Firm offers Washington pot dispenser help

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OLYMPIA, Wash., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- A California company is offering Washington state's Liquor Control Board help in creating machines to dispense marijuana.

Medbox, a company specializing in automated dispensing machines for medicine, contacted the Liquor Control Board in December, after the state and Colorado legalized possession of up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational use for adults over the age of 21, to help create a marijuana retail program, The Seattle Times reported Friday.

Mikhail Carpenter, spokesman for the board, said marijuana would not be dispensed from vending machines.

"The reality of the way the law reads, only a licensed-retail outlet can sell marijuana. That pretty much prevents any corner-vending machines," Carpenter said.

Bruce Bedrick, chief executive officer of Medbox, wrote to the board that the machines would not be used by members of the public.

"I want to be completely clear that in Washington, these machines would be located behind a counter, inside a retail outlet, where it would be operated by a dedicated technician. There will be no direct-customer contact with the machine," Bedrick wrote.

The new law went into effect Dec. 6.