Cannabis vending machine with live labels and bags in Colorado City

Cannabis vending machines – now capable of labeling and dispensing cannabis products in real time – represent a significant shift in the way cannabis products are normalized and are the new norm in Colorado.

Boulder, Colorado-based Terrapin has installed its first technology-driven ACE (Automated Cannabis Experience) vending machine at its Aurora Terrapin Care Station location. No need for a budtender or human being. Customers scan to verify their ID and confirm they are of legal age, follow the on-screen instructions and pay.

Best of all, you can watch through a 38″ x 30″ window at the vending machine as the weed is bagged and labeled live – a surreal experience for people coming from more restrictive states.

“Innovative solutions like ACE exemplify the increasingly mainstream nature of the cannabis space,” Terrapin CEO Chris Woods told 9News.

“ACE not only improves sales, but also offers unique benefits to consumers, including faster checkouts, enhanced education and the ability to engage in multiple languages. As the cannabis industry evolves, companies must adapt to meet the changing tastes and demands of consumers. ACE offers consumers a truly groundbreaking way to buy cannabis.”

How much product can a machine hold? An ACE machine can hold up to 1,152 cannabis products (depending on package size). It’s like your own little pharmacy.

The Aurora site will serve as a guinea pig to determine how well the vending machine meets customers’ needs.

“We are excited to support innovation in the business and appreciate Terrapin for choosing Aurora to implement this impressive equipment,” said Trevor Vaughn, Manager of Licensing for the City of Aurora. “Our top priority is public safety, and Terrapin is recognizing that with the implementation of this retail option, adding an automated layer of security to human verification to ensure that only those who are legal to consume cannabis are purchasing these products.”

It has taken time and effort to get the automated technology to where it is today, said Robert Schwarzli, president of BMC Universal Technologies.

Automated weeder technology

Terrapin debuted the new ACE automated vending machines at MJBizCon 2022, where they announced the launch of the Aurora vending machine.

ACE can be programmed in multiple languages, which improves inclusion. It can also improve the sales approach as ACE expands the budtenders and gives them more time to take more time. Perks include uncrowded “triple check” to ensure only verified adults 21 and over can purchase cannabis. It also speeds up the transaction, the company says.

Developed in partnership with BMC Universal Technologies, it is the market’s first fully automated cannabis vending kiosk that fully bags, labels live and dispenses cannabis products, according to a press release.

“As an established leader in the vending industry, we have the manufacturing design, automation and engineering expertise to design and develop the vending machine of the future,” said Robert Schwarzli, president of BMC Universal Technologies, last November. “ACE is the first vending solution on the market that requires absolutely no human assistance and is truly changing the way people buy cannabis products. While ACE is a first for the cannabis sector, we’ve brought to life dozens of other unique projects in countless other industries – and we’re excited about the future of cannabis retail.”

The concept of no human assistance is controversial — but it’s what we’re already seeing at Amazon, McDonald’s, Taco Bell’s Defy restaurant, and retail everywhere.

Terrapin also has plans to introduce additional ACE machines at its Terrapin Care Station locations throughout Colorado. It’s a little taste of what you might see more often in the future.