CBD and the Vending Industry: A Match Made in Heaven?

Imagine this: you go to an airport or train station. You are walking past rows of vending machines full of snacks and healthy prepared meals – then you stumble upon a smart vending machine full of CBD products. This is the future. This is now.

As the CBD market scales, it’s expected to reach $24.4 billion by 2025, according to CBD insights firm Brightfield Group and its 2019 report. While FDA regulations across the country gain steam, some states already have CBD and marijuana laws in place. CBD is legal in the United States. Having a CBD vending machine will depend on state and local laws, but the possibilities are growing.

CBD And Smart Vending Machines

In 2014, a marijuana dispensary in Vancouver launched what is thought to be the first marijuana/CBD vending machine. Since then, vending options have become more popular, and they are already popping up in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal.

Vending machines are also becoming more popular, in general. Intelligent vending machines, in particular, are ever-increasing in airports, bus stations and railroad stations. These hubs are now focusing on more automation, which means smart vending options will be the norm.

CBD products are primed to sell from vending machines. C-stores see these products flying off the shelf. The gummies and tinctures are low-hanging fruit, accounting for 50% of retail sales, according to IRI’s fourth-quarter 2019 CBD data report. Consumers grab the accessible products, so putting them in a vending machine will make them more enticing. Other products, such as CBD sparkling water, can easily be vended, consumed and enjoyed by consumers.

Vendor operators must be in compliance, though. So, make sure you’re abreast of local regulations and that there’s an age verification process in place.

Age Verification on CBD Vending Machines

Using smart vending machines, consumers will be able to buy a slew of CBD products ranging from edibles and oils to tinctures. But one thing the vending machines must do is have some age-verification technology in place. There is a plethora of options out there, with the SandenVendo V21i standing out amongst the best.

There are age restrictions for CBD products, so selling CBD out of a vending solution that can verify age is crucial.

One of the main features of these CBD vending machines will be the age-verification process. The V21i allows for age verification through an app, so, when users are in a transportation hub, they can use their smartphone to purchase CBD products from the vending machine. This intuitive, interactive and inclusive vending machine has a 21.5-inch touch screen, which will help make selecting products easier. The screen will allow for extra information to be available about each CBD product, so the consumer understands what they are buying. They can also pay with their digital wallet on their smartphone or watch.