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Hello to all our American readers who can actually make use of these apps to order cannabis.

The rest of us will just have to enjoy watching from afar, and appreciating that somewhere in the world, people should be so fortunate.

Americans should factor in one key consideration before getting too excited, though – you can only use the apps in states where cannabis is legal.

It marks an about-turn for Apple, with a previous policy banning apps from the App Store that “encourage the consumption of tobacco and vape products, illegal drugs, or excessive amounts of alcohol”.

That policy was updated on June 7, reports Mashable, and allows for exemptions for licensed pharmacies and “licensed or otherwise legal cannabis dispensaries”.

The first app approved was Eaze:

Eaze, a delivery service with 2 million registered customers in California, launched its shoppable delivery app on July 8.

Eaze facilitates cannabis product sales between users and retailers, which independently hire staff to deliver the weed and verify the buyer’s identity.

Image: Stoner Things

A statement from Eaze described the app’s launch as a “major milestone for the legal cannabis market and consumers.” Before Apple lifted the ban on cannabis apps, customers had to complete all transactions through Eaze’s website.

Complete transactions on an actual website, in this day and age? Gross.

Soon, other cannabis apps hit the App Store.

There’s Beta, Caliva, and the wonderfully named Pineapple Express, as well as Weedmaps, which allows users to locate and browse local dispensary menus.

Image: Indy100

Definitely beats WhatsApping that guy you know, and then arranging a drop spot and doing the awkward ‘cannabis – money handover handshake’.

So where is Google Play on this front? Slacking:

While Apple’s lifted ban is long overdue progress in shifting the public attitude toward cannabis, Google’s ban on apps that facilitate weed sales remains.

As of 2019, Google Play store apps aren’t allowed to offer any “in-app shopping cart feature,” the Verge reported, that would facilitate “arranging delivery or pick up of marijuana.”

Regardless of legality, the policy continues, Android apps are forbidden from facilitating the sale of any marijuana or marijuana products.

Poor form, Google.

Roll with the times.

[source:mashable]