Photo courtesy Ethereal Gold
Ethereal Gold kiosk
Ethereal Gold kiosk
In this age of growing self-service options, consumers can use automated self-serve kiosks for everything from purchasing a beverage to checking in for a flight at an airport. Now add purchasing cannabis products to that list.
Ethereal Gold Dispensary’s (237 Harrison Ave., Waukesha) automated self-serve kiosks program dispenses cannabis and mushroom products that are legal in Wisconsin. Bill Fuchs, who owns Ethereal Gold Dispensary with his sons, Michael and Erik, is aware of only three other cannabis kiosks in the entire state.
Their most current branding and kiosk model is available for 24/7 sales in the vestibule of the dispensary. They also have self-serve cannabis kiosks at Brookfield Square (95 N. Moorland Rd., Brookfield) and Salty Toad bar and restaurant, 921 Friedman Drive, Waukesha. Their kiosks are custom-wrapped with speakeasy-themed graphics that tie in with the dispensary’s décor.
They have a fourth machine in the dispensary that will be placed in a yet-to-be-determined location. Bill says they want to partner with more businesses to expand the self-serve kiosks to additional locations throughout Waukesha and Milwaukee counties.
Age Surveillance
The machines have a sophisticated age verification system and are monitored by surveillance cameras. The specific operation process varies slightly by machine model, but the overall process is for customers begin by tapping the screen and scrolling through a list of 30-plus edibles, smokables, flower or tinctures.
When the customer chooses an item of interest, the machine displays a QR code. The customer uses the camera app on their smartphone to scan the QR code. This opens an app that asks the user to scan their ID. To be certain that the ID matches the person, the app will also ask for a selfie.
Once the user’s age is verified, they can resume the checkout process. Payment is made via credit card, and then the item dispenses from a small chute toward the bottom of the machine. Bill notes that the ID has to be held perfectly still for the machine to get an accurate reading.
The kiosk software allows them to program product information that’s displayed on the screen. They have remote access to the kiosks and can address technical issues off-site. The software notifies them when products are getting low or if there’s a jam in the kiosk.
“We also work closely with Waukesha and Brookfield police departments when we place a machine,” says Bill. “Michael sends out a 14-page dossier to police departments that explains who we are, information about the products and the features on the machine.” Bill, Michael and Erik can decide which products to stock. The kiosk with 24/7 access located in the dispensary’s vestibule offers a representation of their most popular products.
Person to Person
For those that want a human, person-to-person experience, skip the machine and visit the dispensary, where a cooler is stocked with a sample of cannabis and mushroom beverages such as Wyld cannabidiol (CBD) sparkling water or Floral tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) cocktails and Nowadays cannabis-infused shots.
“Nowadays has a lemony taste similar to a margarita, so it works well in mocktails,” Bill says.
A back retail area has products sorted according to experience and by cannabinoid. A health and wellness section has cannabis and mushroom products formulated to help with pain relief and stress reduction, such as adaptogen mushrooms, bath bombs, sport creams and THC-free pet products.
There’s a range of delta-9 cannabis products such as gummies, taffy, brownies and chocolate, and a selection of smokable flower. In addition to CBD, Ethereal gold Dispensary carries other cannabinoids such cannabinol (CBN), which can help improve sleep; cannabigerol (CBG), which may relieve inflammation and discomfort; and hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), used for pain relief and focus.
Consumer education is a large component of their business, Bill says, and they work with customers to select products that meet their needs. They require a certificate of analysis (COA), provided by a third party lab, for each product. They only carry products that do full panel testing, which checks for heavy metals in addition to potency. They call labs to independently verify that the COAs for products are correct; Bill says they have found many falsified COAs while curating cannabis products. (shepherdexpress.com/cannabis/cannabis/deciphering-certificates-of-analysis)
Ethereal Gold Dispensary’s It’s the Right Thing to Do program donates 2% of all retail and kiosk sales to charities that help communities adversely affected by the ‘War on Drugs.” Past charity partners include the Last Prisoner Project.
They also have a subscription program and daily specials with 10% off certain products. Shepherd Express readers can also enjoy 20% off orders with the promo code SHEPEX20.
For more information, visit etherealgolddispensary.com.
