Uber Eats and Leafly partner to bring cannabis delivery to British Columbians

TORONTO, Apr. 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Starting tomorrow, Tuesday, April 18, British Columbians can order safe, legal cannabis and get it delivered straight to their homes thanks to a partnership between Uber Eats, a global leader in ecommerce and delivery technology, and Leafly, a leading online cannabis marketplace and information resource. British Columbians 19+ can place orders from local licenced cannabis retailers in the Uber Eats app, and have it delivered to their door by the retailer's provincially certified staff. 

"More British Columbians are accessing legal cannabis than ever before. We are partnering with industry leaders like Leafly to help retailers offer safe, convenient options for people in British Columbia to purchase legal cannabis for delivery directly to their homes. This will help reduce impaired driving and improve road safety," said Klaas Knieriem, General Manager of New Verticals for Uber Eats Canada. "Over the last few years, we have invested heavily in our delivery offering and selection has expanded tremendously. Uber Eats has grown quickly to become a versatile platform usable by diverse businesses large and small." 

"Leafly has been empowering the cannabis marketplace in Canada for more than four years and we support more than 850 cannabis retailers in British Columbia. We are thrilled to work with Uber Eats to help licenced retailers bring safe, legal cannabis to people across the province," said Yoko Miyashita, CEO of Leafly. 

"Our focus at ARCannabis has always been to bring the best cannabis experience to our customers," said Aaron Sinnathamby, CEO of ARCannabis, which is one of thirteen currently participating retailers. "This partnership will help us expand and reach even more people in Vancouver. Just like the in-store experience, our provincially certified delivery staff understand and comply with local regulations around cannabis transactions, including checking ID."

How it works: 

• Open the Uber Eats app and select the "Recreational Cannabis" category or search for one of the licenced cannabis retailers. You will see a confirmation that you must be of legal age to enter the virtual storefront.
• After this, you navigate the menu of the retailer to place an order. You must be within the delivery radius of the licenced cannabis retailer in order to be able to place an order. The usual quantity limits for individual cannabis orders will apply.
• Just like ordering takeout or other items using Uber Eats, you will be notified when the licenced retailer accepts the order and the estimated time of delivery. 
• The order will only be delivered by the licenced cannabis retailer's own provincially certified staff. Independent third-party delivery people will not deliver cannabis at this time.
• When the delivery person arrives, your age and sobriety will be verified as required by regulations. 

This expansion to British Columbia comes exactly six months after Uber Eats and Leafly brought cannabis delivery to Ontario, which was the first time in the world that cannabis delivery was available on a major third-party delivery platform. 

BC is a mature market with more residents reporting accessing legal cannabis than ever before. This partnership will help licensed merchants connect with those existing cannabis users safely and conveniently. Recent research from Public First shows that some cannabis users drive after consumption with 1 in 7 (14%) of cannabis users admitting to having driven a vehicle within 2 hours of consuming cannabis. Delivery options like those available through Uber Eats are expected to help decrease impaired driving and improve safety on the road.

The first cannabis retailers on the platform in British Columbia are: 

• Sea to Sky, Vancouver
• Original Farm Cannabis, three locations in Vancouver and Victoria
• Leisure For Cannabis, Vancouver
• ARCannabis, four locations in Vancouver 
• 4Twenty Cannabis, two locations in Vancouver
• North Shore Cannabis, Vancouver  
• Queensborough Cannabis, New Westminster 

About Uber Canada 

Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. Co-founded by Calgarian entrepreneur Garrett Camp, Uber started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 10 billion trips later, Uber is building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber and Uber Eats open up the world to new possibilities. For more information, visit uber.com.

About Leafly 

Leafly helps millions of people learn about cannabis each year. Our powerful tools help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions and empower cannabis businesses to attract and retain loyal customers through technology services. Learn more at Leafly.com or download the Leafly mobile app. 

SOURCE Uber Canada Inc.

For media inquiries: Uber Canada , Keerthana Rang, [email protected]; Leafly: Josh deBerge, [email protected]