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Weedmaps (Nasdaq: MAPS), a leading online cannabis marketplace for consumers, today announced it has partnered with NuggMD, the nation’s leading online telemedicine platform for medical cannabis patients and physicians, to launch a pilot program that streamlines the medical cannabis education and application process for patients.
This initiative enhances access to medical cannabis by connecting potential patients on Weedmaps with the NuggMD telehealth platform, creating a full circle e-commerce experience when the patient returns to shop and learn more about medicinal cannabis products on Weedmaps. The first phase of the program is currently active in five of the 28 states that NuggMD serves: Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Louisiana.
“We’re seeing more and more potential patients shopping through Weedmaps and specifically seeking cannabis as an alternative treatment option, and we want to help these consumers easily learn about, access, and shop for medical products as safely and conveniently as possible,” said Jackie Gonzalez-Becerra, Vice President of Revenue at Weedmaps. “Through this partnership with NuggMD, medical cannabis patients will have streamlined access to educational resources, the full breadth of NuggMD’s telehealth portal, and the full-circle familiarity of coming back to Weedmaps to shop for their products — a truly holistic shopping and patient care experience.”
According to an August 2023 survey of nearly 15,000 Weedmaps users, 33% of respondents said they are more likely to use cannabis to address the symptoms of a diagnosed medical condition, with “reducing anxiety” and “relaxing” as the most common drivers of cannabis usage. NuggMD has seen similar results from their own recent cannabis consumer poll, noting that, “one in four survey participants use marijuana for pain management.”
“It’s important prospective patients have an accessible, easy to use process when looking to obtain their medical cannabis approval,” said Bonni Goldstein, MD, medical director of Canna-Centers and medical advisor to Weedmaps. “There are thousands of cannabis products on the market, and it can be overwhelming for first-time patients. This partnership between NuggMD and Weedmaps connects two trusted leaders in the cannabis space as they work to help patients understand the importance of medical cannabis, and how to achieve the desired effects available through the countless strains and cannabinoids found in the plant.”
“Millions of Americans use cannabis to make their own lives better,” said Charlie Russell, Chief Revenue Officer at NuggMD. “Our mission is to help patients overcome barriers to access, and our partnership with Weedmaps works in service of that mission. We are confident that pro-cannabis regulation and policy will continue to break down these barriers, and that the industry can work together to correct the historic wrongs wrought by cannabis prohibition.”
Launched in 2008, Weedmaps was founded by two California Prop 215 medical marijuana patients as an easily accessible online directory of medical dispensaries to guide fellow medical cannabis patients in their own research. As U.S. state medical programs began expanding, and the onset of adult-use cannabis moved forward both in the U.S. and Canada, Weedmaps expanded to support emerging markets, eventually growing into the marketplace provided today.
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