AI is perfecting the cannabis shopping experience
Artificial intelligence (AI) was introduced to Americans in the 1950s, but its prominence has skyrocketed over the last few years. Barrels of arguments against AI have littered newspapers, social media, and conversations among friends.
In the cannabis space, cultivators are pondering how machine learning may streamline operations while others have their gauge turned toward retail. A few AI budtenders are in the mix, empowering new consumers to enter their first shop and inspiring longtime connoisseurs to try new things.
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Budtenders are a primary knowledge source for consumers, but not every interaction ends in the perfect purchase. Tools from tech companies like Jointly or dispensaries like The Source in Nevada supplement the budtender experience with their version.
Spark by Jointly
Jointly is a cannabis wellness app where users can track consumption, reflect on specific products, and shop local dispensaries. The platform launched in 2020, leveraging data to maximize what people get from their products. Spark, an AI budtender, was publicly launched in the free app two years later. The in-app tool draws intelligence from the collective cannabis experiences recorded since its launch.
David Kooi, co-founder and CEO of Jointly, told GreenState how Spark fortifies the brand mission to enhance cannabis experiences.
“These experiences include detailed data on consumers’ goals, the products they used and their characteristics, how well those products performed, the factors influencing their experiences, and any side effects,” Kooi said.
Spark updates its knowledge in real-time as consumers add reflections to the app, which Kooi claims gains more reviews than other popular platforms. Users can open a chat and engage with Spark much in the same way that people prompt ChatGPT.
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Ask it for something to promote relaxation, and it will spit out various CBD products that could do the trick. Prompt the bot to share specific cannabis strains for stress and anxiety, and it follows through with five recommendations, including indica strains like Grandaddy Purple, CBD strains like Cannatonic, and mellow-for-some hybrid Girl Scout Cookies. Each variety is accompanied by a small description.
The breadth of choices adequately represents how different each person experiences them. The tool is an excellent way for consumers to educate themselves on products before being inundated with a wealth of dispensary options in-store.
Jointly also offers Spark Pro, a paid dispensary version to assist budtenders and cultivate their skills. The Source, a Nevada dispensary chain, adopted something similar in 2022.
Zippy at The Source
Zippy is an AI budtender created by a company called Terpli. Anyone on the dispensary website can test the intelligent menu navigation method.
“Terpli’s technology utilizes our product’s COAs to create product profiles that span across effects to strength,” Matthew Janz, marketing director for The Source, said to GreenState. “By taking a deep understanding of cannabinoids and terpenes – Zippy can build out product profiles that are accurate and easy to digest for any consumer.”
Like Spark learning from every recorded experience, Zippy adopts data from each customer interaction and adapts accordingly. Finding products with this tool is as simple as doing a BuzzFeed quiz. Click through various questions about types of products and expectations for the experience, and the AI budtender provides three recommendations.
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It threw out Lemon Cherry Gelato and Wedding Cake as calm and relaxed flower varieties. White Durban and Purple Haze made the list for a focused and euphoric experience. Honestly, this is legit budtender guidance. Users can also toggle through preferred strengths and price points to further define their shopping goals.
“Customers love the intuitive nature of Zippy,” said Janz. “Zippy also provides a relaxed approach to learning; customers can explore products for their needs in the comfort of their own home without the need to shop in-store.”
Real live budtenders work hard to provide cannabis consumers with the right products. They prevail even as concepts like individual endocannabinoid systems and varying strain presentations complicate the process. There is no argument to completely replace this uniquely skilled workforce with AI, but if the technological tool can help, why not accept the boost? At the very least,
AI budtenders are growing in popularity. The tool can help give a new consumer that final push to feel comfortable walking into a dispensary for the first time. There is value in providing foundational education to consumers before they walk through the door, and these tools seem to be just that. Together, human and AI budtenders could finally empower consumers to feel confident in their cannabis products.
