US vending machine sells booze and cannabis

A US company has rolled out a biometric vending machine for booze and cannabis that dispenses with the usual ID checks – as long as customers pre-register to use it.

A beer crate vending machine rolled out across Belgium in 2015 (Photo: Imgur)

Amercian Green– a tech company for the cannabis trade – has pioneered the smart vending machine, which was intended to sell cannabis, but Stephen Shearin, a consultant to the company, reportedly told the Metro US that it was up to the vendor what to stock in the machine.

The smart vending machine operates using biometric data which is scanned and stored on registration. To register, a customer needs to scans their fingers via the machine’s biometric scanner to build an image of their veins and vascular architecture, and supply ID, address, and email, which, along with age, is checked at the same time by a human.

They can subsequently use the vending machine to purchase items such as booze, cannabis or other items determined by the retailer, with the smart vending machine tracking all sales and inventory.

“The biometric we use is something the military uses to authorise people to walk through gates all around the world,” Shearin reportedly told the Metro US.

Around 25 of the company’s steel encased and alarmed ‘smart’ vending machines are being built, with some operational in the US – but these come at a cost of around $20,000 for the machine, along with $500 a month fee for repairs and updates.