My Mind Has Been Boggled

Medical marijuana vending machines in Los Angeles. For real. At least three dispensaries in Los Angeles have installed them.

The computerized machine requires fingerprint identification and a prepaid card with a magnetic stripe. Once the card and fingerprint are verified, a bright green envelope with the pot drops down a slot.

[Inventor and owner Vincent] Mehdizadeh says any user approved for medical marijuana and registered in a computer database at his dispensaries can pre-purchase the drug and then use the machine to pick up.

Marijuana dispensed from the machine is less expensive than that distributed by human hand. The machine sells one-eighth of an ounce for $40.

The DEA feigns a neutral interest:

"Somebody owns (it), it's on a property and somebody fills it" said DEA Special Agent Jose Martinez. "Once we find out where it's at, we'll look into it and see if they're violating laws."

OTOH:

A man who said he has been authorized to use medical marijuana as part of his anger management therapy said the vending machine's security measures would at least protect against illicit use of the drug.

"You have kids that want to get high and that's not what marijuana is for," Robert Miko said. "It's to medicate."

Do the obviously level tones of his statement demonstrate a benefit from that medical marijuana?

Anyway, I'm in the midst of watching the second season of Weeds and I spotted this news article and wondered if I had gotten a contact high, or what.