Pot Discovery App Returns to App Store

It's been a good week for mobile potheads: After the debut of High There!, an Android dating app for pot lovers, cannabis discovery service MassRoots has returned to the Apple iTunes Store.

MassRoots is only available in the 23 states with laws permitting the medical use of marijuana. It comes with a mandatory geolocation check to block users from unauthorized territories.

Cupertino's change of heart came after the developers of MassRoots and other advocacy groups petitioned the tech giant to move into the 21st century and stop barring drug-themed apps.

"We'd like to thank the App Store for embracing the cannabis community and continuing to set an example as a socially progressive institution," MassRoots said in a blog post. "We are excited to begin a new chapter with Apple in which we can work together to affect meaningful societal change."

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form—mostly for medicinal purposes. Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska are the only ones to allow recreational smoking.

"A tremendous amount of responsibility has just been placed on MassRoots; we have a duty to show the world that cannabis consumption can be done in a safe and responsible manner in compliance with state laws and federal enforcement guidelines," the blog said.

And the company takes that task very seriously, promising to implement additional features "to strengthen our compliance even beyond what is currently required."

MassRoots founder Isaac Dietrich told MacRumors that his team is already working on a "hard geofence" for its website and Android app, which is expected to go live today.

In May 2014, Apple yanked the Weed Firm app from its store, but it returned several months later as Tea Firm to get around Cupertino's objections.

Meanwhile, if your mobile game includes guns, that's fine. Just don't feature them in the promotional material you submit to Apple.

According to Pocket Gamer, Apple has been more actively cracking down on apps that include guns in the screen shots people can peruse before downloading an app. But as developer Marco Arment pointed out, this shouldn't be a huge surprise to developers, since Apple's rules have long stated that app icons, screenshots, and previews must be appropriate for those ages 4 and up.

Regardless of the topic of your app, it can now be much bigger. Cupertino has increased the size limit of an app package from 2GB to 4GB.

For more, see Marijuana Production: The Next Great Energy Hog?