A first-of-its-kind cannabis vending machine is online in Aurora, Colorado, 9News reports. The ACE – Automated Cannabis Experience – was installed by Boulder-based company Terrapin at its retail dispensary.
The machine, was developed in partnership with BMC Universal Technologies, and is the first fully-automated cannabis vending machine on the market to fully package, live label, and dispense cannabis products while meeting or exceeding compliance requirements, the report says. Customers first scan and verify their ID, follow the instructions on the screen and pay to complete the purchase. Customers can watch the packaging process through a window in the kiosk.
Terrapin CEO Chris Woods told 9News that the ACE illustrates the “increasingly mainstream nature of the cannabis space.”
“ACE not only improves sales but also provides unique benefits to consumers, including faster checkouts, expanded education, and the ability to engage in multiple languages. As the cannabis industry evolves, companies must pivot to meet changing consumer preferences and demands. ACE offers a genuinely game-changing way for consumers to purchase cannabis.” — Woods to 9News
Terrapin said the machine will allow faster checkouts, allow budtenders to provide more consultation to other customers, and can be programmed in multiple languages.
Trevor Vaughn, manager of licensing for the city of Aurora, said the city is “happy to support innovation in business and appreciate Terrapin for choosing Aurora to implement” the machine, which he described as “impressive.”
“Our highest priority is public safety,” he said, “and Terrapin acknowledges this with their implementation of this retail option by adding an automated layer of safeguards to human verification to ensure that only those legally allowed to consume cannabis are purchasing those products.”
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