Ordering Cannabis Online With New Cannabis Startup IHeartJane.com

Ordering Cannabis Online With New Cannabis Startup IHeartJane.com

1. What is iheartjane.com and how did you come up with the idea behind it?

I saw a need for better access to cannabis. I could order just about everything else online – from food to movies to retail items, and I couldn’t understand why this wasn’t possible for the cannabis industry. As someone who consumes the plant as medicine, I genuinely felt that better, safer access was needed. I partnered with fellow MIT grads who understood the importance of this issue, and who saw an opportunity to move the industry forward in a positive direction.

2. What drew you to cannabis to start?

What drew me to cannabis was its ability to help me find presence and balance. When I left the Army at 29, I had never consumed cannabis, and the transition from combat to the classroom was more challenging than I had originally expected. Cannabis helped me with that transition. It allowed me to heal, reconnect with my loved ones and connect with my own self again.

3. How many dispensaries are signed up for iheartjane?

Since launching 16 months ago, iheartjane has partnered with 350+ dispensaries across 12 state markets. We built our business with simplicity and scalability in mind, so it’s been so exciting to grow our marketplace into new regions, and to offer the largest online selection of local cannabis products to consumers across the country.

4. Do you work with menu management systems like Baker and MJ Freeway or did you develop your own?

We have patented technology that enables us to integrate in real-time with over 30+ POS systems. We believe that our dispensary partners shouldn’t have to manually update their menu items, and that’s why we focus on providing them with their own turnkey digital storefront – complete with product photos and descriptions – that requires no extra work on their end. When shopping on iheartjane.com, every single product you see on a dispensary’s online menu is sitting on that store’s shelf at that current moment. This means no more disappointed customers or headaches with manual menus, and creates a simple and beautiful online shopping experience.

5. In States that require a mmj card, do you have to get a copy of that or how do you verify?

The validation authority rests with the dispensary, and our job is to make that process as seamless as possible for their staff and customers with flexible software that meets their operational needs. For instance, some dispensary partners require their Jane customers to upload (one-time) valid identification in order to place an order – while other dispensaries prefer to complete that step in-person during pick-up or delivery.

6. What are the biggest obstacle you personally have encountered setting iheartjane? Banking? Technology?

The landscape of the cannabis industry is ever evolving and it can be tempting to get distracted. From the beginning, our team has been obsessed with creating an e-commerce solution that serves both the dispensary as well as the customer with a simple online shopping experience. In addition, it is our mission to scale rapidly across markets, while continuously improving our product and service. We have learned to strike a perfect balance between these two vital goals: expanding our reach, while maintaining a best-in-class solution.

7. What is your favorite part of the project so far?

The people. Speaking to patients whose lives have been improved by their newfound ability to discover and access their medicine online has been very fulfilling. Partnering with like-minded retail professionals who are as passionate as we are about elevating the retail experience, while also respecting the history and roots of this industry’s past has been nothing short of inspiring. Working with an extremely talented and dedicated team of individuals who share a common vision is more rewarding than I could have imagined. None of this would exist without the people who make the iheartjane community what it truly is.