Cannabis Business Times
by Andriana Ruscitto
19 August 2021

Upon Apple revising its App Store Review Guidelines in early June, apps allowing users to make in-app cannabis purchases have hit the market.

Apple’s changes to the App Store Review Guidelines cleared up existing policies, added new specifications for app makers and altered rules about what available apps for purchase can do, Cannabis Dispensary previously reported.

The updated guidelines also loosen restrictions for in-app purchases from a cannabis dispensary and licensed pharmacies.

And shortly after Apple loosened its restrictions, Weedmaps, an app and website that lets users find local dispensaries and cannabis-related businesses, updated its app to allow consumers to purchase cannabis.

Before Weedmaps’ revisions, users could only use the app to locate adult-use or medical cannabis dispensaries or browse their menus due to Apple’s restrictions and local and federal guidelines, TechCrunch reported.

But now users can “browse, select, purchase cannabis and have it set up for pick-up or delivery—all within the app,” according to TechCrunch.

RELATED: Cannabis Delivery App ‘Eaze’ Launches in Apple App Store

Unlike the cannabis delivery app ‘Eaze,’ which launched in the Apple App Store in early July, Weedmaps will not deliver cannabis directly to consumers’ doors. Instead, the app is only “providing a platform for licensed delivery dispensaries to list their goods and services,” TechCrunch reported.

However, similar to Eaze, Weedmaps will use geo-restricted areas and only allow users who live in a place where cannabis sales are legal to make in-app purchases—meaning users who reside in a place where cannabis sales are illegal are prohibited from purchasing from a dispensary in a legal area, according to TechCrunch.

“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, chief technology officer at Weedmaps 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.”