Cannabis delivery drones could be in Seattle skies by March

Some say that when it comes to rising industries like cannabis, the sky is the limit. That’s about to be tested by a Seattle based company that plans to use drones for deliveries.

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GRN Holdings announced in December that it was signing a non-binding letter of intent to purchase drones for a business-to-business delivery marijuana delivery service.

Originally designed for military operations, the drones will be equipped with iPads for a payment system, and will be flown by highly-trained pilots.

“I’m not gonna lie — that sounds like a fun job,” joked KIRO Nights co-host Aaron Mason.

GRN CEO Justin Costello expects the company to begin making test deliveries in Seattle as soon as February or March.

“It has been hard for me to keep this project a secret, because it is so cool,” Costello said in a December news release. “This is the boldest move yet in the industry we have gotten involved with.”

According to CannaTrac CEO Tom Gavin, drone deliveries will cost roughly a tenth the price of using vans.

“This hits all the needed elements for a true market disruptor,” said Gavin.

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While the deliveries will be to dispensaries rather than customers, it also marks a step forward for drone deliveries in Seattle. The idea was first pitched by Amazon, when it teased at “Prime Air” years ago.

“The idea that the idea that it’s being confined to just business to business sounds pretty good,” Mason noted. “But I wonder how many young toughs out there are going to bring out the old slingshots and try and shoot down a drone carrying pounds of weed.”

“I don’t know, but I assume someone has thought about this,” he added.

Listen to KIRO Nights with Gee Scott and Aaron Mason weekdays from 7-10 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.