Zero Emissions Cannabis Delivery

 
Zero emissions cannabis delivery sign.

Our mission as a cannabis brand focused on putting people and planet first is finding ways to be more sustainable. Every day, we see news of wildfires, floods, and record high temperatures. Climate change is here, and it effects us all.

As people in the United States, we realize that our carbon footprint per-capita is higher than many other places in the world. Driving cars causes considerable impact, and in considering starting a delivery service we explored all options for a more sustainable business model.

We want to do business in a way that serves as an example for others, and one way we can do that is to offer cannabis delivery with a lower carbon footprint than traditional delivery models.

Zero Emissions Delivery

Zero emissions delivery.

Knowing that our cannabis delivery service would run seven days a week, the only option we felt comfortable with, from an environmental perspective, is electric vehicle delivery. We installed four EV chargers at 7 Stars, and are now exploring the feasibility of offering an EV delivery service to customers. By offering zero emissions cannabis delivery, we can save one carbon-emitting drive per purchase. It also saves the in-store guest a little gas money. Truly a win-win!

Phase 1: Electric Vehicle Chargers

EV chargers at 7 Stars dispensary.

Status: Complete ✅

We successfully installed four electric vehicle chargers, thanks to support from MCE Energy, Kiva Confections, Sol Spirit Farm, Wyld, Native Humboldt Farms, and others.

Installing electric vehicle chargers is phase one of our zero emissions delivery initiative. We hired Energy Conservation Options, an independent, woman-owned energy management and implementation company, to install the chargers at 7 Stars.

We use 100% wind and solar power at 7 Stars, so charging our electric vehicles is 100% renewable. By making a commitment to renewable sources, we are expanding the renewable supply chain, and replacing carbon emitting sources with clean energy.

Phase 2: electric vehicle Charging for our suppliers

Man charging delivery vehicle at 7 Stars.

Status: Complete ✅

We now offer electric vehicle charging for our suppliers. We get dozens of deliveries to our store each week from our suppliers. Each one arrives in a cargo van or truck, often delivering to multiple dispensaries per day. Many of these vehicles, like the majority of vehicles on the road, are powered by fossil fuels. The EPA estimates that transportation creates more than a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. By offering electric vehicle charging at our dispensary, we can create a viable, carbon-free alternative to deliveries powered by fossil fuels.

We hope that everyone in the cannabis industry moves to electric vehicles, powered by renewable energy,and we are committed to supporting brands that do so.

We have reached out to vendors and offered vehicle charging in order to encourage our suppliers to purchase and use electric vehicles.

Phase 3: Building our Electric Delivery Vehicle Fleet

Electric delivery vehicle.

Status: Fundraising stage💸

We are currently exploring the feasibility of purchasing electric vehicles and offering zero-emissions delivery.

With the help of corporate sponsors and clean energy grants we could potentially run one or two delivery vehicles during business hours.

Phase 4: Zero Emissions Supply Chain

Wind and solar energy farm.

Status: Big picture future goal🌎

The cannabis industry has the power to create a zero emissions supply chain. What does this mean? It means our entire industry can use renewable wind and solar electricity for:

  • Our businesses

  • The transportation between our suppliers and our businesses

  • The transportation between our customers and our businesses

  • Transportation and businesses in the rest of the cannabis industry

  • And we can green the transportation we use to supply our business.

In the Bay Area we can choose renewable energy to power our homes and businesses. That’s what 7 Stars did. But the bigger picture is the entire supply chain. The whole industry.

The Cannabis Product Supply Chain

The cannabis supply chain is the entire network of businesses and the transportation between them, that it takes to get a cannabis product from the farm to the consumer.

Our cannabis dispensary made the choice to power our operations with 100% wind and solar power, using MCE’s Deep Green service. Farms, manufacturing plants, and consumers can do the same. These businesses can also choose electric vehicles, charged using renewable energy.

Greening the Cannabis Supply Chain

The supply chain becomes more electrified.

Our cannabis dispensary made the choice to power our operations with 100% wind and solar power, using MCE’s Deep Green service. Farms, manufacturing plants, and consumers can do the same.

The next step for 7 Stars is to make the transportation between our dispensary and the consumer zero emissions. We will offer a delivery service, using EVs powered by renewable energy, charged at the dispensary using our existing chargers.

We hope this will inspire other dispensaries to do the same. We hope that consumers will choose renewable energy for their homes and cars. And we hope that other businesses in our industry’s supply chain will do the same. But we have to start where we are at.

Once our zero emissions delivery service is up and running, we will share our findings and lessons learned with others in the industry, because fighting (and winning) the battle against climate change is necessary for the continued existence of our industry. The cannabis plant can not survive on a planet that does not control climate change.

sponsorship opportunities

Want to help with Phase 3 of our Zero Emissions Delivery project? Sponsor our fleet! In exchange for your donation of one or two new or used EVs, we will promote your business! The following is included in the promotion package.

Promote your brand on all of our channels

  • Website homepage

  • Dedicated website landing page

  • Email list 

  • Text alerts list

  • Instagram

  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • In-store screens

Full court press pitch

Multimedia production

  • Custom in-house video production, focused on your brand’s contribution

  • Professional photo shoot with your brand’s leaders and stakeholders

  • Photo and video assets for your use

Thanks to our Sponsors

We would like to thank the following brands who pitched in to make our EV charger project a reality.

Thanks to our Collaborators

Thanks to the folks at Energy Conservation Options and Marin Clean Energy (MCE) for technical assistance, grant support, and project installation.

 
 
Ian E