Imagine reading a review for a new brand of marijuana or drink, clicking on a link and placing an order to pick it up at your local licensed store later that day.
It’s one step closer to a common shopping experience. And that’s what customers of licensed cannabis dealers are taking part in a new collaboration between cannabis legacy magazine High Times and Chicago-based marijuana intelligence platform Hoodie Analytics.
With Hoodie’s online cannabis platform now part of High Times’ digital expansion, readers across the country can find legal products, place orders and pick them up from licensed retailers in their area.
Sales must be completed in person at licensed dealers, ensuring compliance with state regulations. But that’s an online shopping experience similar to what everyday retailers offer, said consultant Rebecca Maestas Sincere, who previously worked at companies including Bud & Mary’s, LivWell and Dixie.
“It’s the kind of seamless e-commerce we’ve never seen before,” he said.
And that’s another step toward creating a $32 billion legal cannabis industry.
The Amazon of cannabis – connecting brands and consumers directly
It also fills a need from retailers and brands for a better way to connect with their customers, said Hoodie Chairman and CEO Wes Shepherd.
“They really see that the market is broken in terms of how consumers find products,” he said.
While platforms like Weedmaps allow consumers to order cannabis products online, the High Times-Hoodie partnership will allow them to order a product via a link to a story they’re reading, a service that appears to be a first.
“We’re driving traffic to them while providing a great customer experience,” said High Times partner Matt Stang, who along with Raw rolling papers chief Josh Kesselman acquired the magazine’s legacy and brand in June.
Combining Hoodie data with High Times content creates a unique shopping experience across the country. Hoodie tracks more than 10,000 licensed retailers and 9 million product SKUs nationwide. All will be available for purchase through the e-commerce platform.
Marketers can go one step further and sign up for Hoodie Connect, a free program that provides greater exposure and referrals from the High Times network.
“The cannabis market relies heavily on promotions and breaks to sell, which turns products into commodities,” said Hoodie President Kris Walker.
“Our goal is to provide tools that help brands and retailers drive sales through storytelling and consumer engagement, rather than a race to the bottom.”
What about premium cannabis products?
An e-commerce solution can provide convenience to buyers and drive traffic to sellers. But premium marijuana brands may be losing out, said Max Vansluys, president of Dialed In Gummies, a marijuana brand owned by Austin, Texas-based Sun Theory that is available in five states.
“As a premium cannabis product, e-commerce is not always the best because we are dealing with a very cheap product,” he said.
Premium brands rely on buyers working with budtenders, who can direct them to high-quality products that may not be cheap.
He added: “I’m very big on the budtender experience for the cannabis consumer.”
“When an e-commerce buyer enters, there is no point of sale where budtenders can change the buyer’s mind – it’s a transaction.”
“If the consumer doesn’t have help navigating what’s good and cheap, that’s going to be bad for the consumer.”
That doesn’t mean the platform won’t benefit from products like Dialed In.
When consumers are on the go, they can find the products they want on the High Times platform and find a treatment center in the province they’re visiting, Vansluys said.
Chris Mapson, who worked for LivWell and PharmaCann after acquiring the retailer, said consumers can decide if the product they’re learning about is available in their area and platform.
“Everything about cannabis is regional — it’s not a national product,” said Mapson, who is now Cannatrol’s vice president of marketing.
Marijuana at a discount – through print media
In addition to the online shopping effort, High Times also aims to connect cannabis sellers to consumers through print media.
Cannapages, a Colorado-based coupon magazine specializing in store listings and deals, will launch High Times Local, a city-by-city print program, in Denver, Colorado Springs and Phoenix in March.
Cannapages has been a staple in Denver and Colorado Springs for more than a decade, and High Times plans to use its model in those cities as a blueprint for national expansion.
Other cities where the publication is expected to be launched next year include Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Detroit.
The bimonthly magazine will feature a combination of coupons, advertising and locally focused content, with a circulation of 30,000 copies in Denver.
“There’s something important about tangible print,” Matt Hollingshead, Cannapages’ vice president of strategy and growth, told me. MJBizDaily.
“People want something they can touch, something real.”
Stang said that visual media is seeing a resurgence among younger generations.
Subscribe to the MJBiz Factbook
Exclusive industry data and analysis to help you make informed business decisions and avoid costly missteps. All facts, no hype.
What you will get:
- Monthly and quarterly updates, with new data and information
- Financial forecasts + capital investment trends
- A state-by-state guide to regulations, taxes and market opportunities
- Annual survey of cannabis businesses
- Consumer details
- And more!
“Look at music – people wait months to buy portable albums,” he said. “There is a desire for something that cannot be used, something that is true.”
Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.
