FILE PHOTO – An aerosol drone flies during a training at LTFY drone training school on the outskirts of Beijing, China August 2, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee (Thomson Reuters)
But some in the industry think it’s only a matter of time before California’s cannabis regulations catch up with the industry.
California is planning to ban marijuana deliveries by drone when recreational sales begin in the state on January 1.
California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control released a study on Wednesday describing regulations for California’s commercial marijuana market when it opens in a few months, in which it outlined emergency rules to take effect ahead of the January 1 date.
“Transportation may not be done by aircraft, watercraft, rail, drones, human-powered vehicles or unmanned vehicles,” the study says. Marijuana can only be transported in “trailers” or “commercial vehicles.”
And while drone deliveries are out for entrepreneurs, California will allow delivery services — by commercial vehicles only — to customers at home.
Companies like Eaze are well-positioned to capitalize on the delivery boom ushered in by legalization. California is the sixth-largest economy in the world, with some estimating the total market for marijuana in the state will exceed $6 billion by 2020.
Matt Gray, the CEO of HERB, a digital media company for the marijuana industry, told Cheddar on Tuesday that he sees it as a “matter of time” before California lifts the ban on drone deliveries and the state’s regulations catch-up with “innovation.”
“It’s inevitable that companies like Amazon and weed-delivery companies like Eaze will be into this,” Gray added.
Recreational marijuana is legal in seven states, and some form of medicinal marijuana is legal in thirty states. Marijuana is still considered an illegal Schedule 1 drug by the federal government.
With reports from BI
