Austin CBD shop offers drone delivery to reduce person-to-person contact

Once social distancing policies took effect in Austin, business owners had to get creative to continue selling their products. 

AUSTIN, Texas - An East Austin CBD shop is taking social distancing one step further, offering drone delivery of their products.

Once social distancing policies took effect in Austin, business owners had to get creative to continue selling their products.

“I have everything from oil to honey. We have vape stuff, vape pens, vape cartridges, hemp cigarettes,” said John Elmore, owner of Green Cross CBD.

At first, Elmore said he was sterilizing products and offering curbside pickup.

“People that use it for medicine, they’re already going to have an immunocompromised system, so we make sure that all of those necessary precautions are taken, whether it be for them or just anyone. Because you never know who’s coming in contact with who, so that’s why we’re just extra careful about how we deliver and just the whole process,” Elmore said.

Last week, Elmore started tinkering with an idea to deliver products to his customers without ever having to come into contact with them.

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“Now we’re offering drone delivery,” said Elmore.

In order for his plan to really take off, he had to find a way to carry the products. “I was able to come up with a contraption where I could drop it in your front yard and unlatch and just takeoff,” Elmore said.

There have been a few snags along the way.

“We’re not supposed to fly over streets or anything like that, so, most likely with the drone delivery, what I’ll be doing for people that are really wanting that no contact delivery, I’ll be pulling down their street just kind of making sure that I’m not flying over people or cars,” said Elmore.

There’s also a weight limit.

“The drone can hold up to two pounds safely. I don’t like to exceed that, but, yeah, that’s quite a bit of CBD,” Elmore said.

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