Medical marijuana vending machines open in L.A.

Americans who have traveled to Japan are no doubt familiar with the ubiquitous jidoohanbaiki: standalone vending machines that dispense soft drinks, coffee, food, comic books, paperbacks, clothing (including underwear and stockings), videos, CDs, jewelry, flowers — and booze (beer, whiskey, sake).

California went a big step further today: Vending machines that dispense medical marijuana.

The first two were activated today in Los Angeles at licensed cannabis clubs. State voters approved doctor-prescribed marijuana in 1996 for patients suffering serious pain or nausea who don't get relief from other drugs. (Here's background on medical marijuana in California.)

This is how the AVMs — Anytime Vending Machines — work:

• Customers bring their prescriptions for approval at the AVMs, housed in enclosed room guarded 24/7.
• They are fingerprinted and photographed.
• They receive a pre-paid credit carded loaded with their individual profiles.
• They choose their dosage (3.5 grams or 7 grams) and one of five strains of marijuana.
• The marijuana is in capsule form and dispensed in vacuum-sealed packages.
• They can buy no more than 1 ounce a week.

Anticipated future vending: Viagra, Vicodin, Propecia and anti-depressants. (Seriously.)