By Annette Semerdjian
Cannabis culture is going to see a major shift come 2018 when the smoking and consumption of weed finally becomes legal. Looking ahead to this bright, very near future, Brian Campbell and Matt Singer took the opportunity to start their company, Tökr is set to hit the market early next year, and will combine the best features of Yelp, Groupon and Netflix to create a one of a kind online search experience for users and dispensaries alike.
Tökr allows users to easily access dispensary locations, discount deals, and recommendations based on purchase history and interest in certain strains. The app will also share relevant information with dispensaries. So if the majority of users in a certain area prefer a certain strain, dispensaries serving the area will be aware of it. For instance, through surveys and beta testing, Tökr was able to determine that over 80 percent of West Hollywood smokers prefer the indica strain. Information such as this gleaned from the app will then be translated into profit: Dispensaries can also use the app to better serve customers by picking up on trends and analytics to show when a customer is looking for product and what they’re looking for. “We’re providing a free solution for customers and dispensaries. With the data we’re collecting, we’re able to break down who’s claiming deals or viewing menu items, and taking all that information to identify industry trends,” Campbell told LA Weekly. So whether you’re a Glassell Park toker who can’t get enough sativa or a Beverly Hills hybrid addict, your local dispensary will soon know it.
The startup is based in Venice, which is also home to a vast stretch of Silicon Beach, the tech incubator that’s given L.A. a ton of its most lucrative startups. With legalized adult use of marijuana about to launch in 2018, cannabis culture will no longer be defined by those who frequent Venice Beach drum circles: From West Hollywood to Malibu to East L.A., Tökr is the app to cater to that new and soon to be booming culture. The app will serve beyond Venice and reach to dispensaries all over the city while possibly expanding out of state toward Oregon. Currently working with dispensaries about 40 dispensaries including Green Goddess and 99 High Tide, Tökr plans to branch out even more. Singer said to LA Weekly, “We want higher-end dispensaries to promote the forward-thinking brands in the industry. That’s what people are comfortable to go get as you modernize this industry and make our grandparents comfortable with cannabis.”
Tökr is currently available on Google Play and iTunes.
