The world as a whole has been re-examining the way it looks at cannabis growth, trade, and consumption. There’s still scepticism and healthy debate about it, but more and more places (South Africa included) have decriminalised the drug. Uber sees an opportunity here, and may start delivering cannabis somewhere down the line.
“When the road is clear,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told CNBC, “when federal laws come into play, we’re absolutely going to take a look at it.”
Uber Cannabis? Someday, maybe
It’s an interesting (possibly concerning for some) prospect. Uber Eats currently delivers take out food, groceries, and even alcohol, so presumably cannabis products of some description would fill out a new category there.
Khosrowshahi’s comment comes against the backdrop of a few things. While federal law still makes marijuana illegal, individual states have been allowed to decriminalise it for a few years now. New York did so on March 31st just this year. Additionally, a handful of states allow for cannabis delivery to people over the age of 21.
In the US, Uber has also recently acquired Drizly, a Boston-based alcohol delivery service, but did not do the same with Drizly’s own cannabis delivery service, Lantern, which launched in May last year. The decision to leave Lantern operating independently is part of what sparked the conversation.
While there’s nothing set in stone, Khosrowshahi says the potential is there, but Uber will keep its sights set on its current offerings in the delivery realm. What this means for SA isn’t particularly cut-and-dry. While personal consumption of marijuana has been decriminalized since 2018, there are still prohibitions against usage outside of one’s home, and buying and selling the drug. This leaves delivery in a sketchy area too.
Source: The Verge