Starting Today, Toronto Residents Can Order Cannabis via Uber Eats

Starting today, Canadian cannabis consumers residing in Toronto can order cannabis delivery through Uber Eats.

The food ordering platform owned by U.S. tech giant Uber Technologies Inc. announced Sunday a partnership with online service Leafly to process cannabis orders for Hidden Leaf Cannabis, Minerva Cannabis, and Shivaa’s Rose stores.

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Uber Deliveries Available to Toronto Residents Aged 19 and Over

Consumers who are 19 years of age or older will be able to place orders on the Uber Eats app, which the stores will receive through Leafly’s software. Retailers will then send certified couriers through the CannSell program to deliver purchases to shoppers. Couriers will check age and sobriety upon delivery.

Uber Wants to Eliminate the Illegal Cannabis Market

Uber says its partnership with Leafly is a way to combat the illegal cannabis market, which licensed cannabis producers have long blamed for limiting sales.

“We are working with industry leaders like Leafly to help retailers offer safe and convenient options for Toronto residents to purchase legal cannabis with delivery to their homes to help combat the illegal market and reduce driving under the influence of cannabis,” Lola Kassim, CEO of Uber Eats in Canada, said in a press release.

Illicit Cannabis Accounts for More than Half of all Cannabis Sales

Nearly 57 percent of cannabis purchased in Ontario between the beginning of January and the end of March was purchased through legal channels, the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS) revealed last week. The data is based on information reported by consumers to Statistics Canada, suggesting that it may not be accurate, as buyers are reluctant to admit illegal purchases to government authorities.

In any case, Uber hopes to change this number for the better.

Cannabis Delivery via Uber Eats

Uber has been pushing into the cannabis business for some time now. Since November, Uber Eats users have been able to order cannabis products and pick them up at Tokyo Smoke stores. Still, that partnership hasn’t allowed direct deliveries to customers like the new Leafly deal.

Cannabis deliveries to customers have been made in the past, when Ontario temporarily allowed cannabis stores to ship orders to customers in 2020 when the government ordered the closure of non-cannabis stores due to COVID-19. However, the popular Uber Eats app wasn’t part of the program.

Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to Oversee Deliveries

Cannabis deliveries ordered via the Uber platform will be overseen by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The AGCO does not allow third-party deliveries, and ordered products can only be delivered by those authorized by the retail store or their employees. This means that Uber Eats couriers will not distribute cannabis. Stores themselves must hire and train their own staff to deliver orders placed through the Uber platform.

Uber declined to share information on what commission Uber will charge and what commission Leafly will charge for each sale made through Uber Eats. Uber charges a commission of 20 to 30 percent for most orders delivered through Uber Eats. The industry has long argued that this commission is too high.

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(Featured image by Paolo Feser via Unsplash)

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