The show High Maintenance on HBO depicts a weed delivery man, known only as the Guy, biking around New York and delivering his wares to a diverse customer base. For now, recreational pot is still illegal in New York. Also, in Washington, D.C. “delivery” has been around for a while, but wasn’t completely legal — deliveries would consist of merchandise like shirts but you were really paying for buds. Meanwhile, Colorado just issued its first legit marijuana delivery license. California, ever the pioneer, has had legal delivery for a bit longer. Still, Colorado may be late to the party but is still ahead of the pack compared to other states. So what does weed delivery look like in Colorado after it was legalized in a bill last year?
Much of the country is trying to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19, so marijuana deliveries couldn’t have come at a better time for Colorado. Still, the law that the state passed recently has a bunch of rules and red tape that will restrict the rollout of delivery for a while. For example, this year only medical marijuana can be delivered to your door. Also, as the law was passed well before the pandemic was in full bloom, customers must first visit a dispensary in person to register for the service. Add to that the fact that the state just allowed the first license and, well, it’s going to be slow going for the foreseeable future unless legislators pass an expedited measure.
Boulder residents are the first to enjoy home delivery, reports the Denver Post. Native Roots operates The Dandelion, which obtained the state’s first license. Like many states, medical marijuana is the first to be allowed for delivery but 2021 should permit recreational marijuana deliveries. The nearby town of Superior could be the next one to see deliveries, as it has also opted in to the new law.
Luckily recreational users can order from many dispensaries online, something other states are also seeing as Americans cope with the exponential spread of COVID-19. Technically delivery has been legal since the beginning of the year, but it took time for local authorities to approve the opt-in procedures and for distributors to apply for licenses. Now that one has been approved, there’s a good chance more will follow suit especially in light of the pandemic that is disrupting lives around the world. The problem will be the supply chain, and the possibility of disruptions there.
The debate rages over whether dispensaries are “essential services” in the time of coronavirus, but if delivery becomes a viable option for more states it could be the lifeline patients who need medical marijuana need to remain healthy and happy. If legislative pressure is applied, perhaps the silver lining is that more people will have less reason to drive to the dispensary and back. That has not only health experts smiling, but environmentalists are happy as well. Colorado’s governor says the reason delivery was allowed to begin with was to reduce impaired driving — but the timing seems to be impeccable for a number of reasons beyond that.
