Delivery

What you Need to Know About Recreational Weed Delivery in Denver

In the last two years, we’ve seen the delivery of virtually EVERY product and consumer goods skyrocket in popularity. In fact, deliveries in 2020 alone outpaced projections by a record 25% rise in consumer e-commerce deliveries, with demand projected to continue on this upward trajectory through 2030 and beyond.

The ‘new normal’ involves a whole lot less ‘in person’ shopping, and a whole lot more CONVENIENCE.

It’s no wonder then that the (legal) recreational cannabis industry was keen to get in on the action. In this guide, we cover the highs (pun intended) and the lows of recreational weed delivery in Denver.

From rules and regulations, to what to expect, by the time you’re done with this guide, you’ll be ready to order recreational weed like you’ve never done before.

Is Recreational Weed Delivery in Denver Even Legal?

It wasn’t. Until now.

Fact is, your ‘hookup’ or ‘connect’ might have been making under the radar deliveries for years, but now, some of those deliveries are actually legal.

In April 2021 the Denver City Council Approved Ordinances to Allow for Cannabis Delivery, paving the way for companies such as Doobba to apply for a license.

With the first delivery license approved in July 2021, on August 19^th the first-ever LEGAL recreational marijuana deliveries took place in Denver, CO. These deliveries, handled by the Doobba delivery service, dropped off six packages as part of its ‘soft launch’.

By August 23^rd, the company opened up fully to the public, and the rest is history as they say!

*While other dispensary partners are in the works, currently Denver residents can only order recreational marijuana delivery from Strawberry Fields Dispensary.

Not so Fast: you can’t just buy recreational weed from anyone

The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division has clarified to state that ONLY those recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries licensed and permitted for deliveries are allowed to deliver cannabis to customers in Denver.

Weed Delivery in Denver: What Does This Look Like?

You might have an idea of what to expect in your head. A fly looking lady or gent sporting sandals and a tie-dye T-shirt pull up in the weedmobile to deliver your sticky icky…or you know, whatever is going on in your head.

Point is, scratch all of your perceived notions. No one is going to meet you behind the parking lot of Denny’s on their way to the arcade to put in some time on Frogger.

Can I Take Your Order? – ordering recreational weed delivery online

Here you’ll notice a few similarities to that when ordering food or even alcohol online. Customers can go to one of the following sites to start the process:

• https://www.doobba.com/ ; or
• https://strawberryfieldscannabis.com/denver-colorado-recreational-medical-marijuana-delivery/

Once there you’ll need to create an account and profile. You won’t be able to make a recreational weed delivery order without doing so.

Next, simply browse the wide selection of weed products available, add them to your cart, and proceed to checkout. Easy peasy.

At checkout you’ll select a timeslot for delivery, and will receive updates on the transport of your weed via text message.

Do I Need a Prescription or Medical Card to Order Online?

NOPE. However, if your order is medical and you have a medical card, definitely have that handy.

What Hours Can You Order a Delivery for?

Although this is subject to change, current regulations limit the hours when recreational weed can be delivered in Denver. With that in mind, you’ll need to place your order between 10am and 8pm. Right now the delivery windows are in 2-hour timeframes so you don’t need to set aside a big portion of your day sitting around waiting for your order to arrive.

How do You Pay?

By now we’re all pretty aware that banks don’t play nice with weed dispensaries. The good news is that Dooba offers several safe and convenient ways for Denver residents to order recreational weed online. Customers can currently pay via ACH, pre-paid debit cards or credit cards.

*Credit cards must have a chip in them to work with Dooba

The “Hand Off”

It’s simple enough, really. But there are a few things that customers get hung up on. First, Denver laws require that deliveries MUST be made to a private residential address. Not a P.O. Box, not your workplace, and not the parking lot of Taco Bell. That said, you do not have to be the actual ‘resident’ of that address. In other words, you don’t need to live there. So you could, for example, make a delivery order for recreational weed to your friend’s house in Denver (you just gotta be there for the delivery).

This brings us to our next point. The person who made the order, MUST be the person who picks up the order from the delivery driver upon arrival.

A few other important points:

1. Answer the door alone (otherwise, they require everyone to show their ID)
2. Have a Driver’s License or state-issued ID handy
3. Everyone answering the door for the delivery must be 21 years of age or older
4. The address you list during checkout CANNOT be changed once your order has been processed, so you need to make sure you’ll be there in the chosen 2-hour window

Recreational Weed Delivery in Denver: Taking possession of your bud

Before taking possession of your weed, you’ll need to handle some (albeit tedious and not very environmentally friendly) paperwork. But don’t blame your dispensary. This paperwork is required under Colorado laws regarding the delivery of recreational cannabis products.

Customers report having to sign two small-print riddled documents that look like professional invoices. We expect this process to evolve over time to be more convenient and eco-friendly. For example, one delivery service in Aurora, CO has updated to electronic signatures to save paper.

Staying at a Hotel or Airbnb? – other rules to be aware of

Remember when we said that a ‘private residential address’ was needed to place an order. Hotels don’t fall under that definition. But not all hope is lost. There are a couple of exceptions.

First off, if you LIVE at the hotel (hey some people do, even temporarily), then you will need to prove that you are a ‘resident’ of the hotel, AND clear any recreational weed deliveries with hotel management first.

What about AirBNBs? Turns out, according to the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, ‘short term rentals’ (which an AirBNB falls under), are considered ‘private’ and therefore are perfectly ok to order cannabis deliveries to.

 

Get Ready to Be Mad About the Fees – we know we’re not happy about them

Look, here’s the deal. You know how GrubHub and Uber Eats costs you more than if you’d simply get off the couch and drive there yourself? The same thing applies here.

Add to that a boatload of regulation and hoops that the industry has had to jump through just to get recreational weed delivery approved in Denver, and it should come as no surprise that ‘The Man’ wants his tax.

The Tax

Unfortunately, under current legislation, recreational weed deliveries in Denver are taxed at a highway robbery rate of up to 20%.

PRO TIP: The tax is NOT included on menu prices so make sure you budget accordingly for checkout.

Delivery Fee

Next up is the delivery fee itself. This is pretty standard and is comparable to other industries like food delivery. The exact rate you’ll pay varies based on your location as it relates to the dispensary, but typically ranges between $5-$15.

PRO TIP: Those patient or savvy enough may want to wait to stock up when the dispensary or Dooba runs promotions.

Tipping

But wait, there’s more! You probably never thought about tipping your former weed dealer. But delivery drivers do accept tips and it is encouraged to add some gratuity when you can afford to do so.

Expect a Bumpy Ride as Adoption Grows and Kinks Get Worked Out

We’re all stoked that recreational weed can now be delivered in Denver. This is a landmark ‘win’ for cannabis enthusiasts around the country, and aids in laying the foundational framework for other cities to begin adoption as well.

However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t without its flaws and speed bumps. As with any new and progressive law, no doubt we’ll encounter challenges that will need to be ironed out.

Current Challenges

Limited Product Selection

As it stands today, deliveries can only be made through Doobba or the Strawberry Fields dispensary. While Strawberry Fields has a nice selection of products, we likely all have our favorite dispensaries, brands and products that we’d like the opportunity to order online.

Other Delivery Services Awaiting License Approval Or Denial Include:

• High Demand Delivery
• Grn Bus,

*According to Eric Escudero, director of communications for Denver Excise and Licensing.

While we fully expect more dispensaries to join the ranks of Strawberry Fields, currently Denver residents are limited to the Menu found here.

Taxes and Fees

We’re not sure how much headway will be made in this department. After all, part of the ‘pitch’ to get lawmakers on board with allowing recreational weed delivery in Denver was the potential for new tax revenue sources. That said, as delivery becomes more mainstream, we foresee cities willing to lower rates to remain competitive with neighboring cities.

Inefficiencies

Right now, the lack of drivers along with regulations is making delivery logistics a challenge. Current delivery times are taking up to 2 hours. While that is in part due to labor shortages, there are also other issues at hand.

For example, marijuana delivery has more rules and regulations imposed than does that for delivering alcohol, bogging down the entire process with administrative nonsense.

Adding to the bottlenecks is the fact that drivers are only permitted to carry a limited amount of product in their vehicles. This means frequent return trips to the dispensary to ‘re-up’ on product between deliveries, wasting time and gas.

Refunding

If your driver or dispensary gets the order wrong, you might be out of luck for a while. Cash refunds are NOT allowed under current laws. This means that canceled or wrong orders may need to be exchanged for store credit and/or resolved at a later date.

Other Limitations

Currently, weed delivery services in Denver are NOT allowed to operate in apps such as Uber Eats or DoorDash. Further, some app stores had restricted retail marijuana services even when legal.

UPDATE: Apple as recently allowed cannabis retailers back in its app store