How to open a cannabis vending machine

October 21, 2019 LovelyApps Support Collaborator

In this article we will tell you how you can open a light cannabis vending machine. The laws, the bureaucratic and technical "issues" to open this commercial activity.

Ideal for those who already have a shop and want to implement earnings with a new commercial offer. Read the whole article to find out how to open a cannabis vending machine. Specifically we will talk about:

The last frontier of commerce: vending machines
The advantages of having a vending machine
How much does a vending machine cost
Bureaucracy: what should I do?
How to place a vending machine in another business?
What information should I provide to the buyer?
Can I still open a hemp store in Italy?
Our vending machine in Athens

The last frontier of commerce: vending machines

The last frontier of legal weed distribution are vending machines .

They are more or less large machines, depending on the model, similar to those used for the sale of cigarettes or condoms, which allow you to purchase your own package of light marijuana even on weekends or late in the evening, when the shops are closed.

Real shops have recently been opened, made up of many light cannabis distributors , which operate without the need for staff.

Obviously there are restrictions in the administration of the product. Legal weed cannot be sold to minors, and the ban also applies to 24-hour sales: to complete the purchase, a document certifying the buyer's age must be inserted into the vending machine .

Vending machines have also arisen to facilitate access to medical cannabis , at times when canonical distribution cannot be active. These are distributors intended for consumers who have a medical prescription for the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

The distribution network of medical cannabis, in fact, is not yet widespread and patients who use it are often forced to travel long distances or, worse, to try to obtain the product on the black market, with enormous risks regarding the quality of the weed purchased. .

The products sold inside cannabis vending machines are checked and tested by professional and authorized research centers .

Even the doses sold to each individual user are controlled through a special identity recognition system, which ensures that each consumer receives the quantity of product prescribed by the doctor.

The advantages of having a vending machine

The advantages of being able to add a vending machine to your hemp store are countless.

By placing the vending machine in the shop window, the hours of sales to the public will be multiplied, guaranteeing the service even when the shutter is lowered.

You can also choose to relocate the distributor in an area far from your shop , through an agreement with other commercial activities, to expand the areas covered by the service and earn money even where you would never have reached with your shop.

Furthermore, the discretion of the vending machine will also allow people who prefer to complete their purchases in the utmost confidentiality to approach the business.

In any case, according to some estimates, the presence of a vending machine increases sales by over 40% , especially for products such as inflorescences and CBD oil.

How much does a vending machine cost

How much does it cost to open a vending machine business? Understanding the costs and consequently making an estimate of potential earnings is certainly the first step in starting a business .

There are several expenses to consider when starting a cannabis vending business, but despite the initial costs, the capital required is certainly lower than other businesses .

According to our estimate, the costs of starting a vending machine business are:

BUREAUCRACY > approximately 3,000 euros;
RENT > approximately 6000/12,000 euros;
SURVEILLANCE > 1,000/3000 euros;
INSURANCE > 500/1000 euros.

The biggest expense, obviously, is the purchase of the vending machine. In this case the new entrepreneur has two possibilities in front of him: the vending machines can be purchased or rented.

The fundamental thing, whether you choose to rent or buy your own vending machines, is to make sure that your supplier guarantees ordinary maintenance and technical assistance.

Bureaucracy: what should I do?

To start a 24h vending machine business you will have to follow the steps of all the commercial activities:

register in the Company Register at the Chamber of Commerce;
open a VAT number;
open INPS and INAIL tax and social security positions;
give certified notice of the start of the activity to the Municipality at least 30 days before the start;
give notice of the start of the activity to the various bodies via Single Communication to be sent to the Chamber of Commerce electronically via certified email;
request permission to display the sign outside the point of sale.
obtain a HACCP certificate if you decide to also sell food products.

How to place a vending machine in another business?

If you intend to activate a hemp vending machine with a third party, it is advisable to prepare a document certifying the ownership of the vending machine and the place where you choose to place it, with clear references to the duration of the agreement and the agreed economic return.

This document protects both parties from possible disputes or misunderstandings.

The place where you place the machine is at least as important as its contents. It is necessary to choose a location with high traffic and a point where the vending machine is clearly visible, easy to reach on foot or by car.

Recently the Supreme Court of Cassation has established a sort of "red zone" around school buildings, within which new light cannabis retailers cannot be opened.

What information should I provide to the buyer?

Italian law specifies the need to guarantee the distribution of only controlled and certified products.

For this reason, those who choose to start a 24-hour cannabis distribution business will have a very specific obligation: to ensure that they only purchase products certified by the manufacturer in compliance with Italian law .

To prove the origin and conformity of the products, the retailer is obliged to keep purchase invoices and product labels for one year from the purchase of the goods, and in any case for the entire time in which the product remains on sale or is kept in warehouse .

The police have the right to seize suspicious products to carry out certification checks and composition tests but, if the results of the check identify the material as unsuitable, the seller will not be held liable if in possession of the manufacturer's certifications.

Can I still open a hemp store in Italy?

Light cannabis has experienced ups and downs in the last two years.

Legalized in 2016 with law n.242, it could be cultivated and marketed without particular authorizations. The rule only allows the cultivation of cannabis sativa plants from the 67 genetics of the Official Catalog of the European Community.

The business has taken off and the land cultivated with light cannabis has gone from 400 hectares in 2013 to almost 4000 estimated for 2018.

In 2019 something changed: the Court of Cassation ruled to find a meeting point between two different provisions, one issued by the Fourth Criminal Section, the other by the Sixth, which gave essentially opposite opinions on the trade of light cannabis.

The sentence, essentially, prohibited the sale of oils, resin, inflorescences and leaves of marijuana sativa , because law 242/2016 did not include them among the marketable derivatives.

Whoever sells them therefore does so illegally, unless " these derivatives are, in concrete terms, devoid of any doping or psychotropic efficacy, according to the principle of offensiveness ".

What does the supreme court ruling mean? The Supreme Court ruling has very precise outlines but does not decree the end of light cannabis shops , at least not immediately.

According to the judges, in fact, " it is necessary to carry out a timely verification of the concrete offensiveness of the individual conduct, with respect to the ability of the substances to produce psychotropic effects ".

The ruling of the Court of Cassation, in fact, obliges the producers of light cannabis inflorescences to carry out accurate analysis cycles , which demonstrate the absence of "doping efficacy " requested by the Supreme Court on 30 June.

Our vending machine in Athens

The idea came in 2018. Exactly one year before this March 2019. Our brand has always focused on light , organic and "premium quality" hemp-based products and the Greek market has been able to welcome our requests.

The local collaboration with Hempoil , one of the leading Greek companies in the sector, did the rest. Terre 24h has been installed in the center of Athens and is available to everyone.

Terre 24h is the top of the range among vending machines, a leader in the sale of cannabis-based products (with the active ingredient THC within the legal limits ), and capable of managing a greater number of customers than the "classic supplier".

Terre 24h is suitable for people who don't like queuing and don't want to wait. Or perhaps for a matter of privacy: to purchase Cannabis light in a completely anonymous way.

Terre 24h is equipped with a digital display that specifies each correct version of the various products, to guarantee maximum quality and the right balance between performance.

Terre 24h, the marijuana vending machine, offers a pleasant purchasing experience: better sales, satisfaction as the main requirement, confidentiality, loyalty and the right price. Terre 24h does not sell narcotic substances but only products permitted by law .

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