When the COVID-19 pandemic closed a city’s doors, a window of opportunity opened for America’s first publicly traded weed delivery service.
California’s Driven Deliveries, Inc. (OTC: DRVD) has seen a huge rush in business as people order weed from home rather than visiting brick-and-mortar retail locations.
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the closure of all dine-in restaurants, clubs and movie theatres. Residents have been told to stay home, avoid crowds and hang out.
So what does the Golden State do with its sudden abundance of free time? Like almost everywhere else in the free world, it loads up on cannabis.
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Driven Deliveries is hiring new drivers daily and hopes to add 50 new delivery people this week, as well as 10 additional customer service representatives in its Oakland and Los Angeles facilities, company president Salvador Villanueva said in a statement.
“Many of our customers are depending on us to deliver cannabis as part of a medicinal treatment. It is more than just recreation,” Villanueva said.
We're all in this together. Read about some of our new initiatives during this challenging time: https://t.co/NInHtMKMdM $DRVD pic.twitter.com/BMI3dbGdrk
— driven (@drivendelivery) March 19, 2020
To stop the spread of COVID-19, of which there are 751 cases and 13 deaths reported in California as of March 19, the company said it handed out disposable gloves to employees and encouraged them to limit their interactions with customers.
Driven’s brands Ganjarunner, Budee and Mountain High have seen week-over-week growth of over 100 per cent, the company said.
To remind customers to support local businesses Driven said it is offering free ad space to restaurants that have been ordered to close their doors. With each order customers will receive print and emailed flyers for businesses within five miles of their homes, starting Saturday in Los Angeles County.
“We have seen enormous growth in the delivery category, but many small businesses are suffering,” Driven CEO Christian Schenk said. “We believe that many of our customers would find value in knowing what meal options are available to them during the closures.”
Top image via Deposit Photos
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