California online weed delivery guide [Updated 2022]

Step aside, 1-800-Flowers.

Millions of Californians and visitors can enjoy legal cannabis delivered to their door like it’s the future or something.

Thanks to legalization via Proposition 64, since 2018, any person age 21 and older in the state—resident or tourist alike—can call in a marijuana delivery or order online.

The Covid pandemic, meanwhile, encouraged many pot retailers to invest heavily in their delivery services to meet the growing demand as people shied away from public places. Now, many Californians who live near a licensed delivery service (and even many who don’t) can get weed delivered to them pretty easily, and they often have a wide variety of services to choose from. Tourists can, too. In most cases, it’s a lot like ordering a pizza, with an additional requirement or two.

Californians bought $5.1 billion in legal cannabis in 2021, but delivery is so new and California is so big, Golden State smokers and visitors need a handy guide to shopping around and placing their first weed delivery order. Well, Leafly is here to serve.

How to order weed delivery in California

For Californians or tourists who are in or near a city or county that allows commercial cannabis operations, getting weed delivered can be a snap. Use Leafly.com to avoid unlicensed sellers found on competing sites or Google. Street products are not lab-tested for purity or potency—they’re often poisonous. Don’t play with your health. Shop legal.

Here are the basic steps:

1. Go to Leafly’s Delivery Portal—it shows you what’s on tap from places that deliver in your area. It’s located at www.leafly.com/delivery/california on your mobile or desktop browsers. (Not currently in the Leafly app)

2. Pick out stuff you like. It goes in your bag in the top right corner of your browser window. The most popular products are flower buds, followed by edibles, vape pens, extracts, and topicals.

3. Check out. Expect to provide typical personal info, similar to alcohol delivery: proof of age; address; delivery window, etc. Some places take debit cards—but cash rules everything around me anyways.

4. Sit back and track your order. Products are generally delivered that day or the next, and sometimes in an hour or two. You’ll get texts and emails confirming your order, as well as updates. Now’s the time to clean your bong.

5. Receive your herb. Have cash and ID ready at your door.* Feel free to tip.

For more on how to use Leafly to find legal deliveries, get cannabis delivered, types of marijuana delivery services, FAQs, and tips—read “Legal cannabis delivery services: Here’s what you need to know.”

Is weed delivery legal in California?

Licensed and regulated by the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), marijuana delivery is legal for adults age 21 and over to a physical address with a valid form of identification.

Delivery services are still subject to local limits on the time, place, and manner of delivery—which may include operating hours or acceptable delivery locations.

The state in 2018 made it a policy that legal cannabis can be delivered to any private address in California, regardless of whether that address is in a jurisdiction that doesn’t allow commercial sales. The policy has withstood a couple of court challenges from some local governments and interest groups.

Does weed delivery depend on the county?

Not in a legal sense. As noted above, state policy dictates that delivery of cannabis is allowed statewide. However, if you live in or are visiting a town or county that doesn’t license delivery services or dispensaries, you might have a harder time getting weed brought to your door.

Smokers in every California county can get cannabis delivered, but rural residents might have fewer options in terms of same-hour or same-day delivery.

At 770 miles long and 250 miles wide, the Golden State is bigger than many countries combined. Serving the entire state is no small feat. Still, some companies strive for a maximum footprint.

Does this differ by recreational or medical?

Not really. The difference is that medical patients with a state ID card can order larger quantities and pay fewer taxes. That said, relatively no one gets a medical card anymore. They’re a pain to get and rarely worth it unless you smoke a lot.

The regulations governing medical cannabis delivery are the same as in a medical cannabis shop. You need a doctor’s note and a medical cannabis ID to prove you are a qualified patient. You might have to register as a medical patient on the website you’re ordering from, uploading your doctor’s note and medical ID. After that, it’s like any other sale.

Do I need a rec card for weed delivery in California?

Nope. There’s no such thing as a ‘rec card’. You just need a valid government ID showing you’re age 21 or older; ie a driver’s license, or passport—just like you do when buying alcohol.

Can you get weed delivered to a hotel?

Yes. As long as it’s not a government address—they can deliver to it. Just make sure that you consume whatever you buy before leaving the state. Traveling from one legal state to another can get you into trouble with authorities in prohibition states.

Can you get weed delivered to your home?

Of course. Can you get a pizza delivered to your home? It’s like that. Just make sure to be home to receive the order—weed delivery drivers need an adult 21 or older to accept the delivery.

How do weed delivery services work?

Like any other online delivery service. Have you ever ordered a pizza online or by phone, or used an app like GrubHub? It’s the same. The services take orders and fill them as fast as they can for a fee. The limit is one ounce of flower, 8 grams of extract, and 1,000 mg THC of edibles—which is plenty for an amazing time. Check your order when it arrives to make sure they got it right.

Can tourists get weed delivery in California?

Great question. Yes. Just go to the Leafly Delivery portal, look at who is serving your area, and order. They’ll deliver to your hotel and cal you down to meet you in the lobby. This includes international tourists. Just have a valid ID like a passport.

Do you tip your weed delivery driver?

Cannabis delivery people, just like pizza delivery people, appreciate tips. How much you tip, of course, is up to you. Because retail pot is so expensive in the state, the standard 15%-20% gratuity might or might not be appropriate, depending on the size of the order (the average delivery sale is about $90). Some consumers say that, if your order is pricey, a tip of $5 to $15 will do fine.

How much to tip for weed delivery service?

How much do you tip for a pizza or Chinese takeout? Ten percent is nice—20% is twice as nice.

Do delivery services charge fees?

Usually, yes. The fees pay for gasoline and drivers’ salaries. They generally range from $5 to $10 but can be higher than that. They also add to the bill, of course. Some services waive fees over a certain order size. It’s up to you whether to consider delivery fees when considering how much to tip your driver.

What type of product can you get via delivery in California?

Anything you can get in a store: flowers, carts, dabs, edibles, topicals, hardware—you name it. Leafly organizes products so you can shop by type.

Do delivery services require a minimum purchase?

You usually have to order a certain amount of products before you can get them delivered. The minimums vary widely, so check your delivery service’s policies before you begin browsing.

How much should I expect to pay in taxes for weed delivery in California?

Anywhere from 22% to 38% depending on the city and county and their local pot business tax rate. Every order incurs a state 15% excise tax, plus state sales tax base of 7.75%—the variable is the city sales and excise taxes. Delivery services often offset these taxes with deals and other savings. Also, legalization is making the price per unit of cannabis so cheap, that it’s absorbing the high taxes. There are plenty of legal, tested, $100 ounces in California to be had.

Leafly Staff updated this 2020 post in March, 2022.