Weed vending machine debuts in Colorado with more on the way

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The first ones landed at Strawberry Fields dispensary in Pueblo

 Anna, the weed vending machine, debuted at Strawberry Fields dispensary in Pueblo. The company hopes to expand to other Colorado location in 2020.

In an era when consumers can buy groceries, pet supplies and even a life-size cardboard cutout of Lizzo without directly seeing a human, one company is ensuring Coloradans can also purchase their cannabis contactless.

Matt Frost is founder and CEO of a company called anna, which makes what he calls a “tricked out vending machine” designed to take and fill orders for marijuana products. The first ones landed at Strawberry Fields dispensary in central Pueblo, where customers can now purchase flower, edibles and vape oils without having to interact with a budtender. They’ll debut at a second dispensary, Starbuds in Aurora, sometime this year.

Frost, whose background is in healthcare data analytics, originally developed the concept to adapt the efficiency of a retail self-checkout system to the marijuana industry. In his home state of Massachusetts, dispensary waits can be hours-long and some shops require patrons schedule a pickup time for pre-ordered products.

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CANVAS Technology unveils world’s first completely autonomous self-driving cart

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Autonomous cars are still a long way away from replacing human drivers on the road. But make no mistake: Intelligent, highly adaptable self-driving robots are here — and CANVAS Technology is leading the way.

CANVAS has been on our radar for a while. The Boulder-based robotics company launched in stealth mode more than two years ago, leaving us guessing at the work being done behind the scenes. It wasn’t until last September that the company finally revealed its mission: to build the world’s first completely autonomous, self-driving industrial cart.

Today, CANVAS unveiled its long-awaited brainchild and gave us a glimpse inside the complex and fascinating evolution of its technology.

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Tesla bids for a new world’s largest Powerpack battery system in Colorado

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After breaking a few energy storage records with its battery system projects in Australia, Tesla looks to come back to the US to build a new world’s largest Powerpack battery system in Colorado.

Earlier this year, we reported on Xcel Energy, an electric utility company operating across the Midwest, Colorado and several other states, requesting bids for major renewable energy and storage projects in Colorado.

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9 Reasons Every Online Marketer Should Learn Code

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You’ve heard it said before that learning how to code is an important skill for everyone today. But maybe, as an online marketer – SEO expert, SMM expert or PPC/SEM expert – you probably don’t think that applies to you. Surely you can do your job just as effectively without having to know the basics of web development, right?

Wrong. Having even the most basic knowledge of CSS and HTML can make a significant difference to your career. It’s not just for web designers and developers or other tech-inclined people. In truth, everyone can benefit from having a little coding knowledge, from small business owners and sales managers to event coordinators and even magicians. Provided you use the Internet to conduct some of your business – and that’s virtually everyone over the age of five.

Below are nine areas you can apply your coding to your marketing career:

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MIA federal rules stall Colorado’s ready-to-fly dronemakers

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In Colorado, 15 of the first 500 FAA exemptions were granted to permit commercial drones to fly. But enabling those and other waiting businesses to spur an estimated $232 million in economic impact — and create more than 1,190 jobs — in Colorado by 2017 hinges on long-delayed rules based on a 1946 U.S. Supreme Court case filed by a poultry farmer.

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The Branding of Marijuana in the Marketplace

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The market for marijuana is changing, at least in the states where the drug has been legalized. In Colorado and Washington, where recreational marijuana is legal for adults, cannabis sellers are finding new approaches to the way they sell their products. The new business plan, for many, includes advertising and marketing — a shifting image.

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Colorado alcohol DUI arrests at weekend checkpoint led marijuana busts 21 to 1

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Colorado Department of Transportation’s “Drive High, Get a DUI” campaign.

Legal sales of recreational marijuana began in Colorado on January 1, 2014.  Since then, state agencies have made a big push in regard to so-called stoned driving. Witness the Colorado Department of Transportation’s “Drive High, Get a DUI” campaign, which features a series of public-service announcements with a light touch.

 

 

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Colorado’s soaring demand for marijuana ushers in weed cottage industry

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Demand outstrips supply in Colorado

Supply can’t keep up with demand in Colorado. Colorado is one of two states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use (the other being Washington), Colorado’s pot industry has ushered in a booming warehouse market–part of a greater cannabis cottage industry.

 

 

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Drones provide Colorado flooding assistance until FEMA grounded them

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There has been unbelievable flooding going on in Colorado. The rain has made it difficult (or impossible) for airplanes and helicopters to get in and out of the area. Drones can fly in and out, though, and while they’re not able to pick up people or drop off supplies, they are able to make damage assessment maps to help relief agencies coordinate their efforts. Or at least, they were, until the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) showed up and grounded them. (Video)

 

 

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