Weed via WAP in Amsterdam
Published: 17 Aug 2000 14:01 BST
As of 1 September, a fleet of bikes will whizz around Amsterdam delivering marijuana ordered via phone, fax and even WAP mobiles, courtesy of Dutch startup iToke.
Customers will pay for their herbal remedy with prepaid "iTokens" -- smart cards that can be obtained and refilled online by credit card.
"IToke was a no-brainer," says Seattle expat Tim Freccia, one of iToke's two founding partners in a release. "For years, Europe has been striving for a rational, balanced policy towards marijuana. With the advent of comprehensive e-commerce solutions, we have been able to demonstrate a distribution system to communities that not only allays fears about criminality, but also guarantees that users can enjoy our products safely and responsibly."
"Better yet, much like the state-sanctioned lottery in the UK, we have provided governments with a way to funnel tax revenue back into the community."
IToke also intends to open "iTokeo" clubs -- the first opening at the same time as the service starts in Amsterdam, then three flagship clubs to open in London. It is also developing services in Paris and Tokyo.
If the two founders have their way, iToke will have a sky high IPO by the end of the year.
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