Weed delivery is a convenient and discreet way to get your cannabis products without having to visit a dispensary. Whether you need medical marijuana for your health condition or recreational edibles for your enjoyment, you can order online and have it delivered to your door with minimal hassle.
The legal cannabis industry is expected to grow by 14% annually and reach a market size of $41 billion by 2025, with delivery services accounting for a large share of the sales. But as weed delivery becomes more popular, there is one thing many customers wonder: how much to tip weed delivery drivers?
Do you need to tip marijuana delivery drivers?
When you order weed delivery, you might wonder how much to tip your weed delivery guy. Tipping is not required, but it is a way to thank your driver for their excellent service. How much you should tip a marijuana delivery driver depends on several factors, including:
- How far they drive
- How long they wait
- How bad the weather is
- How big your order is
- How well they handled your items (think fragile items, like dab rigs)
- How friendly and helpful they are
If your driver brings your weed quickly — particularly to a hard-to-find place or in a storm — you definitely want to give them an average tip. If he or she goes the extra mile by giving you useful tips, chatting with you nicely or otherwise provide excellent service, you might want to show the same courtesy by throwing in a little extra cash.
On the other hand, if your driver is slow, unfriendly, or careless with your weed delivery, you might decide to tip them less, or not at all.
Distance to tip ratio
If you’re having weed delivered for the first time and you’re unsure how much to tip, you could consider using the so-called “distance-to-tip ratio” rule used with delivery services in general. The minimum tip you should give is $3-$5. This is a suitable amount if there’s only a few blocks between you and your target establishment.
You should tip more if you live outside the service’s normal delivery range, you put in a particularly large order, it’s late at night, or the weather is bad. Basically, complicating circumstances such as a difficult location or heavy order weighed down with glass components should serve as a general modifier for tip amounts.
Weed delivery tipping: How much to tip by location
Different locations may have different laws and norms regarding weed delivery tipping. For example, in Washington DC, where weed delivery is legal under Initiative 71, customers can tip their drivers in cash, and a good rule of thumb is to tip at least 15% of the order total or more depending on the circumstances.
In Canada, where weed delivery is legal and regulated nationwide, customers can tip their drivers via the service’s app or in cash, and a common range is between 10% and 20% of the order total.
In other localities where weed delivery is less or poorly regulated, the best bet for customers is to tip discreetly or in advance.
Tipping a weed delivery service vs. other delivery services
When you order weed delivery, you might wonder how norms compare when tipping your weed dispensary drivers versus tipping food delivery or pizza delivery riders. The Emily Post Institute says that you should tip food delivery services 10% to 15% of the order total. But some experts say that 20% is a better tip.
The same tip range works for weed delivery services, but you should also think about the extra problems they have to deal with. Unlike food services, cannabis services have to handle legal risks, safety issues, and customer demands that change depending on the state and the weed. Those costs are often passed down to employees like delivery riders. So, you should tip them well and thank them for their quality service.
General guidelines on tipping etiquette
Cannabis delivery drivers often work long hours, drive in traffic, and deal with various challenges and hazards. Tipping them is a way of showing your gratitude and respect for their service. If a delivery fee is included in the bill, you should still tip the driver as the fee does not go to them. The fee is usually charged by the service or app, and covers their operational costs, not the driver’s wages or tips.
If you pay by card, you can tip by cash or add the tip to the card receipt. Cash tips are preferred by some drivers, as they can use them right away while avoiding taxes or fees. However, card tips are also acceptable and convenient for both parties.
Should I tip in cash or through a delivery app?
When tipping a weed delivery business, you can tip from the app or give cash to the driver. Some apps allow you to tip before or after the delivery, while others only allow you to tip after. You can also adjust your tip amount within a certain time frame if you change your mind.
If a delivery app allows you to “tip” your driver via a glowing review or award badge, it’s worth noting that those aren’t so much a direct tip, but increased eligibility for that driver in terms of company incentives and benefits.
Always be polite and courteous to the driver and thank them for their service. A simple smile and a kind word can go a long way in making their day better. Avoid being rude, impatient, or demanding as this can affect their mood and performance.
Our Verdict: Tip if and whenever you can
To sum up, tipping weed delivery drivers isn’t required, but it is customary, and a nice way to show your gratitude for their service. You can tip your weed delivery driver by percentage, by minimum amount, or by rounding up the order total. However, you should also consider the extra risks and regulatory challenges weed delivery drivers face compared to other delivery workers.
At the end of the day, tipping is a personal choice and you should tip according to your satisfaction and budget. But it’s worth remembering that tipping is not only an important courtesy within the service industry; it benefits both the driver and the customer, and incentivizes the continuation of delivery services across a variety of industries. So next time you order weed delivery, don’t forget to tip your driver before enjoying your products!
