The Massachusetts medical marijuana industry has yet to finish ironing out any kinks with the dispensary licensing process and public safety regulations. Though this may be enough to deter some outside companies from planting industrious seeds and stems of their own in the Bay State, it’s not for WikiLeaf.
The medical marijuana comparison website recently featured in USA Today is eyeing the Commonwealth, anticipating the new green market to take off and reap ample benefits. Already WikiLeaf measures 1,100 dispensaries in six different states, and founder Dan Nelson plans to use the interest rate comparison model he’s implemented in those areas in Massachusetts as well.
“I’ve been a patient since 2012 here in Seattle,” Nelson told BostInno in an email. “Since 2008 I’ve been running an interest rate comparison banking blog specializing in finding high rates for savers. I basically took this model, made a few tweaks, and applied it to the medical marijuana dispensary markets.”
Right now in Massachusetts, the issues surrounding the medical marijuana industry have more to do with who’s to be awarded licensure to open a dispensary, one that’s proved to be nothing short of shady.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett has direct ties to former U.S. Representative William Delahunt, who was designated to receive 3 of 20 dispensary licenses – none have been handed out yet.
Similarly the integrity of the application scoring system, on which the licensing process is based, has been called into question given that specific guidelines appear to be hazy on what MassDPH is expecting.
But while the DPH continues to figure out what’ll work best for them, the dispensary applicants and, more importantly, those in need of medical marijuana, Nelson and company will continue strategizing on how best to succeed in serving the latter.
“Our overall mission is to empower the cannabis consumer and we are on a never ending quest to continue to find new ways to do this,” continued Nelson.
The way we currently do this, however, is by providing the most comprehensive data, research and information on individual cannabis strains (mainly ones that are widely sold in major marijuana dispensary marketplaces i.e. Seattle, Denver, LA, Portland, etc.) On top of that we allow for consumers to shop for marijuana based on price – similarly to the websites you may use to find hotels, flights, and a number of consumer goods.
To become successful using this model, WikiLeaf has based it’s system on the reverse auction style in which the consumer conveys the amount of money they’re willing to drop on some medicinal green, as well as how far they’re willing to travel to obtain in. The dispensaries in the closest proximity then offer the most ganj at the lowest price to entice the user to their shop.
“It is by far the most consumer-centric way of shopping for pot,” added Nelson.
Given how tentative and exclusive Massachusetts is moving forward, Nelson is expecting a higher-priced marketplace. In Los Angeles, for example, one can enjoy four grams of “potent indoor-grown buds for $20.” The more competition that enters the ring, the more WikiLeaf will be able to discern which dispensaries offer the best deals.
In the meantime, Nelson is looking to take over Seattle’s recreational marijuana market. He told me they’re already working on implementing the same model for the legal variety as dispensaries continue to trickle in.
After all, Johnny Law won’t be able to stop tokers in the Puget Sound area come July 8th, when the first round of recreational dispensaries launches for the first time.
Image via Shutterstock
