will allow users to search for ‘cannabis’ or ‘Tokyo Smoke’, after which they’ll need to confirm that they are of legal age to make the purchase. Orders will be ready for pickup within 60 minutes, at which point users will need to present an identification document at the retailer to prove they are at least 19 years old (the legal age to purchase cannabis in Canada).
According to Uber, the illegal underground market accounts for about 40 percent of all cannabis products sold in the country. It hopes that online partnerships such as these will help users attain their cannabis legally and safely – it was legalised for recreational use in the country in 2018.
As is the case in many industries, cannabis is a new reality that will have a big effect on Uber’s market. The number of businesses opened since 2018 that trades in cannabis is significant, and Uber wants to tap that market as soon as possible. The company didn’t mention whether it will offer cannabis purchases in other provinces or via other retailers, but there is no reason to believe that they won’t. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has also said that the company would consider delivering cannabis in the United States if it is legalised for recreational use at a federal level (as opposed to state-by-state legislation).
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