Richmond Weed Delivery

The business is easy enough for anyone with a cellphone to get involved: A potential customer simply follows a cannabis company on Instagram, then places an order through an encrypted app. An hour or so later, a driver pulls up at the curb and exchanges marijuana flower, pre-rolled blunts and edibles for cash. It’s a model that has exploded since Virginia legalized recreational use in 2021.

Richmond Weed Delivery companies offer a wide variety of products, including edibles, concentrates and more. Prices vary, but cake mix-flavored joints start at $40 for an eighth of an ounce, and vape pens cost around $70. It’s a lucrative business: The Times-Dispatch estimates RyShawn makes two to three sales a day, and earns up to $30,000 a year. He tries to keep prices low by using high-quality, consistent product. He also wears a sword on his hip for protection, but says police haven’t shown any interest in stopping him.

Same Day Weed Delivery in Burnaby: Get Your Cannabis in No Time

In contrast, officials in other states have cracked down on these businesses. And in Richmond, the city’s top prosecutor, Commonwealth Attorney Colette McEachin, has said she was unaware such services exist here.

The state’s twilight zone—marijuana use is legal, but the sale remains illegal—creates a unique market. And it’s growing: New Frontier Data projects that $2.4 billion worth of pot will be sold in the state this year, and all but 1% of it will be sold through illicit means. That’s why it’s important for regulators to quickly craft regulations that can keep the black market in check and prevent it from threatening public health.