Transparent disclosure of our business model
When you click "View on Google Maps" on a club page, we earn a small referral fee from Google. That's our only revenue source. Nothing else affects our editorial decisions.
Weedbcn needs revenue to operate. We pay for servers, design, photography, legal research, and the time our team invests. We decided early on that this revenue must come in ways that don't compromise our independence.
We chose a single model: Google Maps referral fees. When readers click "View on Google Maps" on a club page, they're taken to Google Maps. Google pays us a small commission for the referral. This money funds our operation.
This model is transparent, scalable, and doesn't interfere with editorial decisions. A club's ranking on Weedbcn has no effect on the commission we earn. If we included bad information to get more clicks, it would harm our credibility and eventually our revenue. So we have every incentive to be accurate.
To protect our independence, we explicitly don't do the following:
Clubs cannot pay to be included in Weedbcn. We list clubs because they meet our standards, period.
Clubs cannot pay to rank higher in our directory. Our order is based on our assessment, not money.
We don't run banner ads, pop-ups, or sponsored content. You won't see club advertisements on Weedbcn.
We don't have affiliate agreements with cannabis retailers, delivery services, or other related businesses.
We never sell reader data, browsing history, or contact information. Your privacy isn't for sale.
Clubs cannot sponsor our guides, articles, or resources. Everything we publish is independent.
Our approach is similar to how travel sites like Kayak work. Kayak doesn't charge users to search flights. They earn money when you click through to book a flight. This creates alignment: Kayak succeeds when they give you accurate information that helps you find the best deals.
We work the same way. Our Google Maps referrals only work if you trust our information. If we steered you toward bad clubs or ranked clubs based on money instead of quality, you'd stop visiting. Our revenue depends on your trust, so we protect it fiercely.
This isn't charity. We benefit financially from having good information. But unlike models where clubs pay for coverage, our financial incentive aligns with accuracy.
Our revenue model protects independence because:
We believe you deserve to know how we work. If our business model changes, we'll update this page immediately. If new partnerships or revenue streams emerge, we'll disclose them. If we ever face pressure to compromise editorial standards for money, we'll tell you that too.
Transparency doesn't make us virtuous—it makes us accountable. You can judge whether our model protects your interests.
If you have concerns about our revenue model or want to discuss editorial independence, contact us: