How To Make Cannabis Delivery App?

Many states in the US have already legalized the use of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes. Apart from the 33 states in the US, countries like Canada, Germany, and Israel have also legalized cannabis. 

Despite the increase in demand and legalization of medical marijuana, only a few licensed dispensaries provide on-demand marijuana delivery. 

As a result, the mobile app developers in Phoenix are seeing a surge in requests and questions related to building a cannabis delivery app. 

And, it’s not just about what they say. Even the statistics indicate the same. The sales of legal recreational cannabis are expected to reach $42 billion by 2026, up from $19 billion in 2020. 

By starting instantly, you can capture the market share and become the go-to brand for cannabis delivery. 

Now the question is, how do you do it? How do you build a cannabis delivery app? That’s exactly what we will discuss today. Let’s get started!

1- Know the Government Regulations

While the use of medical and recreational cannabis is legal in most countries, it is crucial to check your government policy on weed delivery. 

Additionally, you will need a license to start selling marijuana from your government. Depending on the type of license you need (to distribute, sell, or cultivate cannabis), the process and time will vary. 

For example, if you want to deliver cannabis in California, you need to visit the Department of Cannabis Control, where you can find various types of licenses and a link to apply for one. 

2- Choose the Right Business Model for Your Cannabis Delivery

To make your on-demand cannabis delivery business a success, you need to pick the right business model. Here are the two most common ones: 

• Delivery-centric Model: In this business model, you will build a platform that enables customers to interact with cannabis stores, and you will manage everything else (accepting orders, taking payments, and delivering to the customer. In return, you can take a commission on every order. 

• Store Model: As the name suggests, in this model, you will own a cannabis store and deliver the orders to the customer’s doorstep in this model. 

Irrespective of the model you choose, most of the features in your app will be the same. 

3- Add the Necessary Features In Your Cannabis Delivery App

Considering that you’re using the delivery-centric model, you will need to build and integrate different apps for customers, stores, and drivers. The features for these apps will differ as well. 

Customer Side of the App

Your app should allow people to sign up and upload necessary documents to purchase cannabis legally from you. Once approved, customers should have access to these features.

• Store search and filters

• Shopping cart

• Placing and canceling an order

• In-app payments

• Real-time order tracking

• Ratings and reviews

Store Side of the App

The sellers should also produce their license for running a cannabis dispensary. After the verification of the legal permit, sellers should have access to these features. 

• Profile management where they can manage their company information, address, contact number, and more. 

• Product catalog to list and manage products.

• Order management system to check new and past orders. 

Driver Side of the App

The driver must have a driving license to be eligible to register as a driver in your app. 

• Profile management where they can enter their details, such as personal information, bank details, and more. 

• Tasks management in which they can accept or reject orders. They should also be able to update the status (e.g., en route, picked up, and delivered).

• Maps and navigation to reach the store and customers’ location effortlessly. 

• Fulfilled order management so they can see the total orders they have delivered and their commission. 

Additionally, you will need an admin panel that provides you a birds-eye view of everything happening via your app (number of active orders, drivers available, amount of transactions that happened via your app, etc.). 

4- Design the UI of Your App

Now that you have all the basic aspects of building an app in place, it’s time to design your app’s user interface. Basically, it will define how your app looks and how users can navigate through your app. 

Make sure that your app is easy to use and understand. Also, minimize the steps involved in completing the purchase to reduce cart abandonment. You can even consider consulting a professional to design a compelling app. 

5- Developing the App

Depending on the platform you want to create your app for, you will need different technical skills. For instance, you need to be proficient in Java to build an app for Android while C/C++ for iOS. 

If you don’t have the necessary skills and experience to build a mobile app, consider hiring experts to do the task for you. They will also help you with deploying the app on app stores. 

Wrapping Up

More and more countries are stepping up to decriminalize cannabis consumption for medicinal and recreational use. This has resulted in an increase in cannabis requirements, giving you the opportunity to build a successful business. 

Begin with acquiring the necessary licenses and defining your business model. Then, consult an experienced mobile app development company in Phoenix to better understand the technical aspects. You can contact us at 623-845-2747 or email us using our contact form. One of our business consultants will contact you to learn more about your next great project.