Significant change hits California self checkouts as shoppers allowed to buy controlled substances

California shoppers are getting a very different kind of checkout surprise.

A Sacramento dispensary has become the first in the state approved to let customers purchase cannabis products through self-checkout kiosks — a retail twist that would have sounded like a futuristic fever dream just a few years ago.

Perfect Union Northside dispensary recently rolled out RFID-powered self-checkout after parent company MWG Holdings Group scored approval from California regulators — bringing the “grab, scan and go” experience to a place shoppers never expected.

The move marks a major milestone for the state’s tightly regulated marijuana industry, bringing a familiar convenience-store feature to a product category that still comes with plenty of rules and red tape.

“Cannabis retail is maturing fast, and we intend to lead that shift,” MWG Holdings CEO Tom Sheridan said in a recent statement.

“Bringing RFID-powered self-checkout to Perfect Union Northside gives our guests a faster, more seamless experience while giving our teams sharper inventory control and stronger security.”

The new system lets shoppers ditch the old-school beep-by-beep routine. 

Instead of scanning each product one at a time, RFID technology can recognize multiple items at once — speeding customers through checkout while keeping the dispensary’s inventory in check.

The system also had to clear California’s regulatory hurdles before going live.

After a review by the Department of Cannabis Control, regulators gave the high-tech checkout the green light, confirming it could stay on the sales floor after successfully syncing with the dispensary’s payment system and Metrc, California’s cannabis tracking platform.

Translation: The weed world got a tech upgrade — but regulators were still watching closely.

The self-checkout lane just got a little higher. A Sacramento dispensary is now the first in California where customers can ring up their own cannabis purchases. Getty Images

Perfect Union Northside’s self-checkout is now available to customers at the Sacramento location, with the company saying the technology will help improve inventory visibility, efficiency and security across its operations.

The rollout comes as cannabis retailers nationwide continue experimenting with ways to modernize the shopping experience.

But California’s self-checkout launch comes as Americans’ relationship with cannabis is undergoing its own dramatic shift.

As previously reported by The Post, daily or near-daily marijuana use has officially surpassed regular alcohol consumption for the first time, according to federal survey data.

Roughly 21.4 million Americans ages 12 and older reported using ganja daily or nearly every day in 2025, compared with 17.2 million who admitted to drinking alcohol at least 20 days out of a 30-day period.

As per data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Regular cannabis use has also edged past cigarettes, with 19.9 million Americans still lighting up daily or nearly every day.

The numbers show America’s vices are getting a makeover: booze and tobacco are losing steam, while cannabis is stepping further into the mainstream.

The futuristic checkout passed its regulatory test, with officials confirming the RFID system could remain on the sales floor after successfully syncing with the dispensary’s sales platform and Metrc, California’s cannabis tracking system. Getty Images

Now, dispensaries are trading their old-school medical-shop feel for a slicker retail vibe — complete with the kind of self-checkout tech shoppers already use everywhere from grocery aisles to big-box stores.

For Mary Jane consumers, the future may look a lot like checking out groceries — just with a much different item list.