After Toronto, Uber Eats delivers cannabis to British Columbia

Since April 18, Uber Eats, in partnership with marketplace Leafly, has enabled adults over 19 to order cannabis and have it delivered directly to them in selected British Columbia cities.

Thirteen retail stores in Vancouver and Victoria were collaborating with Uber Eats at the program's launch, six months after working with Leafly to offering cannabis delivery in Ontario. This was the first time cannabis delivery was available on a major third-party delivery platform.

«More British Columbians have access to legal cannabis than ever before. We're partnering with industry leaders like Leafly to help retailers offer safe and convenient options for British Columbians to purchase legal cannabis that will be delivered directly to their homes.»

 »Over the past few years, we've invested heavily in our delivery offering and the selection has expanded considerably. Uber Eats has rapidly developed into a versatile platform that can be used by a variety of businesses, large and small.»

«Leafly has been involved in the cannabis market in Canada for over four years and we support over 850 cannabis retailers in British Columbia. We're thrilled to be working with Uber Eats to help licensed retailers bring safe, legal cannabis to the people of the province,» said Leafly CEO Yoko Miyashita.

«At ARCannabis, our goal has always been to provide the best cannabis experience for our customers,» said Aaron Sinnathamby, CEO of ARCannabis, which is one of thirteen retailers currently participating. «This partnership will help us grow and reach even more people in Vancouver. Just like the in-store experience, our provincially certified delivery drivers understand and comply with local cannabis transaction regulations, including ID verification.»

A success... for Uber Eats

While both companies are obviously delighted with the partnership, some critics question the usefulness of such an arrangement, particularly in view of the delivery options already available via specialist platforms.

Brad Poulos, Lecturer at Metropolitan University of Toronto and Ambassador for Cannabis Education, noted, for example that the Ontario Cannabis Store, the only authorized online distributor in the province, already offered home delivery. The addition of Uber Eats would then only benefit the delivery platform and the provincial wholesaler, to the detriment of growers and retail stores who would be forced to trim their margins to add an intermediary.