Weedmaps is the newest data platform for the marijuana consuming community. Basically the Yelp of the Weed world, the application/website provides users with a guide to all things green. From doctors to strains to dispensaries, Weedmaps provides information and user reviews to help make educated decisions on purchasing and procuring. Started eight years ago by a marijuana advocate and a pot smoking programmer, it is a crucial platform for marketing dispensaries. The president of Weedmaps Media Inc, Christopher Beals, aims to provide the most accurate information to his users. Up to date menus and lab data on strains are a key priority, however the application thrives on user reviews. Going from a self-funded startup company to an industry leader has not been easy, and with a recent look at the review based system, it seems that a rocky start has only created more issues.
Upon recent investigations, it seems that the app is most likely tainted with thousands of false reviews. A large number of the positive reviews come from a small group of individual Weedmap users. The same IP address appears numerous times for a single business. It has also been found that dispensaries are promoting free joints or edible lollipops for patrons who leave glowing reviews, as well as asking their own employees to comment on the place of business–a common practice in the world of dispensaries. This compensation not only violates a rule for using Weedmaps, but it also distorts the factual information Weedmaps claims that they try to provide. This is most definitely a flaw in the software and management of the company’s software.
Beals has stated that he does not want any part of the platform to be neglected. Weedmaps is currently developing tools to aid in the monitoring of this problem, as well as add more monitors. The problem is huge though. Approximately 62% of the reviews left through the application/website have come from a very small number of IP addresses. According to Fakespot, a New York startup company specializing in finding the legitimacy of user reviews, Weedmaps would have failed their rigorous outlines they provide for companies such as Amazon. In some cases, 40 out of 50 reviews were deemed questionable due to similarity in review posts and to identical IP addresses. Of the 598 businesses that were reviewed, 70% of those businesses had a batch of comments originating from one user. Weedmaps has suggested this problem has arisen from one user leaving reviews of a plethora of different menu items.
Whatever the case may be, Weedmaps users should be concerned about the slack design and policing. The leaking of IP addresses does not necessarily pose a threat for anonymity; it does, however, leave the possibility of a cyber attack wide open. The string of numbers could help locate a physical address, allowing someone to hack into a network and lure a victim in.
Someone close to Weedmaps has recently said, “The foundation cracked but they kept building. Trying to fix the foundation with a house on top of it is a huge undertaking.” Some users feel that the company isn’t addressing these issues quick enough, though they did quit broadcasting the IP addresses of users. Others feel that this is event is unfortunate. Alex Adelo, a dispensary manager, feels that this hiccup is normal for a growing industry. Beals has noted that upgrades were coming, and suspect dispensaries were being contacted. The most helpful reviews and avid users would get recognition, and technology is being created to keep information as up to date as possible. Beals stands firm with the key to Weedmaps success being iteration, product improvement, and information for the user. For more information, check out the Weed Courier homepage.
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