WATCH: Marijuana “Vending Machine” Kiosks Coming to MA
The cannabis business in Massachusetts is booming and a Boston-based company is bringing sales into the modern-day era of self-checkout.
Headquartered in Boston, anna, a computer software company that also has offices in Boulder, Colorado announced this week that it will launch its self-checkout vending machine style products in Colorado dispensaries this week. Massachusetts is right behind with the company expecting to launch in the Bay State this September. The company's goal is to enable 14 units across the two states within the next eight weeks. Nevada, California and Canada are next on the projected list.
So how does it work? With the vending machine style devices, customers can browse in-store using the touchscreen interface or use online ordering by scanning their QR code upon arrival, ideally keeping the checkout process to less than a minute.
The company contest that local agents are still tasked with verifying customer's ages through their driver's licenses, and approving payment before orders can be processed.
Given the state of the country during the pandemic, anna's CEO Matt Frost says the service will allow dispensaries to service additional customers while adhering to today’s social distancing guidelines. The units have been in development for nearly three years, but the importance of social distancing regulations has increased the need for the company’s product.
The service is sure to attract Massachusetts dispensaries, who's sales have topped $785 million since marijuana became legal for recreational use in November of 2018. So far in 2020, the industry has generated $320 million.
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