CBD vending machines expand in Austin

• Greenbox has already set up machines on East Cesar Chavez and at Halcyon bar and cafe on Fourth and Lavaca.

What they're saying: "It's like Redbox, but cooler," owner John Elmore tells Axios.

Flashback: At the start of the pandemic, Elmore, who owns a brick-and-mortar store, launched a CBD-by-drone initiative.

• But, it turned out, per FAA regulations, he could fly products only from a customer's mailbox to their front door, he said.
• Elmore told Axios he began his vending machine venture after he had a dream he was at a machine purchasing cannabis.

Between the lines: Vandals have taken sledgehammers and crowbars to his machines to try to steal products.

What's on the menu: Delta-8 sour peach gummies and Banana Runtz Delta 8 pre-rolled CBD cigarettes are among dozens of options.

Yes, but: The legal status of Delta-8 THC, the popular cannabis derivative sold in smoke shops and CBD stores across Texas, has been hazy. As of now, though, it's legal.

Context: Delta-8 is the milder cousin of definitely-illegal-in-Texas weed. It's consumed mostly in the form of edibles and vape cartridges.

What's next: Elmore said he's looking to franchise the machines.

• Even if Delta-8 is ultimately outlawed, he says he will have plenty of CBD products to sell.

The bottom line: The vending machines show just how mainstream cannabis can go, even in law and order-minded Texas.