People use their smart phones to track just about everything – health, banking, grocery lists – so why not cannabis? There are a growing number of cannabis-focused phone apps available, delivering news items, strain reviews, locations of shops, and even weed-themed games.

Leafly, the largest online cannabis resource, was founded as a website in 2010. Its app lets users explore shops near them, what strains are selling well and what sales are in progress. What began as a resource for the medical marijuana community has expanded to a thorough database of strain information, as well as a go-to cannabis news source.

Another popular app is WeedMaps, which also focuses on education and connecting consumers to shops. The app includes general cannabis knowledge as well as a massive review and social network. There’s plenty of information and tools to find cannabis brands, plus delivery services, shops, sales and medical authorization opportunities in the area.

There are other apps for other components of the industry, such as Grow with Jane, designed for medical growers or those who want utilize a plant inventory. Jane allows you to search for the strain being grown, whether it is in germination, a vegetative or flowering state, and to set your cultivation start day. This could be helpful in keeping track of and logging any plants being grown for their medical purposes and potential healing properties.

Jane also offers the ability to keep track of the environmental aspects of growing cannabis and a dashboard to see recommended upcoming and past growing actions. Users can also create a reminder for the day, which growers can find useful for crops and controlling inventory.

Another popular app is the Greenery Map, which was launched in November 2018, promoted as the world’s first and only cannabis search engine that easily allows for product search results based on factors like desired mood, medicinal benefit or method of consumption.

This app is aimed to be different than other search tools that only focus on general strains and prices. Its innovative technology allows for easy shopping of strains, plus oil, butters and CBD products based on whether you want to feel creative, energetic, sleepy or talkative, and then add in intended medicinal use, such as reducing depression, insomnia and/or aches/pains.

For investors and entrepreneurs, the New Cannabis Ventures app provides current American and Canadian cannabis news with a focus on industry leadership. It also includes an emphasis on public companies with current stock info and a ticker.

Along with apps for industry insiders and conscious consumers, there are also some apps just for fun. Simulation and role player apps are super popular, so Hempire and Wiz Kalifa’s Weed Farm both allow you to grow your cannabis crop and navigate the fiscal responsibilities of a legitimate business owner.

Both are colorful and creative, and free to download with in-app purchases available to speed up your progress.

Authored by: Taryn Mickelson, The Spokesman-Review