Democratizing Cannabis — One Partner At A Time
By: Harry Demott
Tags: Ecommerce, Venture Capital, Cannabis Industry, Cannabis, Cbd

For the past few years, we at Proper have been working hard to reduce the friction we’ve all experienced in the cannabis industry. It is our goal to help brands and consumers reach a point where cannabis can once again quiet anxiety, not cause it. Starting with our consumer-facing site, A Proper High, we’re continuing to help users answer two basic questions:

1. What is the right product for me?

2. Where can I buy it?

A Proper High

While the answers may seem straightforward, when you factor in the countless variations between products, effects, dispensaries and modes of ingestion, the average consumer is left adrift at sea with infinite options and no compass.

Proper has built and implemented tools to help consumers better navigate the wide world of weed. From choosing what’s best for them, to purchasing products for consumption and ultimately leaving a user review to help bolster the community, we provide a more empowering experience for everyone involved, every step of the way.

Post A Proper High, we added ShopAds, which we believe to be the most efficient form of customer acquisition for retailers. Recently, we looked at the statistics of a well-known Los Angeles group of dispensaries and delivery services operating as SweetFlower. In September, we sent SweetFlower roughly $5,000 in orders, and charged them about $900. In other words, with a roughly 50% margin on retail products, minus our fee, they made $1600 and acquired over 50 new customers. We don’t think there are many, if any, more efficient forms of customer acquisition than ShopAds.

Shop Ads

The third leg of our stool, Connect, has been built and recently updated to revolutionize virtualized e-commerce for brands. By giving individual brands the ability to direct consumer traffic to every participating retailer, as well as update their stockist lists in real time, Connect 2.0 has made it easier than ever to get products into the hands and homes of consumers.

Connect 2.0

The cannabis industry is still in its infancy, especially when it comes to digital and e-commerce solutions. We’re rapidly realizing that it’s the consumer-focused businesses built on transparency and collaboration that will move the community forward and stand the test of time. Too many companies trying to go it alone has led to an industry full of unnecessary friction, misinformation and spotty supply chains. And while mere access to cannabis has led the way to this point, if you’re not moving towards providing consumers the choices they both desire and deserve, you’re not going to be around long.

With how intimate and personal everyone’s experiences with cannabis are, consumers don’t want to simply be told what they can buy and where they can buy it. They want to be treated with respect, while staying informed about what’s available so they can purchase and consume what best fits their needs. A walled-garden, limiting approach simply will not fly as the amount of product choices and consumers continue to grow. We need to increase opportunity, not narrow it.

Which is why we fundamentally believe in the democratization of the industry, and why tools like ShopAds and Connect are imperative. Consumers should have the right to determine which products are best for them, rather than being at the mercy of the stock at their nearest dispensary. Budtenders can certainly be a great source of information, but of the roughly 300 SKU’s in an average store, how many could they have personally experienced? And how close is their taste to the consumer? Their tolerance? Their needs?

Similarly, consumers should be able to choose where to purchase the products that most excite them. Why would a brand, which is looking for wide distribution, want to limit consumer choice to a singular retailer, or a walled-garden subset of their retailers, when they have the ability to give consumers complete freedom? Why would a brand determine the purchasing path for a consumer based solely on decisions of their menuing software provider?

By leveraging ShopAds and Connect, we give brands, consumers and retailers the ability to address and eliminate all of these issues. Our products, platform and committee provide a steady stream of reviews and ratings for every joint, gummy and vape we can get our hands on, and just as importantly, offer consumers the ability to purchase them nearby. We couldn’t be more proud of our team, and the thought and effort behind our latest offerings. They help Proper represent the cannabis industry as it should be — inclusive and constructed for everyone.

And as we’re closing in on Election Day, democracy is very much on our minds. We can keep fighting transparency, inclusiveness and the facilitation of progress, or we can embrace moving forward as a community. We’ve made our choice — and we’re all in this together, under one united fate. With liberty and cannabis for all.

If you’re a brand or retailer, and would like to understand more about how Proper can help drive conversion through your online platform or dispensary, please reach out to sales@aproperhigh.com.