Stoner App Review: Weedmaps

With so many different medical marijuana dispensaries in so many states, it’s natural that patients would want a resource to figure out where the best meds are.

Since 2008, one of the best resources for patients to find centers has been Weedmaps, a site that is very similar in concept to local city search websites like Yelp. Weedmaps.com has become one of the most popular ways to search for strains and dispensaries, with an easy-to-use layout and pretty decent coverage in each area.

Just like Yelp or Google search, Weedmaps does have sponsored links that will appear higher than everything else; this is fine with me, but does certainly give cannabusinesses with the most money an advantage. Being that marijuana has literally become just like every other industry, this isn’t at all surprising. However, the overall effectiveness of Weedmaps is still up to the individual business; those that keep their menu up to date are going to have many more satisfied customers return than those that simply have a Weedmaps page but don’t really use it to inform potential new patients the way they should.

Markers in Weedmaps

The Weedmaps mobile app is the next logical execution of the concept, allowing users to find dispensaries near them. Like the site, the app is fairly easy to use and navigate, with a search bar on top that lets users search by name or city and state; unlike the site, the mobile app does not allow users to search by strain, but since it’s on a phone it does display a map of which stores are closest to you. Once you’ve selected a store that looks intriguing, the site brings up reviews, menus, photos, and any pending deals the shop might have.

In app deal searching is another handy feature, with a “Deals” tab that lets users browse through current deals being offered in their area.

My only real complaint with this app is that all of the “markers” and other parts of the map, as well as pictures, are often pretty slow to load. This is the main complaint I have with the website, as well. The speed is just not there, and the clunky loading time diminishes the ease-of-use; this is true for both the person searching and the dispensary worker who wants to quickly update a menu item and take the next patient in the door (since I’m in the latter category, I can tell you firsthand how frustrating it is to have to wait for the change to be made and then go back to the top of the page when the page is refreshed).

Overall, Weedmaps is a necessary tool for people looking for dispensaries, and their mobile app is well laid out and overall very useful. But like a true stoner, the app and site alike just need to work a little bit faster.