Monday, April 14, 2014

Bud-Vending Innovation (Who Says Americans Don't Make Anything Anymore?)

ZaZZZ it, the reefer robot



















So Colorado now has coin-operated vending machines that dispense hash brownies? Try to top that, Amsterdam!

According to today's NPR report, the machines are aimed at the medical marijuana market. I guess that makes them, like, urgent care facilities. Because there isn't always a hospital nearby when you've harshed your mellow.

An automated pot-selling machine was unveiled at an event held at an Avon, Colo., restaurant Saturday, promising a potential new era of selling marijuana and pot-infused snacks from vending machines directly to customers.

Its creators say the machine, called the ZaZZZ, uses biometrics to verify a customer's age. The machine is climate-controlled to keep its product fresh.

You may be picturing a vending machine on a sidewalk, ready to dispense pot brownies to anyone with correct change. That's not quite what backers of the machine have in mind. For now, at least, the ZaZZZ is aimed for use only by medical marijuana patients. And it'll be in licensed stores, where it will serve a purpose like that of an automated checkout line at a grocery, they say.

-- snip --

"We're going to eliminate the middle man," Herbal Elements owner Greg Honan tells Denver's Fox 31 TV. Describing the vending machine's benefits, Honan added that the snacks will go directly "to our budtender, right into the machine. There's no room for theft by patients, by employees — there's no way to lose track of the inventory."

The ZaZZZ isn't the only marijuana vending machine out there. Both Arizona's Endexx and California's Medbox have made headlines for their efforts to streamline pot sales. But as far as we've seen, those companies' products are kept behind stores' counters — for now, at least.

Apparently "Budtender" is now a job title, like "Barista." The next step is inevitable: display cases of farm-fresh gourmet weed at Starbucks. Which, for all I know, might already exist someplace.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

TSB: This is a great idea for high stress foreign posts and my sources tell me it was one of the conditions for settling the Isreali Diplo strike. They got everything they wanted!! geb

http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_04_03/Israeli-diplomatic-corps-strike-ends-higher-salaries-demands-satisfied-7047/

TSB said...

So they really stuck it to the Man, eh? Well, I'm glad. Some of that old collectivist Kibbutz spirit still exists.

John Smith said...

Ha! Perhaps the administration and vending companies in Los Angeles ought to learn something there.

James said...

Breaking news: Colorado leads nation in new hash oil fracking techniques!

Anonymous said...

TSB: Speaking of which, I hope the NSA is keeping a close watch on this laid back leader has been leading the movement to have everyone go to pot! gwb
http://fusion.net/leadership/story/vice-reporter-smokes-joint-president-uruguay-591723

Anonymous said...

TSB! James!! Forget about Ukraine, according to my sources Baghdad is about to fall to AQ forces! Has the US embassy heard about this?? gwb

http://www.debka.com/article/23847/Baghdad-buttresses-defenses-ready-for-wholesale-Al-Qaeda-assault-on-city

TSB said...

GWB: I don't think AQ is capable of laying siege to a city anywhere, but the State Department just issued a emergency warning to citizens about rising AQ attacks around the world, and particularly in the Arabian Penninsula.

Anonymous said...

TSB: Take a look at that river! It's down about 82%. Another article somewhere says a lot of the experienced jihadis are originally from the USA and have recently been in Syria. Also Prince Bandar resigned as securtiy chief in SArabia 5 days ago. (stratfor) gwb

Anonymous said...

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Apr-07/252496-isis-jihadists-open-new-front-in-baghdad-push.ashx
TSB: This article reflects what you are saying. However, yesterday the heads of Beji and Haditha refineries were kidnapped and a provincial security chief was blown up yesterday. Also Kurds have cut off water to the south from a big dam. gwb

James said...

GWB: Yeah, I've been seeing some of this. In reality you could say Iraq is in a state of civil war, but there are so many actors involved you'd need three programs to keep up with who's who.
This quote did catch my eye "'Entering Baghdad is impossible, this is not logical,' said Brigadier General Saad Maan, spokesman for the Interior Ministry and the Iraqi capital’s security command center."
Well they're there. This involves Iran's attempt to control Iraq and keep open land communications to their allies in Syria, and it could get very interesting.


Anonymous said...

James: NATO is talking about F-16's in Kiev.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-16/nato-boost-air-warship-presence-around-russia-netherlands-may-deploy-f-16s-ukraine

I think they are just setting the table and providing backdrop for the big event which comes next week when Joe Biden parachutes in for a loooooong speech that Jill is writing for him. gwb

TSB said...

GWB: Joe Biden is always the main event wherever he goes (at least in his own mind). And as for Jill, she is always "Doctor" Biden in all forms of address. They stress the "Doctor" so much that I assumed she was some kind of renowned surgeon or whatever, but it turns out she is a Ph.D. In education.

James said...

" she is a Ph.D. In education." This fact makes her marriage to Joe strange, but understandable.

Anonymous said...

TSB: Another incredible show of incredibly high class 'diplomatique'
by Sec State Kerry and Lavrov seems to have brought us back from the brink of WWIII. There is one little problem but I'm sure these two guys will be working tirelessly to smooth that out. gwb

Kiev: Military operation in Ukraine southeast to go on despite Geneva agreement

Anonymous said...

TSB: Susan Rice says we now expect the Russians to put pressure on the
the illegal building occupiers to recognize the $5 billion 'Nuland Coup' and is proposing renaming the country 'NULANDIA'. Also, this just in: Ana Marie Harf has officially quit 'Hrmmmphing'after an internal survey found her to be sexier than Psaki. Former spokesman PJ Crowley says STATE is plagued with ageism and announced he is about to become a grandfather. gwb

TSB said...

GWB: If there was a survey asking 'Marie or Jen?', I wouldn't have voted for Marie. But, I'll admit that, with the glasses, she has a nice librarian-y thing going on.

Anonymous said...

Yes TSB the glasses add a lot of IQ and intrigue but James and I will take a 70's Emmylou Harris and two more bottles of wine any day. gwb

James said...

" James and I will take a 70's Emmylou Harris and two more bottles of wine any day" or the current version GWB, any time.

TSB said...

Good choice. Emmylou is still performing, which is a remarkably long career. Are there any other singers who first performed in the late-60s going on tour this summer? I doubt it.

Anonymous said...

Oh Yeah TSB: Gordon Lightfoot is currently on tour. He's 76 but looks and sounds like 96. Poor guy still has a great attitude though. gwb

http://bit.ly/1llMEqS

TSB said...

Gordon Lightfoot, too? Like Emmylou, he's calm and mild-mannered. Maybe that's the secret to a long productive life.

James said...

Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Smokie Robinson, Bob Dylan, B B King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton.

Anonymous said...

TSB,James: I had a girl friend (2003-2006 era) who dragged Lightfoot home from a bar in downtown Spokane circa 1971. After she got him sobered up and a fire going he stayed up til 6:30am playing her songs on his guitar. He was a perfect gentleman. Later he wrote a famous song about her called 'Susans Floor'. He made millions off it!
http://binged.it/1pjrqQt

TSB said...

James: Quite a lot of that generation still active! How did I forget about Wiliie Nelson?

Anonymous said...

TSB:JAMES:Leave it to James to have the complete list! That's why we pay for that annual TSB subscription. Everything you need to know in one place! gwb

James said...

TSB:
for your penance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx8RI5i1RH0

James said...

Didn't remember that one GWB, pretty good.

Anonymous said...

James: That was good penance! And the next one down is was my 1st favorite Willie hit because my grandpa was a Kansas-Texas-Montana cowboy which I relived on TV. gwb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT0MOG9ZGWk

James said...

That's one of my favorites also. GWB
Try this one if you haven't heard it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTPzP5Qq8q8

Anonymous said...

TSB: I think this IRS campaign to get Ron Paul to disclose his donors is pretty post-constitutional since nobody gets a deduction for sending money to him. I have an idea for Ron. He should make himself a candidate for President and announce that he is just running for Vice-President so he can keep the other candidates honest. That way he could be in all the debates and skip the campaigning. gwb

http://www.campaignforliberty.org/national-blog/fight-irs/

TSB said...

GWB: Good idea. Why not explicitly say "I'm running for Veep," since that is what everyone already knows some candidates are doing? "I'm here to be your source of quotes about the other candidates." It's what playwrights do when they need an expository device to fill the audience in on what's happening in the play.

Anonymous said...

Sure TSB: A 'shadow candidate' would make all the debates more interesting and could actually lead to some actual debate. gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: The Japanese are keen to honor their WWII war dead but it looks like China has some memories of their own. But I'm sure Obama will get this all straightened out when he' over there later this week. gwb (wonder how our ambassador is coming with the Japanese lessons?)

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-21/shrine-visit-retribution-china-seizes-japanese-cargo-vessel-over-war-debts

Anonymous said...

TSB: Former Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole said Monday that the U.S. should send weapons, including tanks, to Ukraine to help it resist Russia’s moves on its territory and to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a strong message.
It's great to know the old war dog is still kicking! I wonder if he thinks it's his turn again? gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: They now have the ball rolling for the $100 million Obama library in Chicago. (tax payer funded by a back room deal!)
Chicago is broke, like Detroit and Puerto Rico but if they legalize prostitution, marijuana and casinos and maybe just eliminate schools altogether they could be back on their feet in no time. gwb
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/04/21/republican-house-leader-opposes-using-state-funds-for-potential-presidential-library/

TSB said...

GWB: I'm surprised the location will be Chicago instead of Honolulu. Not that I don't like Chicago - it's the Miami of Canada, after all - but I kind of figured that Obama wouldn't spend his post-White House years there. Doesn't he want to be near his library?

Anonymous said...

TSB: The Miami of Canada! That's a good one. I'm looking forward to seeing the plans for the 'library'. Since the taxpayers can fund everything how about a 2nd library in Hawaii? Sort of a plantation with an ocean view with the Obama's new home and golf course attached? gwb

Anonymous said...

TSB: The Chi-coms have a pretty tight lid on an ever changing truth but we are making progress. James Clapper is on a one man crusade to keep American youth from admiring Snowden. This college tour by 'a guy who gets it' will be fun to follow.
gwb
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-23/james-clapper-begins-propaganda-tour-after-students-identify-edward-snowden-personal

Anonymous said...

TSB: Clapper better get busy! Snowden was just named 'rector' at Glasgow University. He joins such luminaries as Adam Smith and the Isreali guy who revealed the Isreali nukes in 2004 and got 20 yrs for his trouble. Oh, and the Ukrainian coal miners are on strike! gwb

http://rt.com/news/154308-snowden-glasgow-university-rector/

Anonymous said...

TSB: As I watched a few bits of Nuland's testimony today in the senate I was thinking this is a historic instance of diplomatic blunder and everyone is trying to pretend Putin started it. This anon
blogger points out 20 parallels between our current situation and the Soviets of the 80's. gwb

http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.com/2014/04/how-ukrainian-crisis-will-eventually.html

Anonymous said...

TSB: I knew with Obama on a goodwill tour of Asia that Joe Biden would cement last week's 'de-escalation agreement' reached with Lavrov. gwb

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-24/fighting-breaks-out-ukraine-deploys-tanks-apcs-troops-slavyansk-deaths-reported

Anonymous said...

TSB: It's like a teenage romance! Last week such a beautiful performance and now these two won't even take pre-scheduled phone calls.
gwb
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-24/digsuted-kerry-and-lavrov-cant-even-hold-phone-conversation-any-more
AND HERE comes Kerry with the lipstick! http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-04-24/john-kerry-explains-how-well-truce-deal-and-sanctions-are-working-out-live-feed

TSB said...

GWB: In fairness to Kerry, he's busy bringing peace to the Middle East. Did you notice how he united the warring Palestinian factions?

James said...

fighting in Europe, China on the move in Asia, Venezuela on fire, Syria dying, and of coarse France still being France. Therefore to a world of troubles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCps1wduLCI

Anonymous said...

I know TSB, Kerry has had more high level discussions in a year than Hillary had in 4. The guy is simply a relentless diplo-hound and total team player sharing the ball with such a 'diverse' team. gwb