Seattle’s Pot Vending Machines Been Released Just In Time To Become Obsolete

The company said its pot-dispensing machines are designed to meet the needs of the growing medical marijuana community in Washington, and plans to expand to other cities and sates as the marijuana market grows.

Not Just Chips And Soda Anymore

ZaZZZ is not the first company to offer vending machines selling marijuana products, Medbox, Inc. (OTC: MDBX) offers a similar self service experience in California and Colorado’s Herbal Elements offers consumers a selection of THC-laced edible products in its machines.

The vending machines are able to scan customers’ ids in order to dispense the drug, but a retailer must check for a medical marijuana license before a person can us the machine.

Self-Service On The Way Out?

Critics say the machines may not be a good investment because of the state’s rapidly changing regulations on the sale of the drug. For the moment, medical marijuana sales in Washington are only loosely regulated while recreational sales must follow strict laws which make the end product much more expensive.

President Obama’s Budget Proposal Backs D.C. Marijuana Sales

However, lobbyists are pushing to make the drug’s regulation streamlined across both industries, thus making prices more competitive.

If the two markets are regulated similarly, medical marijuana will carry a similar price tag to recreational marijuana, something that will likely decrease the number of medical users.

For recreational sales, vending machines would have to be operated by dispensary employees only, making their serve-yourself appeal obsolete.

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