Are Drive Through Marijuana Dispensaries a Good or Bad Idea?

Are Drive Through Marijuana Dispensaries a Good or Bad Idea?

When someone says “drive through”, the first thing that usually comes to mind is your favorite fast food joint, where you can order and pay for a juicy burger and fries without even having to leave your car.

Then there are also drive through pharmacies, where you can pick up your prescriptions from your car instead of going into a shop.

But a cannabis drive through? The idea seems so far-fetched… not anymore.

Drive through services are valuable for our society, where most of us live chaotic, frenzied lives. They save us a lot of time by allowing us to transact quickly and get what we need within minutes. The same goes for cannabis consumers, too.

Drive through cannabis dispensaries are slowly gaining traction around the country, and it’s proof that it’s the most exciting time to be alive for people who love their pot. You no longer have to wait in a dark back alley to meet your dealer, who’s likely selling you overpriced pot with no real guarantee of what you’re getting. Together with home delivery options, many consumers in legal states are now enjoying better purchasing options.

The truth is that the business model for drive throughs can very much be applied to cannabis and with great success. If we can buy things that are harmful for us – like prescription medications and junk food – out of a drive through joint, we should be able to do the same with cannabis.

It’s most valuable for medical patients who need instantaneous access to medicine and may not want to line up at a pharmacy. People with disabilities or those suffering from conditions that affect their mobility will also benefit from this business model.

For recreational patients who would rather be discreet about their habits and thus don’t want to be seen in dispensaries, they should have this option for convenience too.

At the end of the day, that’s what any drive through is all about: convenience.

Buying from a drive-through also provides patients with an added layer of safety; after all, as long as you have a medical cannabis card and live in a state where pot is legal, a drive through should pose no problem and it’s much better than buying pot from dealers off the street.

Cities can also benefit from the boost in tax revenue from drive-through sales, because it definitely opens up another channel for customers to easily purchase their pot.

Aside from not having to get out of your car, the transactions at drive through dispensaries can be quicker than having to go into a dispensary. There may still be some drawbacks though, such as the possibility that it would take longer for customers to see the entire menu in a dispensary, and the waiting time may take long if there are several cars.

The Debate Against Drive Through Cannabis Dispensaries

Of course, there are still many people who aren’t for drive-through cannabis dispensaries.

The idea is still foreign to many, and worry those who fear that doing so will only encourage young people to smoke more pot.

As we know, these claims are unfounded.

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Besides, city officials can solve this problem with proper zoning regulations which are already implemented in many places for dispensaries. Zoning can place appropriate restrictions for cannabis drive through dispensaries from schools, neighborhoods, and churches.

America’s First Drive Through Dispensary

Tumbleweed Express opened on April 20, 2017. Located in Parachute, Colorado, it’s the world’s first cannabis drive-through dispensary, housed in a former car wash.

“We have a lot of customers who don’t want to get out of their car for a host of reasons, so we added another level of convenience for them. We wanted to go the extra mile to serve customer needs,” explains Mark Smith, the CEO of Tumbleweed Express.

Tumbleweed’s pioneering service paved the way for similar business models around the country. They operate as you would expect, though they follow the car wash set up: just pull up to the shop’s opening where you can drive your car into the establishment. Once you’re there, a door will close behind you. It allows you to access the main dispensary while staying in your car as you wait for your cannabis products to be delivered to you within minutes.

How would you feel about a drive through dispensary opening where you live?