Cannabis Wire: Daily Newsletter
Check out WAYV Founder and CEO Keith McCarty in the newsletter below.
Cannabis Wire – May 30, 2019
WAYV, an e-commerce platform launched by Keith McCarty, the founder of cannabis delivery company Eaze, has announced that it will be the exclusive distributor for medical cannabis products from CannaKids, Tikun Olam CA, and Dr. Robb Farms.
Cannabis Wire caught up with McCarty to ask a few questions.
Why exclusive?
“The exclusive part is kind of the broader commitment to support each other around the messaging and to do more creative things to really amplify the voice and to educate the market, not as much about locking them in to the distribution aspects … Although that is part of it as well,” McCarty said.
Why medicinal?
“We’re going to see over the coming, you know, maybe even short period of time, these large industries, Big Tobacco, Big Alcohol, pharmaceuticals, coming in to this space. And I do think that it’ll be interesting to see what the pharmaceutical companies do. I just think that medicinal will continue to be a part of this industry, that’s really where it started. And we’re definitely reaffirming our position there.”
What state legislation or regulation is top of mind?
McCarty feels strongly about access, surely in no small part because his business depends on it, but also because he sees it as a basic right. He said, “We just need more access points, whether it’s delivery, brick and mortar, or preferably both.”
He continued, “We went from having thousands of dispensaries, thousands of access points for people to get access to cannabis … And now we’re at a fraction of that,” adding, “By making people drive further, or drive at all even, isn’t going to solve the problem.”
Some context: The state’s decision to allow delivery in jurisdictions that have banned cannabis businesses is the subject of a lawsuit from more than two dozen localities, and state lawmakers are also considering a bill (AB 1356) that would require cities where more than 57% of residents voted in favor of legalization to allow for cannabis sales. More than 75% of the state’s jurisdictions have banned cannabis retail.
Another priority for McCarty is taxes, which some lawmakers have tried to lower through legislation. He said, “I know how price sensitive this market is. And I can tell you that the taxes are absolutely impacting our ability to compete, even with a superior product and a superior experience, against the illicit market.”