Shelby HartmanThe cannabis industry is booming, and the cannabis tech sector is no exception. There’s the “Tinder for Tokers,” the “Uber for Weed” and the “Amazon of Cannabis.” As Sheena Shiravi, head of public relations for cannabis delivery app Eaze, says, “Cannabis is a brand-new industry, and every single part of the supply chain provides opportunities for an app.” Here are five digital tools that are helping enthusiasts and amateurs cultivate a deeper relationship with marijuana.
Eaze has quickly become known as the “Uber of cannabis.” The San Francisco–based startup streamlines the cannabis delivery process in California, from helping users get immediately set up with a medical cannabis recommendation over video chat to getting products to their door in 20 minutes or less. The app, which has more than 250,000 patients, serves as an intermediary between dispensaries and consumers. Eaze aims to be a trusted source for cannabis by vetting all the dispensaries it works with and the products it delivers. It also provides the consumer’s recommendation information to its partner dispensaries so that the consumer only has to go through the approval process once.
Eaze doesn’t serve Los Angeles yet, as cannabis delivery services are currently outlawed in the city. That may change soon, though, Shiravi says. The company has been playing an active role in speaking with local regulators about the safety benefits of cannabis delivery, and the City Council just drafted an ordinance that would approve the service. Eaze, which already is operating legally in some parts of L.A. and Orange Counties, hopes to be up and running in L.A. proper by early next year.
Seedo is a small, self-monitoring device that can be used to create the ideal environment for cultivating cannabis at home.; Credit: Seedo
Seedolab
Under Proposition 64, the recreational cannabis bill that passed in November, all Californians now can grow up to six marijuana plants for personal use. Cannabis cultivation can be daunting, though. Seedo is a self-monitoring greenhouse to ensure amateurs and experts alike won’t mess up their crop. It comes with an app that controls the temperature, humidity, mineral delivery and lighting of the at-home device. It even allows for live-streaming so growers don’t have to disrupt the environment in order to check on the progress of their plants. All users have to do is plant the seeds, keep track of them on the app, and then open up the box when it’s harvest time. In addition to cannabis, Seedo can be used for fresh herbs, flowers and vegetables.
Potbot customizes cannabis recommendations for patients according to their medical needs.; Credit: Potbot
Potbot
There are hundreds of cannabis products available at Los Angeles dispensaries, and the options will only be growing along with the industry in the coming months. It can be overwhelming for users, especially first-timers. Potbot was designed to help. The app generates customized marijuana recommendations. Users fill out their age, gender, cannabis experience and medical needs. Then, Potbot, “your virtual budtender,” suggests optimal strains, a method of consumption and a dispensary nearby. It's a much-needed service, as there’s yet to be a consistent way of verifying the knowledge of budtenders, and there continues to be hundreds of unregulated dispensaries operating in Los Angeles.
Massroots, a cannabis social media network, has more than 1 million users.; Credit: Massroots
The cannabis industry is changing so quickly that consumers and stakeholders can barely keep up. Los Angeles' weed scene is booming as the city tries to figure out how it's going to regulate the recreational cannabis market before Proposition 64 goes into effect Jan. 1. Consumers, too, are full of questions on everything from the science to the legality of cannabis.
Massroots seeks to be the digital one-stop shop for addressing these concerns. The app’s primary feature is a social networking platform, which boasts more than 1 million users who can connect with one another for social or professional purposes. It also offers a database of cannabis strains and products, which can be filtered by effects. If users can’t find the information they’re looking for, they can contact experts through the app with questions.
Credit: Courtesy High There
High There!
High There! is a dating app that’s a lot like Tinder except, you guessed it, it’s for cannabis users. Two years after launching, it now has more than 350,000 swipers, with a significant percentage of them in California. The company just held its first couple of events in New York, and it has plans to host its inaugural Los Angeles meetup this fall.
When creating a High There! profile, users fill out how they like to consume cannabis (smoking, vaping, edibles) and what kind of cannabis they prefer (vape, joints, flower) along with info on general interests. When they’re matched with someone, they can then opt to “go out” or “stay in and chat.”
The idea, says High There! founder Darren Roberts, is to destigmatize cannabis use. He’s been amazed, he says, by all the meaningful conversations and friendships that have come out of High There! meetings thus far.
“High There! has people who are getting married, dating, moving in together,” Roberts says. “We’ve really broken a barrier.”
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.