A relatively new technology has hit the cannabis market.

Weedmaps, an app for your smart phone, can connect you with the cannabis shops in your area. We spoke to Carl Fillichio, public relations spokesman for Weedmaps, and asked him all about it.

Q: When did you begin your app and why?

A: We were founded in 2008 and are headquartered in Irvine, California. We’ve got offices in New York, Arizona, Colorado, Canada, Germany and Spain. Weedmaps is an advertising, technology and media company. That means a lot of things, but at the very heart of it, we provide the world’s most comprehensive marijuana directory and discovery service.

On the technology side, we offer several cloud-based solutions ranging from point-of-sale to doctor practice management solutions. On the media side, we produce Weedmaps TV on YouTube and marijuana.com, one of the world’s leading sites for marijuana-related news, information and lifestyle features.

But most people know us for our app. If you are looking to learn about marijuana brands and products or the dispensary or delivery services which sell them, Weedmaps should be your first stop. We also provide resources to help new consumers understand the product.

In 2007, after he left his job as a mortgage industry executive, co-founder, Doug Francis started a company called Marijuana Medicine Evaluation Centers. It was a website to help people find doctors who advocated medical marijuana for patients. The following year, he merged his company with a fledging technology enterprise called Weedmaps – which at the time just listed city-by-city marijuana collectives, dispensaries and patient reviews.

Even back then, we knew we were on to something. We were providing information that enabled consumers to finally obtain reliable data about marijuana, its effects and where to legally purchase it.

Q: When did it become active in Washington state?

A: We saw the first store in Washington appear on the map in April of 2010. Today, we get about 100,000 visits a month from people in Washington State. Currently we list 211 dispensaries, 185 delivery services and 29 doctors’ offices in Washington State.

Q: Is it for both medical and recreational marijuana uses?

A: Yes, both. Jurisdictions with medical or recreational laws on the books are serviced by Weedmaps with listings of doctors, dispensaries, delivery services, deals and brands.

In the United States, Weedmaps caters to all states where there is some form of legalization …but some more than others. Decriminalization efforts, medical legislation and the passing of recreational programs all help determine our focus within each state across the U.S.

In states that have yet to pass medical or recreational marijuana laws, we provide information on legalization and other related topics. Consumers in any state can avail themselves of our learning and news resources.

Q: How is your app better than competitor apps?

A: Where do I start? We have by far the best ‘deals’ platform, the largest number of menu items, the largest number of listings, listings, a platform specifically for brands … and no pop up ads!

Without a doubt, Weedmaps is the premier marijuana shopping experience. We offer an unrivaled package of features that make shopping for cannabis as effortless as possible. Where our competition is only beginning to scratch the surface of the shopping experience, Weedmaps has been in the driver’s seat for the last eight years.

Q: What does it cost? How do people get it for their phones?

A: The app is free to download and use. It’s available from both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Q: What is its effectiveness?

A: We enable thousands of people every day and any time to search thousands of dispensaries, brands, products deals, delivery services and doctors. Bottom line: If you can’t find it on Weedmaps, it doesn’t exist.