The future is now: Vending machines in 2023 dispense cannabis, beer, art, cupcakes, and now the life-saving drug Narcan, as we race into an automated world.

Santa Clara University (SCU) in California announced the installation of a free on-campus vending machine that dispenses canisters of the opioid-overdose reversing medication Narcan.

“Naloxone is a miracle drug that can reverse an opioid overdose within minutes,” Santa Clara University Assistant Professor of Public Health Jamie Chang told NBC Bay Area. “To not provide this seemed really counterintuitive to a lot of public health principles.”

One of the goals is to avoid the stigma surrounding opioid overdoses, and instead see Narcan as a life-saving instant solution. The fact is that people die because friends are afraid to dial 911, or are unaware of Good Samaritan laws that protect people from trying to save a life from an overdose. But students need to have the Narcan on-hand in order to act fast in most situations.

“Our goal for this is to get naloxone out into the community because the more naloxone that people have in their hands, the more chances there are to save a life,” student Isabella Bunkers said.

The vending machine concept is likely coming to a university near you. The Mercury News reports that Stanford University plans to introduce one in a few weeks. “SCU is a party school, so drug use is something that we know happens on campus, off campus or near campus,” said Setareh Tehrani, who helped launch the project.

The idea was inspired by the death of Charlie Ternan, a former SCU student, who died of fentanyl poisoning while his friends thought he was asleep at an off-campus fraternity in 2020.

This arrives as one in five youth deaths in California are blamed on fentanyl and opioids, according to preliminary data from the California Department of Vital Statistics. Fentanyl killed a record 5,722 Californians in 2021, much more than the estimated 4,258 people who died in auto accidents in the state and more than twice the 2,548 killed in homicides.

You don’t even have to be looking for fentanyl to overdose from it: Two students at Ohio State University died from fentanyl overdoses, according to a May 5 announcement by the Columbus Police Department, and officials say the fentanyl was disguised as Adderall. 

While Narcan can cost up to $150 without insurance, most students can’t afford the cost, which is one of the core purposes of the project. Additionally, when someone is overdosing on an opioid, fumbling around for a payment method might take too long to save a life.

“The first thing is that it’s free, and it’s in a place that is widely accessible to students,” said Chang, who helped launch the campus vending machine. “(But even) regardless of whether or not students decide to take the Naloxone, we’re hoping that it at least sends the message that they need to take this seriously and that there are tools out there for them.”

Under California’s Senate Bill 367, public colleges in California, public schools are required to provide access to Narcan on campuses. Some high schools in the state are taking the initiative to provide Narcan for students.

Santa Clara County is considering installing similar vending machines on high school campuses.

“People are more aware of fentanyl. We’ve talked about it everywhere, from Greek life to club sports to varsity sports,” said Olivia Pruett, a senior who studies public health. But Narcan “is only effective if people have it when they need it. This conversation has to keep happening.”

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Minnesota are trying to pass a bill that would require schools in the state to have the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan available in the event of an emergency situation.

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Representing a significant shift in the way cannabis products are being normalized, weed vending machines—now capable of labeling and dispensing cannabis products in real time—are the new norm in Colorado.

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

But best of all: you get to watch the weed get bagged and live-labeled through a 38 x 30-inch window on the vending machine—a surreal experience for people coming from more restrictive states. 

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

“ACE not only improves sales but also provides unique benefits to consumers, including faster checkouts, expanded education, and the ability to engage in multiple languages. As the cannabis industry evolves, companies must pivot to meet changing consumer preferences and demands. ACE offers a genuinely game-changing way for consumers to purchase cannabis.”

How much product can one machine hold? One ACE vending machine can hold up to 1,152 weed products (depending on the size of the packaging). It’s like its own little dispensary.

The Aurora location will serve as the guinea pig to determine how well the automated vending machine serves customers’ needs.

“We are happy to support innovation in business and appreciate Terrapin for choosing Aurora to implement this impressive equipment,” said Trevor Vaughn, manager of licensing for the city of Aurora. “Our highest priority is public safety and Terrapin acknowledges this with their implementation of this retail option by adding an automated layer of safeguards to human verification to ensure that only those legally allowed to consume cannabis are purchasing those products.”

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

Automated Weed Vending Machine Technology

Terrapin first unveiled the new automated machines ACE at MJBizCon 2022, where they teased the vending machine rollout in Aurora. 

ACE can be programmed in multiple languages, improving inclusion. It can also improve the sales approach as ACE augments budtenders and frees them to take more time. Advantages include the human-less “triple check” to ensure only verified adults ages 21 and over can purchase cannabis. It also speeds up the transaction, the company says.

Developed in partnership with BMC Universal Technologies, it’s the first fully automated cannabis vending kiosk on the market to fully package, live-label and dispense cannabis products, according to a press release.

“As an established leader in the vending industry, we have the manufacturing design, automation and engineering expertise necessary to design and develop the vending machine of the future,” Robert Schwarzli, BMC Universal Technologies’ president said last November. “ACE is the first vending solution on the market that requires zero human assistance, truly transforming how people shop for cannabis products. While ACE is a first for the cannabis sector, we’ve brought dozens of other one-of-a-kind projects across myriad other industries to life—and are excited about the future of cannabis retail.”

The concept of zero human assistance is controversial–yet it’s what we’re seeing already with Amazon, McDonald’s, Taco Bell’s “Defy” restaurant, and across the board in the retail space.

Terrapin also has plans to roll out additional ACE machines at its Terrapin Care Station locations throughout Colorado. It’s a glimpse of what you might be seeing more of in the future.

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