Dope to your door

EVAN COX used to deliver pizza. But 18 months ago, as he was running out of money at college in Seattle, he had a new business idea. The state of Washington was in the process of legalising the sale of marijuana, but he guessed it would take time for pot shops to open. So he set up Winterlife, a marijuana-delivery service.

Delivering dope is like delivering pizza, but easier. “You don’t need to keep your product warm, so you don’t need to return to base nearly as often,” says Mr Cox. “Your customers can peruse your menu but choose from your actual available selection at the time of arrival.” (And order a real pizza if they get the munchies afterwards.) Winterlife generates $1m a month, he says, and employs 50 people. Its website boasts that it is a “business with a conscience” that supports orphaned squirrels.