What is reportedly the first-ever vending machine to dispense marijuana flower buds accepts only cash and Bitcoin . Credit and debit are not accepted, as per regulations by the US federal government.
The machine is located at an approved medical pot dispensary in Seattle. Medical marijuana dispensaries exist in twenty states, with Washington and Colorado allowing even those for recreational use.
American Green, the producer of the machine, hopes to expand to beyond medical marijuana dispensaries.
Just as the dispensary requires proof of age and eligibility, so do the machines. The machine has a touch screen allowing customers to place orders, play video games and read up on medical information of the products sold.
The flower buds are known to have the highest concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient.
"It's historic, there's just no other way to state it. We saw the repeal of prohibition in the early 20th century and the mark that made on our country and the companies that did it right," said Greg Patrick, a spokesman for American Green.
One of the goals of the machine is to relieve clients from having to line up in the dispensary. It also does not have a glass window, and according to the company its contents are secure against theft.
