If you could purchase cannabis via a drive-thru window, similar to how people currently purchase coffee and/or food, would you?
It is truly an exciting time to be a cannabis consumer in the U.S.
The days of waiting for a connection to come over, or meeting them in a dark parking lot are long gone in states that have legalized cannabis sales for adult-use.
The same is also true for medical cannabis patients that live in states that allow cannabis to be sold by licensed and regulated medical cannabis dispensaries.
Prohibition is still an issue in many states, but more and more states are bringing cannabis sales into a regulated system versus keeping cannabis sales in the grip of an unregulated market.
The cannabis purchasing experience is evolving at a rapid pace as cannabis reform spreads across the country.
Consumers are seeing more options pop up in legal states, including via home-delivery and drive-thrus at dispensaries, which is a great thing.
Having cannabis delivered to your home
Some states allow cannabis to be delivered to a private residence, rather than the consumer being required to frequent a brick and mortar dispensary storefront.
California has allowed cannabis deliveries in various jurisdictions for quite some time now, while other legal states are either just recently allowing deliveries, or in the process of working out the rules that would govern such activity.
Cannabis deliveries are an amazing option for many people because:
- Getting out of the house is difficult for many people who suffer from debilitating ailments
- It’s much more convenient for people who are busy and don’t want to spend extra time driving
- It is great for people that do not own a vehicle
Cannabis delivery options are especially vital for patients that are greatly suffering from one or more health conditions.
Having cannabis delivered to their front door in a timely fashion could mean the difference between a patient getting the medicine that they desperately need, or having to go without.
The next big revolution in the cannabis consumer purchasing experience
Just as cannabis deliveries have revolutionized the cannabis consumer experience in areas where deliveries are legal, cannabis drive-thru locations are likely to also create a similar revolution.
The first drive-thru cannabis dispensary in America opened in Colorado earlier this year. The news of its opening was covered by media outlets all over the world.
It was not an easy thing to do because of rules regarding cannabis sales in public view.
When many people think of a cannabis drive-thru, they likely have visions of a local coffee drive-thru establishment, but that is not the case in Colorado.
America’s first cannabis drive-thru involves a former car wash building that has been converted into a dispensary.
The facility allows customers to drive through the facility and make their purchase without getting out of their car, but all the while out of public view.
Maine was looking into allowing the same business model to exist in its state once adult-use cannabis sales launched, but has since removed the option from its rule-making process. Hopefully that will change in the future.
Las Vegas is home to a drive-thru dispensary model that is similar to the fast food drive-thru experience. More drive-thru dispensaries are expected to pop up in states that allow them.
Would you prefer a cannabis drive-thru versus a walk-in dispensary model?
As with most consumer options, a cannabis drive-thru model has various benefits and drawbacks:
Benefits:
- Don’t have to get out of your car
- Can be quicker than going inside
Drawbacks:
- Can take much longer to see all of the dispensary’s inventory
- Can take longer if a lot of cars are waiting
- Can be less discreet
For frequent customers that are already knowledgeable about a dispensary’s options, a drive-thru dispensary model is definitely appealing.
