Weed vending machines are being rolled out in Massachusetts and Colorado.
The innovative idea comes from Matt Frost, from Massachusetts, founder and CEO of the ‘tricked out vending machine’ Anna.
Anna is a vending machine designed to take and fill orders for marijuana products. Customers can purchase items such as flowers, edibles, and vape oils without having to interact with a salesperson, or wait in line for their purchase.
The first Anna machines have already been rolled out at Strawberry Fields dispensary in central Pueblo, and they’re set to debut in a second Colorado dispensary and in Massachusetts in the near future.
As previously reported by the Denver Post, the Anna founder came up with the idea for the machines while trying to adapt the efficiency of a retail self-checkout system to the marijuana industry.
He noted that customers can sometimes have to wait for hours to get their products and that the coronavirus outbreak led to a demand for contactless pickups.
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“There are experienced cannabis customers who don’t necessarily need that one-on-one interaction with a budtender. They know what they want before they walk in, they’re ready to go in and out,” Frost said. “By doing this we’re giving more time back to the people who do need hand-holding and want that education from a live person.
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At the Strawberry Fields dispensary, customers still need to show identification and check in to use the machines, but they are then able to fill a virtual basket before paying with card or cash.
Customers can also preorder using the Anna app and then quickly check out using the machine, reducing the waiting time before they can sit back, relax, and enjoy their purchase.