A new cannabis app is set to revolutionize the way people purchase the plant and source their smoke.
The Daily Leaf had its first official rollout in Oregon just a few weeks ago and quickly received more than 300 downloads from savvy consumers in an instant. Creators and cannabis technology enthusiasts Stephen Gold and Andy Yashar believe their app will change the face of cannabis consumption, giving consumers the opportunity to research their weed, dispensaries the ability to connect with new customers, and brands the platform to really push their products.
Speaking to Big Buds about The Daily Leaf, Gold reveals, “I came up with the idea because I was looking around for deals on weed. I smoke the plant and I believe it helps me as a person. I ran into the problem of not finding what I thought I was going to get when I went to buy from a dispensary. I would come to buy it and it wasn’t what I wanted to purchase. I thought, if I, as a consumer, want to see a picture of the product and a description, then other people might as well.”
The app is currently available on iPhone and is downloadable on Android as of this month. It enables users to follow their favorite cannabis shops and brands, get push notifications for up-to-the-minute information, and uses geo-targeting so customers can find the best cannabis deals in their neighborhood.
Gold explains, “We have been working hard for the last four years, trying to develop something that would help facilitate the dispensaries, the consumers and the brands.”
He and his partner Yashar launched the website www.dailyleafdeals.com in 2015. At the time, they noticed recreational cannabis consumers and patients were spending a prolonged amount of time on the site exploring products, dispensaries and reviews. To that end, Gold thought it would be a good idea to offer coupons to medical marijuana patients via an app, so they could save money on their everyday cannabis purchases.
The site currently has up to 20,000 unique users a month, and 15,000 members subscribing to The Daily Leaf deals newsletter. They also have 25,000 social media followers and growing.
With the launch of the deals platform, the duo is hoping to encourage more people to take advantage of the app they’ve created so they can make the most of added purchasing power and knowledge.
“The big problem is there isn’t enough knowledge for the consumer to correspond to — they are left very confused,” Gold says. “On The Daily Leaf app, we want consumers to find something right away that would drive them to the store. You can look at a [cannabis] menu online and see 20 to 30 different strains. And it may not mean much to you, but if you can see a nice picture and see what it looks like, you are more likely to purchase when you go into the store.”
The idea behind the app is for dispensaries and the brands to benefit, as they are able to attract new buyers. Thanks to the geo-targeting, consumers can see what is within walking or driving distance of where they are located. And they can also take advantage of the information on the app that tells them where a particular product can be purchased.
Gold adds, “If I am in LA, for example, we could drive people who are in Downtown LA to buy something from a shop that is located on the Westside if it was super exclusive
or it was a really good price. You might say, ‘I will drive 25 minutes and go over there,’ because you could see what the product is.”
The Daily Leaf app is a conduit for cannabis brands and dispensaries to connect with the customer. “Each different deal is like a digital billboard — it is the brand and dispensaries’ short period of time to get the word out,” Gold continues.
While the app is currently only available in Oregon, the company will be rolling out in Washington, then Las Vegas, with plans to follow suit in Southern California once the current fluctuations in the regulations of the legal cannabis market have been steadied.
Ultimately, Gold hopes that by 2019, he and his team will have raised enough capital to take the app to as many US states as possible where cannabis consumption is legally permitted.
People who use the app will also be able to save their favorite shops and brands, as well as view all the products they like, with the shops they frequent most on the one place. The app funds itself through the dispensaries and brands paying a monthly subscription fee to be featured, rather than the app taking a cut of customer purchases or marking up prices. And all the content information is provided by these dispensaries featured on brand pages within the platform.
Gold and Yashar want consumers to get “authentic” information when they are buying through the app: “We are giving those brands a voice on the platform,” Gold explains. “I really think it is something that is a useful tool. It is educating the consumer that exists, and it breaks through and gives information in a sexy way. We really feel we are going to be able to push into new markets and people will want to work with us.”
For more information on how to download the app and the latest deals in your area, head to dailyleafdeals.com.
