Seattle gets a marijuana vending machine

SEATTLE — Seattle residents can now purchase cannabis the same way they buy soda and snacks – right out of a vending machine.

Well, maybe not quite the same. First they need to enter a medical marijuana dispensary and show a medical marijuana ID. But those hurdles cleared, the glowing green machines beckon.

The ZaZZZ marijuana vending machine opened Tuesday morning at Seattle Caregivers, a medical marijuana dispensary. Arizona-based American Green, the company behind the vending machine, says it's the first age-verifying, climate-controlled, self-service dispensary.

The company's president says it took its cue from bars that used to have cigarette vending machines. They thought: "The 21st century was here and maybe we can upgrade on that because dispensing machines are a very effective way to service the public," said Stephen Shearin, president and COO of American Green.

The vending machines will be stocked by Seattle Caregivers and provide a "wide range of medicinal and recreational marijuana flowers, pot-infused edibles and merchandise," said the news release. The temperature-controlled vending machines are equipped with an advanced ID-scanner to verify a user's identity, age and additional data before dispensing selected items.

Shearin says there's never an unattended machine. There's always an employee around to check ID before you purchase.

"You never have access to the machine ever if there isn't a human around to check your medical ID initially on your way in," said Shearin.

Seattle Caregivers is located on South Jackson Street in Seattle's International District.

ZaZZZ was the focus of a flurry of headlines in April when it announced plans to place a marijuana vending machine inside a Colorado medical marijuana dispensary. Despite the image of easy access conjured by a vending machine, a series of barriers came with using the Colorado machine -- including employees who were required to ensure users had medical marijuana state identification.