Marijuana vending machines: Seattle's first dispenser to open next month

Washington is the second US state to legalise cannabis

Kashmira Gander
Friday 30 January 2015 19:51 GMT
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Residents in Seattle will soon be able to buy cannabis from a vending machine
Residents in Seattle will soon be able to buy cannabis from a vending machine

Grabbing cannabis in Seattle will be as easy as indulging in crisps, candy and cola next month, when a marijuana vending machine will open in the city.

From 3 February, customers can buy cannabis from the American Green ZaZZZ machine at the Seattle Caregivers medical dispensary.

The cabinet will be stocked with medicinal and recreational marijuana, as well as pot-infused edibles, CBS News reported.

As is the case with alcohol across the US, only adults over 21 can buy marijuana in Washington State, so the machine is fitted with a ID-scanner to verify the customer’s age.

In a statement, Stephen Shearin, president and chief operating officer of American Green, said it was an “exciting time in Seattle’s cannabis community”.

While the vender is a Washington State first, cannabis users in Colorado have been able to use a similar model at Herbal Elements medical marijuana dispensary in Eagle-Vail, Colorado, since last April.

Washington and Colorado both voted to legalise marijuana for recreational use in late 2012, with stores opening in each state last year.

Meanwhile in Illinois where recreational cannabis is illegal, advocates for medical marijuana have expressed their concern that delays in issuing distribution licenses are keeping the drug from patients who need it.

Former Democratic Governor Pat Quinn, who supported medical marijuana, left office in January without issuing licenses for growth and distribution, leaving it to his successor, Republican Governor Bruce Rauner.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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