DoorDash Will Now Deliver Hemp CBD And THC Products In Response To ‘Growing Demand’ To Help Customers ‘Unwind And Recharge’

The delivery service DoorDash announced on Thursday that it’s expanding its offerings in select states to include hemp-derived THC and CBD products, including gummies and beverages.

“Eligible customers can now order a variety of hemp-derived THC and CBD products from merchants like DashMart,” the company said. The fulfillment platform is partnering with businesses such as Total Wine & More, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, and others.

“With the growing demand for hemp-derived THC and CBD products, we’re excited to expand access to a wide selection of products consumers crave,” Jacob Morello, Director, general manager of alcohol and emerging categories at DoorDash, said in a press release. “As preferences evolve, DoorDash can now help eligible customers find new products to safely enjoy while they unwind and recharge in the new year.”

Customers in states that permit the sale of hemp products will now see a “CBD/THC” tab on their app. DoorDash said that the policy change is partly responsive to polling that shows a majority of adults 21-65 are considering incorporating the cannabinoids into their routines, while a similar percentage have expressed interest in abstaining from alcohol during “Dry January.”

“To help consumers find exactly what they’re looking for, we’ve created an easily shoppable page with hemp-derived products, non-alcoholic beverages, and more so they can enjoy social sips and celebrations, or give their routine a much-needed refresh,” the company said.

DoorDash also said it is partnering with the cannabis beverage company Cann to offer users a $2 discount through the end of the month on “multipack purchases” of their products.

“Whether you’re embracing a fresh start to the new year or exploring new products to enjoy, DoorDash has you covered with a growing selection of hemp-derived products, non-alcoholic beverages, and snacks delivered right to your door,” it said.

DoorDash emphasized that it would only be facilitating deliveries of cannabis products that adhere to the federal definition of hemp, which was legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. Therefore, they cannot contain more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight.

This represents a notable departure from the company’s past policy. Just months before the latest Farm Bill with the hemp provisions passed in Congress, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu said that while they’ve “certainly considered delivery of all products,” that wasn’t happening, at least in the short term.

“The short answer is that’s not what we’re doing today and not what we plan on doing,” he said at the time. “There are a lot of complications—back to the point around complexity and delivery—there are a lot of complications with payment when it comes to something that has certain types of regulation.”

DoorDash isn’t the first delivery platform to incorporate hemp products into its offerings. Postmates, for example, had already been serving various non-intoxicating cannabis items through its app.

But while hemp is federally legal—and marijuana remains federally prohibited—there may be some policy complications on the horizon as Congress prepares to resume work on the next iteration of the farm bill, with certain members eyeing new restrictions on the crop.

For example, Senate Democrats in November released the long-awaited text of their agriculture bill that contains several proposed changes to federal hemp laws—including provisions to amend how the legal limit of THC is measured and reducing regulatory barriers for farmers who grow the crop for grain or fiber.

Certain stakeholders are concerned that part of the intent of the legislation is to “eliminate a whole range of products” that are now sold in the market.

In May, GOP House leaders released their own draft version of the agriculture legislation, which could also reduce regulatory barriers for certain hemp farmers and scale-back a ban on industry participation by people with prior drug felony convictions.

But under an amendment adopted by the House Agriculture Committee, it would also remove cannabinoids that are “synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant” from the federal definition of legal hemp. The change is backed by prohibitionists as well as some marijuana companies, who’ve described the restriction as a fix to a “loophole” in the 2018 Farm Bill.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report in June that hemp provisions included in that spending bill could also “create confusion” for the industry due to a lack of clarity around the type of allowable products.

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Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak.