In many parts of the province, cannabis users no longer need to walk in to a store for fast access to their favourite retailer’s products as same-day cannabis delivery service Pineapple Express Delivery rapidly expands across Saskatchewan.

Similar to the popular food delivery service SkipTheDishes, Pineapple Express Delivery plays the middleman between the retailer and the customer.

“We pick up the product at the retailer or licensed producer and then we deliver it to the customer on the same day that they pay for it,” said Madelaine Higgins, the Ontario-based company’s director of customer experience.

“There’s some times that we’re even faster than your pizza guy.”

The difference is that customers do not order directly through Pineapple Express Delivery, but instead through licensed cannabis retailers with which the delivery service has partnered. Customers order through the retailer’s website and choose Pineapple Express Delivery at the checkout to receive same-day shipping.

Pineapple Express Delivery first launched in Saskatchewan in March when it set up shop in Saskatoon, and since then has expanded to Regina, Moose Jaw, Warman and Martensville, with more partnerships already in the works, said Higgins.

With competitive pricing and faster delivery than traditional services like Canada Post, Jose Flores, store manager of 5Buds Cannabis in Warman, believes this is something in which his customers are interested.

“It’s just going to flourish because there’s a lot of communities out here that just don’t want to travel, and they’ve been (to the store) here once or twice … they just don’t want to keep driving out, you know. So you let them know we have delivery and all that, and they’re like, ‘Oh, well perfect,’ ” he said.

5Buds partnered with Pineapple Express Delivery around three months ago. Especially for more senior customers who use cannabis to manage their pain, driving out to the store is not always an option, said Flores.

5Buds Cannabis retail stores general manager Corey Tyacke poses for a picture in the English River Business Complex near Saskatoon on Oct. 25, 2018. Matt Olson / Saskatoon StarPhoen / Saskatoon

Medicinal cannabis users were one of the main reasons Pineapple Express Delivery began, said Higgins.

“There was an opportunity, particularly on the medical side, for patients to get their medicine on the same day that they paid for it, and there’s some folks that really need that medicine in their hands on the day that they have ordered it,” she said.

But just like a food order, you need to be home to accept your cannabis order. Drivers are required to check photo ID of the customer to make sure they are the person who ordered the cannabis and that they are at least 19 years old. A signature is also required.

Keeping the product safe while in transit is also a top priority, said Higgins. In Saskatchewan, anyone delivering cannabis requires a special licence to do so, said Higgins, noting that all of their drivers have these licences. Drivers will also be in unmarked vehicles so it isn’t obvious they are carrying cannabis, the products must be scent-free and stored in the trunk of the vehicle.

“The product gets to the customer safely, securely, discreetly and quickly,” she said.

So far Pineapple Express Delivery has partnered with cannabis retailers Tweed, Meta, National Access Cannabis, National Cannabis Distribution, Kiaro, WestLeaf, 5 Buds and Jimmy’s Cannabis.