With Apple loosening its App Store restrictions, WeedMaps, a leading technology and software infrastructure provider to the cannabis industry, is now letting users purchase cannabis within its app.
Weedmaps users will now be able to browse, select and purchase cannabis and have it set for pick-up or delivery — all within the app.
Previously, users could only locate and browse menus of local retailers due to restrictions by Apple as well as local and federal guidelines.
WeedMaps serves as one of the leading cannabis apps and is used throughout the country.
Tech giant Apple recently opened up the App Store for some cannabis apps. Under the new guidance, licensed cannabis operators fall under the same restrictions (to Apple) as licensed pharmacies. This update allows Weedmaps, which lists licensed cannabis operators, to offer such services.
“Our ability to enable ordering functionality through our mobile iOS app is a game-changer that will improve accessibility for both our customers and business partners alike,” said Justin Dean, the chief technology officer at WM Technology, Inc.
“We commend companies like Apple that work with industry leaders to find solutions that drive innovation in our space. It’s encouraging to see policies and attitudes toward cannabis shift in a way that promises remarkable growth, and we look forward to introducing an even simpler way to order cannabis from retailers through our platform.”
Under the new App Store restrictions, Weedmaps must limit users to ordering within a geo-restricted area where cannabis sales are legal.
Apple’s updated policy as of June 7th reads:
Apps that encourage consumption of tobacco and vape products, illegal drugs, or excessive amounts of alcohol are not permitted on the App Store. Apps that encourage minors to consume any of these substances will be rejected. Facilitating the sale of controlled substances (except for licensed pharmacies and licensed or otherwise legal cannabis dispensaries), or tobacco is not allowed.
Apps that provide services in highly-regulated fields (such as banking and financial services, healthcare, gambling, legal cannabis use, and air travel) or that require sensitive user information should be submitted by a legal entity that provides the services, and not by an individual developer. Apps that facilitate the legal sale of cannabis must be geo-restricted to the corresponding legal jurisdiction.
