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How To Make An Online Cannabis Delivery App Like Leafly

4421 Views | 1 min | Published On: February 2, 2021 Last Updated: June 29, 2023

Marijuana, or formerly known as Cannabis has been used for centuries in many cultures for medicinal, recreational, or spiritual means. Over the last few years, the demand, as well as the popularity of cannabis, has increased, as medical welfare of the plants is getting lucid to people.

Today, almost every industry has realised the importance of being connected to their customers digitally and the importance of cannabis delivery app. Most industries are using on-demand services, clutching the E-commerce space. Getting marijuana delivered at home just like the medicines would be a lot more convenient for the customers and applications like Leafly are making sure of that.

According to Wikipedia, medical usage of cannabis has now been legalized in 35 states including Canada, Germany and Israel and recreational usage of cannabis in 15 states. Thus being allowed, medical marijuana is entering the mainstream business. But despite the heavy demand, there are a few licensed dispensaries that provide on-demand online cannabis delivery services to users.

In this blog, we are going to share essential business information including features and development guide for a medical on-demand online cannabis delivery app. Before getting started with that, let’s take a look at the business of an online cannabis business app.

Business Model Of The Online Cannabis Delivery App

The business model of on-demand marijuana delivery application can be discussed in three portions:

1. Delivery Model

If you do not have any knowledge about the roles and responsibilities of being the manufacturer in this business, then you can act as the delivery partner of the clinics, dispensaries or other weed product stores. As a partner, you can give delivery logistics and services. As compensation for this, you can charge a commission on every successful order. 

2. Store Model

If you already are the owner of Cannabis store, you may get your own delivery app for cannabis business. In this way, you can grow your sales without competing on an aggregate platform or without having to partner with another provider. The orders will directly come to you and you can prepare and send them towards the customer’s direction. When the orders come into the delivery network, it is up to you if you want to take care of the delivery service on your own or get it done by some other third person.

3. Aggregator Model

In contrast to the delivery model, here you are the administrator for the whole business plan. You can monitor the buyer, seller as well as the driver panel and not just the delivery specific plans. You can get a platform built for your business for communication between the store owners and customers.

While you are thinking of building a platform for smooth delivery and purchase of marijuana, you have three segments to consider in the business plan.

  • Buyers

The user construct is important in this business because these are users who will be purchasing Cannabis online. These users can be in the form of patients suffering from a medical condition or just some people with recreational motives. 

These people act as the user base of your business. The most important step in getting your on-demand online Cannabis delivery app developed is building an interactive and efficient user-app.

  • Sellers

The sellers can be in the form of dispensaries, clinics, etc. available near you and will take shape on the application. The sellers can be the ones who do not own their delivery organization and are willing to take on board the on-demand user base.

Clinics/Dispensaries can sync their catalogue on the application and the users can pick from the many weed products and enjoy while it is delivered to them.

  • Drivers

It is essential for every on-demand business to have a committed delivery system. This system will have drivers pick up the orders from the store (or dispensary) and deliver them to the customers at the location they have provided. 

These are the things that you should be considered when you plan to make cannabis delivery app for your business.

Revenue Model

Here are a few pointers to illustrate how you can generate the revenue of your cannabis business just like any other delivery business application

  • Commission & Fees: You can charge the customers for connecting them to their preferred stores and making transactions smooth and safe. You can also obtain revenue by putting commissions on the stores that are using your application and delivery chain for selling and reaching new customers.
  • Advertisement: You can provide services for the advertisement of the dispensaries. The ads will display stores that are interested in promoting their products and services. In return, you can charge them for displaying their ad on your app screen. 
  • Membership: You can establish membership plans for the customers to purchase. This plan would provide them with other exclusive offers and benefits apart from their regular shopping. The plans could facilitate decreased delivery charges or other similar incentives.
  • Price Hike: You can increase the price of the products with the increase in demand. 

This is the general outline of the possibilities of the revenue of your on-demand online cannabis delivery app. You can introduce more to your cannabis business if you endorse additional streams.

Features Of The Online Cannabis Delivery App

There are many features that can be included in custom mobile apps for cannabis delivery. Below are a few of them that your application must have:

1. Features for the User Panel

  • Registration: The user app must consist of a portal for login and registration. Users should be allowed to log in via social media, phone numbers, or email id. After the registration, the users would have to get their identity verified by uploading the required papers for medical usage of marijuana.
  • Search: The application should provide a list of various cannabis providers. There should be an efficient search option with numerous filters. This will help users reduce their search results so that they can search for their preferred marijuana strains. 
  • Shopping Cart: There should be a shopping cart facility on the application so that the users can collect their orders and figure out the delivery charges. This will serve as a great convenience for the customers.
  • Cancelling Orders: The customers should be given the facility to cancel and return their orders as per their convenience and requirements.
  • Payment: The process of placing an order will need a standard payment gateway. The customers should be able to make payments via credit cards, debit card, net banking, online platforms or cash. By integrating this gateway, the application will facilitate safe and secure online transactions for the orders. 
  • Route Optimization: The users would want to keep track of their order while it is being delivered. GPS tracking can provide instantaneous tracking to users. You can also include in-app calling feature so that the users can be in contact with the driver for more efficient delivery.
  • Feedback: Reviews are a crucial part of the application as users can use this facility to rate the products, services or the experience. It delivers the platform more credibility and an efficient user experience.

2. Features for the Dispensary/Distributor Panel

  • Registration: The store owner needs to register on the platform. After that, sign in to upload the necessary information about the dispensary including address, licenses and permissions, pictures of their product, contact details, etc. 
  • Profile: Using this feature, the sellers can upload their information, legal permissions, description of their products, etc. The store owners can put their images, history of the store, edit some details whenever required and perform many more actions.
  • Media: The sellers can put up details of their products like category, references, price, images and the availability of the products using this feature.
  • Administration: This facility will enable you (administrator) to monitor the status of the order (fulfilled, cancelled and scheduled) and track the payments in the application.

3. Features for the Driver’s Panel

  • Registration & Profile: This feature will enable the drivers to register and log into their account. The drivers can keep track of their trips with this feature. They can upload their details like name, bank information, and so on.
  • Tasks Management: This attribute will enable the drivers to set their tasks and schedule them according to their timings. They can keep track of the buyers and set the order status. Various notifications will help the driver stay alert for the activities.
  • GPS Integration: This characteristic will allow the drivers to increase their efficiency in locating the address of the customers without any difficulty and find the best path.
  • Availability Status: The drivers must upload their availability status to let the customers know if the driver is available, on leave, on way, occupied, etc. so that there is no confusion while appointing the delivery.

4. Admin Panel Features

  • Dashboard: In this, you can monitor everything in an instant. You can analyse operative orders, drivers transporting, the total number of transactions ongoing on the platform and so on.
  • Managing Orders: You can keep up with the orders that are placed, delayed or has been dispatched. Drivers can keep you updated you with the status of the orders and you can also monitor the status of payments.
  • Managing Users: You can manage everything related to the users in this panel. This includes recent requests, order history tracking, notification management, etc.
  • Managing Products: You can administer the products passed by other sellers or store owners on the application. You can make changes in the information and images of the products, manage their classification and even delete some if necessary.
  • Revenue Management: As the admin, you can monitor and analyze the revenue of the business and make decisions in accordance with it. You can examine the increments/decrements in the revenue and act accordingly.

These are the fundamental features that you on-demand online cannabis delivery application must consist of. You can include other features according to your requirements.

Approach Of The App Development

Cannabis delivery app development is a powerful solution to grow your business in the market. This application promises on-demand services along with security and verification procedures.

For your business to stand unique, you must ensure that your approach is unique. Below are the basic steps required in an application development approach: 

Know Your Market: Before diving into the online cannabis delivery business, you should have knowledge about the market you are getting into. You should ensure if the sale-purchase of Marijuana is legal or not. There are a lot of restrictions on the business of this plant and therefore the legalities should be taken care of. All the licenses and permissions required from the Government should be prepared.

Learn Revenue & Business Model: For your Cannabis business, you choose between the models according to your requirements. You can opt for delivery specific model, aggregator model, or single store model as per whatever suits you. According to the model, you can think about the best plan for incrementing the revenue in your business.

Estimate Your Budget: The cost estimation of an online cannabis delivery app can be determined on the features and platform used for the application. You can always reach out to interest parties or investors who are ready to sponsor your journey. 

App Development: Developing the application is quite a lengthy process. There are various subjects that you need to keep in mind while your delivery app is in the development stage.

  • Consult a mobile application development company and inform them about your requirements regarding the application. 
  • Ensure that the idea for your app is unique to make a unique solution for your delivery app. Also, make sure the prototype is tested before launching.
  • Ensure that you set up a presence of your application across other platforms to engage more users. 
  • Use social media platforms to create awareness about your business among people.
  • After launching, analyse the feedbacks and metrics to make necessary changes for the growth of your business.

Application Management: After the launch of your cannabis delivery app, you need to focus on the management of the app. Use analytical tools to improve the performance and efficiency of the application according to any change in the market. Keep in touch with the right mobile application development company to ensure the app maintenance even after the launch. 

Final Words

Recently, a lot of changes have been made by various countries to legalise the consumption and selling of Cannabis. The recent upliftment in the market of E-commerce and on-demand services has been a blessing for the Cannabis entrepreneurs who have been waiting to utilise this chance.

Nevertheless, there are many things that still need your attention. Discovering the market, preparing the licenses and permits, supervising the legal subjects, contacting the developers and many more. There is a lot of endeavours needed in the development of an efficient on-demand cannabis delivery app and with the consultation of a good mobile development company, you can take the easy road.

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