Listen up, weed smokers and gummy eaters of New York.
The state’s underwhelming rollout of legal cannabis just got a little bit more exciting with online weed ordering for same-day pickup.
Yup, as of last week, Leafly secured a temporary court order that says weed dispensaries can advertise on Leafly, as well as take online orders for pickup in the Empire State. Leafly is the only website that the court order expressly allows to do online orders. Online ordering is turned on at these stores as of press time:
These are adult-use stores that are now order-enabled, along with New York’s 80 medical-only shops. But what does that mean? Read on for the details.
What is online weed ordering in New York?
For the first time in the state’s history, New York’s 800,000 or so smokers can place a legal online order for cannabis, check out, and pick up their order at a licensed dispensary.
It saves you the time and hassle of in-store shopping where you might be parked behind some tourist who wants to learn about everything on the menu. Nothing wrong with that, but some of us have things to do.
Up until now, you had to go into one of the few legal dispensaries open in New York, wait in line, look at the menu, order, pay, and go. It was so 1990s.
But this is 2023—now you can browse dispensary menus on your phone while you wait for the subway to work. Place an order for pickup later that day. After work, swing by the weed shop, show your ID, get your bag, pay and go.
Benzinga awarded Leafly the title of the Best Technology Platform for weed consumers of 2023. More dispensaries are coming online for pickup. Right now the list includes:
These are licensed so-called “Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries” (CAURD), as opposed to some illegal courier service, an unlicensed bodega, or some guy in a park. These “CAURD” stores are for anyone age 21 and older. They operate in addition to the state’s 80 medical-only dispensaries. The medical dispensaries have ordering, too.
Who is eligible to make an online order?
You have to be age 21 or up, with a valid form of ID, as well as the cash to pay for the order. That’s pretty much it. Early adopters who like to try new things will love it. So will tourists from other legalization states who are already familiar with online ordering. If you can takeout off a food app, you can order takeout cannabis off Leafly.
How does online weed ordering in New York work?
- Download the Leafly App on your phone, or open a desktop browser and go to Leafly.com.
- Select your “location” from the top right corner.
- Browse the menus of dispensaries in your area.
- Tap ‘add to cart’ on the herbs you want.
- Tap the shopping cart in the top right corner and then proceed to check out.
Review your order and then hit ‘place order.
What happens next?
The shop receives your order, prepares it for you, and texts you to let you know when it’s ready. Orders can be fulfilled in as little as a few minutes, or take as long as several hours.
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Then you come down with your valid ID and cash, pay, and then go smoke ’em if you got ’em.
It’s that slick.
Why would I make an online order for legal weed from a dispensary?
There are lots of reasons: the selection, the convenience, and the control, as well as the safety and quality assurance of buying a licensed, tested product. Secure the bag before your rivals. Save time and hassle. Why do you order Chinese food for takeout, or groceries for pickup from Whole Foods? We do it because it’s easier than the old ways.
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What happens if I have questions about my order?
Just call the dispensary’s phone number on their profile page. They should be happy to help you. For example, stores often get busy, and online orders can back up. Feel free to call the store to confirm your order is being prepared or is ready.