- The start-up launches its new upgrade, offering administrators and members a fully smart experience inside cannabis associations.
- The new features are a revolution in how these organisations operate, as they deal with the lack of specific regulation.
In April 2017 the rapper Wiz Khalifa released a video game for iOS and Android in which players grow as many cannabis plants as possible and then sell them. Over the last year, several companies have started selling smart fridges that let anyone grow a cannabis plant, whether or not they know anything about growing. Vending machines selling bags of weed, robots that monitor plantations and systems that track home deliveries of medical marijuana are just some examples of how technology is gradually conquering the emerging cannabis industry. 
In countries that already have specific regulation on the use of the plant, whether medical or recreational, the most cutting-edge innovations are taking hold in this new and attractive sector. This is only logical given the huge potential of the new market, whose start-ups want to use the latest technology from day one, bringing modernity and sophistication to cannabis decriminalisation. In Spain, despite the many pro-regulation proposals put forward at regional and national level in 2017, civil society is still waiting for clear regulation that would let it share in the many benefits of leaving prohibition behind. Fortunately, Cannabis Social Clubs and associations are the go-to organisations that allow users to consume in a safe place, with a controlled substance and within legal limits that are sometimes far too narrow. These non-profit consumption spaces, which have become a very distinctive social phenomenon in Spain, have not escaped the attention of software companies, which have started offering their services and modernising cannabis clubs, so that more and more club administrators are choosing to computerise their club.
A good example of this clear commitment to modernising and digitalising club services, making life easier for administrators and members, is the ‘SmokApp’ application.
On 2 November the company launched its latest upgrade: SmokApp Pro, a significant leap in quality for the running of associations. It syncs the club management software with the smartphone or tablet app, improving member loyalty and communication between administrator and members, and bringing more visits to the club. Previously, the app let members see the club’s menu of cannabis strains on their smartphone, read news about the legal status of the plant in Spain, keep up with their association’s events and take part in a Q&A service. Now SmokApp PRO has become much more than its basic version. Integrating the app with the club management software brings countless improvements that are clearly shaping the future of cannabis associations, enhancing the member experience and making administrators’ work easier. The new version lets members see the club’s available strains in real time and access fully up-to-date profile data, all from their smartphone. But what improvements does this bring for members and administrators?
The advantages of SmokApp Pro
- SmokApp Pro lets members identify themselves at the club by showing their virtual membership card on their phone at reception via a QR code. This saves administrators time and money, as they no longer need to produce cards or deal with members who forget their ID or do not know their membership number.
- SmokApp Pro lets members access their personal wallet in their member profile, to check their balance with the association in real time.
- Sometimes, through oversight or lack of attention by the administrator, the association keeps operating with members whose monthly fee has expired. To solve this, the app lets every member see the expiry date of their membership fee. A ‘push‘ notification is also being added to warn members when their fee is about to expire.
- Check the list of cannabis strains currently available at the club, so members do not waste time asking what is on offer. The administrator can choose to show part or all of the inventory: flowers, edibles, paraphernalia, bar, concentrates and more.
- Thanks to the sync between the management software and SmokApp, members can also check their forecast cannabis consumption. In addition to these features, SmokApp’s developers will offer administrators, as ‘add-ons‘ or extra upgrades, two new options.
The first lets members place orders inside the club using an iPad from their table, avoiding queues and receiving their strain at their seat. The second upgrade has been named ‘Smart Club’ and offers an even more sophisticated smart experience for members and administrators.
This option is based on ‘beacons’: small low-power devices that broadcast a signal with whatever information the administrator chooses, and that can be placed at strategic points such as reception or the dispensary. Thanks to these devices, when members walk into the club their membership card pops up automatically on their phone, and the strain menu appears when they reach the dispensary. Administrators can also hold their smartphone near the till to check the inventory, or next to the cannabis containers to see their current levels.
SmokApp PRO also offers club administrators various hardware options to improve the running of the organisation, such as QR code readers and cards. The new paid version will be available completely free of charge until 2018, a strong commitment to the future of clubs and associations. On top of all these improvements, SmokApp will continue to offer its free version to Social Clubs that like the app but do not have management software. For more information: +34 684 346 029 or info@smokapp.com
Author: Roberto Soriano
Twitter: @robersorian
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