As popular as cannabis is across the country, it might seem like building a business on medical cannabis delivery would be easy. Success is guaranteed, right? Wrong. There is a reason medical cannabis delivery is not yet the norm: the industry’s highly regulated nature.
In an article discussing free cannabis delivery in Utah, the Daily Herald described the industry as facing seed-to-sale tracking. Simply put, the state closely tracks cannabis from the moment cultivators put new plants into the ground to the moment retail products are purchased.
Tight distribution restrictions make it difficult to approach cannabis home delivery the same way one might approach food delivery. You are talking about two different creatures. So what does it take to succeed?
1. A State License
For starters, most states that allow home delivery require that providers be licensed. License requirements and fees vary from state to state. Regardless, operating without a license constitutes trafficking. That is definitely not allowed in even the most liberal of states.
2. A Fleet of Vehicles
Medical cannabis delivery is regulated in many states in such a way as to discourage drivers from using their own vehicles. That is the case in Utah. According to the owners of the Deseret Wellness medical cannabis pharmacy in Provo, home delivery in the Beehive State is best left to third-party couriers with their own vehicle fleets.
Fleet vehicles must be equipped with GPS monitoring and an array of security features to protect drivers, product, and cash. It is simply not practical for delivery companies to expect drivers to use their own cars.
3. A Good Insurance Policy
Any company offering home delivery services needs a robust insurance policy to protect drivers and their employers against liability claims. In the medical cannabis industry though, insurance needs to go further. Courier companies need to be protected against losses from theft. They need to be protected against liability in the event a driver is assaulted.
Though hard-and-fast numbers are unavailable, it’s not hard to believe that insurance policies for medical cannabis couriers come with hefty premiums. It is just the nature of risky business ventures.
4. Safe and Trustworthy Drivers
Next up, home delivery companies need an army of safe and trustworthy drivers. Though requirements vary by state, it is not uncommon for requirements to include background screening. Company owners want drivers they do not have to worry about. They want drivers they can trust to be safe and always obey the law.
Strangely enough, hiring drivers can be the hardest part of the process. Good help is always hard to find. But when it comes to the type of person one needs to get behind the wheel of a company vehicle and deliver something like medical cannabis, the quality of said driver goes up. It is not a job courier companies want to give to just anybody.
5. The Right Technology
Finally, building a business on medical cannabis home delivery requires an infusion of technology. In Utah, one of the challenges is the largely rural nature of the state. In fact, Utah being so rural was one of the things that motivated lawmakers to approve home delivery to begin with.
When you are covering such a vast geographic area, you need the right technology to support your efforts. People need to be able to order and pay online. Orders need to be tracked so that buyers can be home when delivery arrives.
Building a medical cannabis home delivery business can be lucrative. But success isn’t random or accidental. You need to go into it with the right mindset and a whole slew of resources.
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