WeedMaps.com: should such a site be legal?
Should a dope dispensary be legally able to use the internet to promote deals and special offers in the exact same way as any other business?
If you’re looking to score the best deal on medicinal marijuana, WeedMaps can help (if you’re in certain US states, anyway). WeedMaps is a new website that describes itself as a “a community where medical marijuana patients connect with other patients in their geographic region to freely discuss and review local cannabis co-operatives, dispensaries, medical doctors and delivery services.”
In addition to helping smokers locate dispensaries, WeedMaps also provides details of specials and discounts offered by dispensaries. And what’s really caught some headlines is that, much like Groupon, WeedMaps offers Daily Deals. Founder Justin Hartfield explained how it works to Fox News:
“With our discounts, the customer redeems that discount at the dispensaries themselves,” Hartfield explained. That takes the legal question out of the equation, he noted. In other words, WeedMaps isn’t selling customers the sweet dope they crave, just telling them that there’s a great deal — right NOW, right over there. Hartfield doesn’t put it in such terms, of course. “We’re helping patients find their best medicine for the best price.”
The site even carries reviews of the dispensaries it lists. Example:
“I came here last weekend with a few buddies of mine. We were on a little roadtrip and very much enjoyed our experience at Medithrive. I picked up the Banana Kush because it smelled lovely :) We also got the Durban Poison & Cherry AK47. They were all top notch quality. Budtenders were friendly and helpful, the atmosphere was great. If I lived up in that area, it would be my club of choice. They have a wide variety of goodies and I would definitely come back here if I were ever in the area.”
A mentioned, WeedMaps is currently US-only, but there is no reason why it couldn’t be expanded into Canada. Further, while dispensaries may operate in a legal grey area, a WeedMaps-like service would probably not be breaking any laws. The question that some may ask is should such a site be legal? Should a dope dispensary be legally able to use the internet to promote deals and special offers in the exact same way as any other business?
Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Of course it should be legal. Not sure why you are dubbing the dispensaries ‘dope dispensaries’. We are talking about medical marijuana here. Marijuana is otherwise known as cannabis – a plant that flowers producing thc laden buds.
You see commercials on TV during prime time promoting drugs with side effects of things like nausea, insomnia, hallucinations, ejaculation problems, chest palpitations, suicidal tendencies, depression, stomach bleeding, increased blood pressure, mood swings… the list goes on.
You’re worried about ease of access to information about an herbal medicine?!
It doesn’t matter if its legal or not. The fact is its user base will be too stoned and unmotivated to use it.
JoeBloggs: You are an idiot. Some of the most motivated and successful people in America smoke marijuana regularly, but you don’t hear about it in the media. You are stuck in a mis-informed shell created by society.
Different medicines do different things. There are 2 different main strains of pot, Sativa and Indica. Indica will make you tired and hungry, slow and not motivated but on the otherhand Sativa will make you more alert, creative, active, etc. Today we have hybred plants which have different levels of both plants to acheive the result you are looking for. This isnt a world of being stuck with either home grown or mexican weed anymore.
joe ur STONED U IDIOT!!!!!
Really JoeBloggs – explain the growing traffic to the site then genius.
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/legalmarijuanadispensary.com/
LegalMarijuanaDispensary.com is the domain that weedmaps.com redirects to when you go to the website.
You’re funny. Just for the writers edification… its no more “dope” than the pills corporate America pushes on its public. The patients that go to to these collectives have medical cannabis recommendation, which makes it “medicine” not “dope”
THE LAW!:
—————
SECTION 1. Section 11362.5 is added to the Health and Safety Code, reads:
11362.5. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Compassionate Use
Act of 1996.
(b)(1) The people of the State of California hereby find and declare that the purposes of
the Compassionate Use Act of 1996 are as follows:
(A) To ensure that seriously ill Californians have the right to obtain and use marijuana
for medical purposes where that medical use is deemed appropriate and has been
recommended by a physician who has determined that the person’s health would benefit
from the use of marijuana in the treatment of cancer, anorexia, AIDS, chronic pain,
spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraine, or any other illness for which marijuana
provides relief:
The most commonly used painkiller in the US is acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol). This is easily available over the counter. Acetaminophen is also in sleep aids (for instance, Tylenol-PM), and in strong prescription narcotic painkillers such as Vicodin and Percocet. Recent studies have found that acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver damage and probably is responsible for 1600 cases of acute liver failure that occur each year. The drug is thought to be safe at the recommended dose but because it is in so many different kinds of medication, people often end up taking double or even triple doses if they are using different painkillers or sleep aids. An FDA advisory panel urged the FDA to ban Percocet and Vicodin and other prescription drugs that contain acetaminophen. Due to the amount of money made by pharmaceutical companies by the sales of narcotic medications, and the fact they spend about $150 million per year lobbying our government officials, it will be a long time before any real changes take place.
Mr. Joe Bloggs – I refer you to this story…
“Weedmaps Media, Inc. had gross revenue of over $3,000,000 in 2010 compared to gross revenue of less than $150,000 in 2009, its first year of operation. Weedmaps.com, a division of Weedmaps Media, Inc. is the largest finder site for medicinal dispensaries in the United States. As of December 2010 over 900 dispensaries were paid subscribers to Weedmaps.com, up from 27 dispensaries in December 2009. Last week the company also hit a corporate record for the most simultaneous users on its site. The high traffic volume is a direct result of the newly launched ‘Medical Marijuana Stock Exchange’ that allows users to search and compare various cannabis strains. The new cannabis stock exchange shows real-time metrics for price, popularity, trends and potency.”
WeedMaps has single handedly driven down medical cannabis prices by allowing patients to shop and compare prices, as well as quality of med’s in the mmj collectives from the privacy of their own home.
LEGALIZE IT!!!!
[...] Should sites like WeedMaps.com be legal? | Sync™ Blog [...]
Not only should WeedMaps be legal…I want stock in that company!
ha i like how this uneducated author described them as dope dispensaries. Ha cvs down the street dispenses Oxycodon, vicodin, xanax, and many harmful addicting drugs. NOW JUST TELL ME HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE OVERDOSE OH MARIJUANA? NONE.
This website has helped out the medical marijuana community out so much.
should it be legal? should your mom still be able to come kick your ass when she’s drunk and you are grown you make the call dumb ass
In due time Justin and Weedmaps will be tied into aiding and abetting.It is not legal to own Weedmaps, MMEC and various dispensaries that sell medication. Yes the owners own all 3 and by law that is not legal to do so. Also their Dotors at MMEC have been reported to be refereeing patients to the dispensaries Justin owns or is a silent partner in like C.P.A. in Santa Ana. Also they have various grow operations too. This will be discovered soon as well as the owners faking stock prices and their true value. Weedmaps is in desperate of 10.5 million from new IPO investors and Justin has failed to produce the first quarter earning on time for investor and the ceo refused to comment. All lies surface. Watch and see as the fbi, dea, atf and local authorities tie up their legal department and drain their lawyer financially.
Mickey Martin
T-Comp Consulting Director
http://www.freetainted.com
http://www.tcompconsulting.com
mickey@tcompconsulting.com
510-377-1990
http://twitter.com/CANNABISconsult
This is NOT from me…..notice the old “freetainted.com” site which has not been up for a couple of years…..While I find it flattering for you to use my name and contact info, it is disingenuous and kind of creepy. Get a life loser. I have no idea if any of the information posted in my name is true or not, but whoever posted it is a cowardice impostor….
I disagree. Pot helps the economy, it is an economy. It creates ‘volunteer’ jobs as medicinal marijuana dispensaries (in CA) operate as non-profits. They usually make about $10 an hour as volunteer workers.
If you have an addiction to any substance, you should get treatment. If there was a real pot economy, every vendor would have to remind you with some sort of disclaimer (like alcohol or tobacco). For those that are too stupid to realize they are smoking themselves away, they learn the consequences of their actions. I think it helps people loosen up. Why is it we can drink responsibly, gamble responsibly, smoke carcinogenic tobacco responsibly, and not smoke marijuana responsibly?
All it is is that busting people for weed makes revenue for the government. They want taxes and money. I think they could make more off annual business permits and grow permits for the right to be in the marijuana business.
Thanks.
Forgot my website – http://www.dankweed.com
Enjoy!
Do you even know what dop is??
It definitely isn’t medical marijuana
I hope you never get sick and need other alternative medication instead of popping
pills..
You need to do your homework better
on the benefits that medical marijuana can bring to all types of people fighting cancer, and all the other elements out there.
Thanks to medical marijuana, we have new jobs in the community too!!!
Get a life, is it really hurting you at all. (NO)!!!
IT’s all about BUDPATIENT.com