Denver Signs off on Weed Delivery for Social Equity Companies

On Monday, the Denver City Council approved measures designed to bolster the city’s cannabis delivery service and put those individuals adversely affected by the war on drugs right.

Axios Report Its city councilors “approved measures to make permanent the delivery exclusivity of social equity transporters or business owners believed to have been unjustly harmed by the war on drugs” and “social equity delivery companies.” and reduce licensing fees for the retailers they partner with.” ”

The new regulations are a lifeline for struggling delivery companies. As Axios explains, Colorado’s capital “launched a weed delivery program last year that requires dispensaries to deliver through social equality carriers by July 2024. Denver’s 206 pot shops 9 of them offer this service.”

“With so little business to offer, licensed social equity transporters face ‘serious challenges’ to avoid going out of business,” reports Axios.

Denver city officials passed a bill last year to allow cannabis delivery in the city, designating licenses only for social equity candidates for three years.

That rule is set to expire in 2024, and an ordinance passed by the city council on Monday makes it permanent.

Molly Duplettian, executive director of the Denver Excise and Licensing Office, said last year that many cannabis dealers waited for Social Equity applicants to wait for a three-year exclusivity period to end before they could go into delivery. He said there were rumors on the streets. work.

“From what we’ve heard, some of the incumbent industry may have been waiting for the monopoly period to end. We may have planned to move to do our own distribution on ,” said Duplechian. .

But so far, weed delivery in the Mile High City has been slow. As Axios reports, Denver’s cannabis market “may be oversaturated with dispensaries, and deliveries may struggle.”

Eric Escudero, spokesman for the city’s Excise and Licensing Department, said Denver has been slow to launch cannabis delivery services.

“It’s easy to see that Denver is preventing stores from doing their own deliveries, so social equity businesses would be the first to crack open this business type, and the industry would want more equitable access to the industry. You choose profit over support.” Escudero told local news station 9News.

The agency said Escudero “only offers delivery services in 1 of Denver’s 20 pharmacies,” compared to “80% of Aurora stores where pharmacies can make their own deliveries.” ​​reported to compare.

According to the station, the Social Equity requirement is “those who live in disadvantaged neighborhoods, earn less than 50% of the state’s median income, or have no personal or family history of marijuana convictions or arrests.” We will require people with a history to own delivery services,” said Escudero. argues that “extending that requirement indefinitely will motivate pharmacies to do business with delivery drivers.”

“[It] As quoted by 9News, Escudero said:

The newly passed ordinance may be enough to keep struggling delivery companies in business.

Featured station Better Days Delivery owner Michael Diaz-Rivera said, “His company wouldn’t be successful without the intervention of the city council.”

“It was hard to get the pharmacy to fit us. Said“Business was slow.”