First pot deliveries in New York are rolling out on scooters and bikes
The model keeps major gig economy companies out of the marijuana market.
The first legal sales of marijuana in New York City will be likely be delivered on bikes and scooters.
The dozens of people who have already received state licenses to open retail shops will be able to first deliver their products using "bicycles, scooters or other similar methods of transportation as well as motor-vehicles," the state's Office of Cannabis Management said Friday.
While these types of deliveries will be permitted statewide, the bike and scooter deliveries will be most visible in Manhattan.
This model also keeps companies like Uber, Grubhub and DoorDash out of the marijuana market for now. The state has said that at some point in the future, it plans to issue licenses that will be exclusively for delivery, rather than retail.
All forms of delivery will require security measures, like lockboxes in couriers' backpacks, prepaid purchases only and the use of GPS tracking systems, the state guidance says.
Deliveries will be to those aged 21 and over, with IDs checked at sale and upon delivery, the state says.
Those with retail licenses will be able to hire up to 25 delivery staffers per business, and deliver the marijuana from a warehouse rather than a retail location. They can do that for a year before opening stores. No product can be sold directly from warehouses.
The plan is a creative alternative to forcing retailers to set up stores with expensive real estate and shoulder overhead.
The state has struggled with getting licensed marijuana sales up and running amid the increase in stores selling contaminated products illegally.
Licensed cultivators have also produced a harvest that will deteriorate if not sold soon.
Related Stories
ABC News Live