Cannaable is set to become the Amazon for cannabis

Amazon aims to be the marketplace for everything. But, not for CBD. Startups from the industry are not allowed to sell their products on a platform like Amazon, even though CBD is a current hype that can be used to make money. Cannaable is set to become the Amazon for cannabis. CBD is obtained from the female hemp plant. In contrast to THC, it is not psychoactive. But the cannabinoid is said to have a pain reliever effect. Sounds promising, is purely vegetable. If you google for CBD oil on Amazon, mostly products made from hemp seeds appear. But hemp seed oil is not a CBD oil. Industrial hemp is legal. CBD products are included in the novel food catalog. They are considered new and require approval according to the Novel Food Regulation - and this is still being examined. At the end of last year, the European Court of Justice classified CBD as a food, not an addictive substance. So CBD is in a legal gray area. A gray area that Amazon or Ebay are not in the mood for. Advertising is blocked as soon as even CBD can be seen in images or text. This is a niche in the market that Florian Bein and Sascha Wiebelt have opened up. A year ago they founded the Cannaable marketplace. The idea came to them while traveling in Canada and the USA, where, according to Wiebelt, there was a shop with CBD products on every corner. "It felt like the run for green gold," says Wiebelt. Intoxicated by green gold, one could say that Wiebelt and Bein first wanted to create a concept for a marketplace for products with THC content. Of course, that won't work for now, because that's illegal. It is difficult enough nowadays, cannabis still has an image problem in Germany. Wiebelt: "In our society, cannabis is viewed as a drug. It is just the Latin word for hemp. Many do not know that." They decided to focus their business on what is legal today and solve the marketing problems of CBD dealers. They went into cold calling. Googled for dealers, called them, told them about their plans with Cannaable. The most frequent response, says Wiebelt, was: "People have already called us three times who wanted to do it. Your service never went live. Let's see if you can do it. We would join in." The result is the Amazon for cannabis. Cannaable is the link between retailers and consumers. The two founders no longer need acquisitions. The dealers approach you and want to be listed on the website. Bein and Wiebelt come from the marketing industry. They rely on a mix of loopholes in Google Ads and SEO strategies. And they have expanded the marketplace to include the Hanfplatt blog and the podcast called Pottcast, are doing educational work there, and are inviting founders from the scene for discussions. Wiebelt and Bein do this not only for marketing reasons, but also out of love for the benefit of the plant: "Hemp plants have earned a higher status in society, which is why we also do public relations work." CBD dealers are therefore offered more than one platform where they can be present and customers can not only buy what the hemp plant legally produces, but also get information on Cannaable. The website even has a CBD advisor, a tool that helps you find the right CBD product: for vaping, as drops or tablets, CBD oils are bestsellers. Because: Manufacturers: inside are not allowed to advertise that their CBD could relieve pain. The drug advertising law prohibits this. For new customers: a green chaos inside. It quickly becomes clear that the market poses a number of hurdles. Wiebelt and Bein had to experience that too. At first it was difficult to build a business without advertising, to find the necessary loopholes. In addition, it is not only Amazon and Google who are opposing each other, but also many payment providers such as PayPal. That's why you can only pay in advance on Cannaable, which is pretty much 2010, but common in the industry. Wiebelt and Bein are well networked and are in contact with the German Hemp Association and the industry association for the cannabis industry. "Nobody sees us as competition, but as partners. That is why we list the biggest brands in the scene and are in direct contact with them." The green gold business has intoxicating potential. Wiebelt and Bein were able to secure an investment in the mid six-digit range at the beginning of the year, as Wiebelt says.