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By KTLA, Courtesy CNN

LOS ANGELES, California — A local company is aiming to make dispensing medical marijuana as simple as using an ATM.

Dispense Labs, based in Aliso Viejo, has unveiled a dispensing system called “Autospense” that looks a lot like a vending machine.

But the company’s founder, Joe DeRobbio, says the Autospense is much more sophisticated than that.

Patients must swipe a registration card and then enter a PIN number. They can then pay by cash, credit or debit, and a door opens to deliver the product.

Patients who are registered with a dispensary would be able to access the system 24 hours a day.

When the dispensary is closed, the Autospense is surrounded by a cage that must be opened by swiping a registration card.

Features like fingerprint recognition, security cameras and purchase tracking provide additional security.

DeRobbio says the company plans to lease the machines to dispensaries for $1,500-$2,000 a month.

Currently, only one machine is in operation, at a dispensary in Santa Ana.

Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996, but it remains illegal under federal laws.