DoorDash, a delivery service, announced Thursday that they are expanding their offerings to include hemp-derived CBD and THC products including gummies.
DashMart said that “eligible customers” can now order hemp-derived CBD and THC products. The fulfillment platform is partnering with businesses such as Total Wine & More, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, and others.
In a press statement, Jacob Morello said, “With the increasing demand for hemp-derived CBD and THC products, we are excited to expand access” to a variety of products that consumers want. DoorDash is now able to help customers with changing preferences find new products they can safely enjoy in the New Year.
Customers in states which allow the sale of hemp-based products will now be able to see a tab “CBD/THC”. DoorDash explained that the change in policy is partially a response to a survey that found that a majority (between 21 and 65 years old) of adults are interested in incorporating cannabinoids as part of their daily routines.
The company stated that it has created a page where consumers can easily find hemp-derived products and non-alcoholic drinks. This allows them to enjoy social sips, celebrate, or refresh their routine.
DoorDash has also announced that it will partner with cannabis beverage company Cann, offering users a discount of $2 on “multipack” purchases of their products through the end the month.
DoorDash is a great way to get a new start in the new year, or to discover new products. It offers hemp-derived products as well as non-alcoholic beverages and snacks that are delivered directly to your front door.
DoorDash stressed that it will only facilitate deliveries of cannabis products which adhere to the federal definition for hemp, as legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill. They cannot therefore contain more than 0.3% THC in dry weight.
This is a significant departure from the previous policy of the company. DoorDash’s CEO Tony Xu told reporters that they had “certainly thought about delivery of hemp products” but that it was unlikely to happen in the near term.
He said, “The short response is that we don’t do this today or plan to do it,” at the time. “There are a lot of complications—back to the point around complexity and delivery—there are a lot of complications with payment when it comes to something that has certain types of regulation.”
DoorDash wasn’t the first platform to offer hemp products. Postmates had, for instance, already served a variety of non-intoxicating marijuana products through its app.
But while hemp is federally legal—and marijuana remains federally prohibited—there may be some policy complications on the horizon as Congress prepares to resume work on the next iteration of the farm bill, with certain members eyeing new restrictions on the crop.
For example, Senate Democrats in November released the long-awaited text of their agriculture bill that contains several proposed changes to federal hemp laws—including provisions to amend how the legal limit of THC is measured and reducing regulatory barriers for farmers who grow the crop for grain or fiber.
Certain stakeholders believe that a part of the purpose of the legislation was to “eliminate an entire range of products” currently available on the market.
In May, GOP House leaders released their own draft version of the agriculture legislation, which could also reduce regulatory barriers for certain hemp farmers and scale-back a ban on industry participation by people with prior drug felony convictions.
But under an amendment adopted by the House Agriculture Committee, it would also remove cannabinoids that are “synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant” from the federal definition of legal hemp. Prohibitionists and marijuana companies have backed the change, which they describe as a solution to a “loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill”.
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report in June that hemp provisions included in that spending bill could also “create confusion” for the industry due to a lack of clarity around the type of allowable products.
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Brendan Cleak provided the photo.