3D printing, legalization of weed, and the often-outrageous Mike Tyson are a combination certain to gain worldwide attention, and especially for individuals indulging in cannabis for medicinal reasons. While you probably expect that edibles backed by the famous boxer will pack a power punch, his business collaboration with California-headquartered Smart Cups is meant to offer exactly the right dosage for consumers seeking either recreation or medication. Many seek to enjoy the benefits of marijuana, but not so much so that it ends in a trip to the ER—or well, just an unexpected trip.
(Image: Getty Images)
The benefits of cannabis are being expounded on for nearly every malady these days, it seems. If you visit a dispensary in a state where weed is legal, “budtenders” know their stuff and can point you to whatever strain is best for managing symptoms.
Patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and a wide range of serious illnesses may rely on smoking weed or ingesting edibles to relieve many different symptoms, to include nausea, joint pain, muscle spasms, insomnia, and much more. Many individuals prefer edibles, but they are well-known for offering surprising results in regard to potency.
The Smart Cups product was founded on a brilliant concept, 3D printing, and pressing the ingredients for energy drinks into the bottom of a plastic cup, just waiting to be brought to life by water. Even more brilliant is the versatility of the brand, allowing it to translate to medications and marijuana edibles, too. Tyson may have the license to print edibles, but Smart Cups is bringing the formula and technique. The “materials” will have to be supplied by experienced growers manipulating the different strains into cannabidiol (CBD).
“Printed actives and flavors are released when they come in contact with a liquid (i.e. water, soda, or saliva),” explained CEO of Smart Cups Chris Kanik in a recent interview with Forbes.
With the Smart Cups micro-encapsulation printing technology licensed to The Ranch Companies (owned by Tyson, founded with branding expert Rob Hickman), the goal is to eliminate “one of the systematic issues plaguing this industry.”
Leaving the knock-outs up to the former heavyweight champion, ultimately Tyson and Hickman want to offer cannabis products that consumers feel comfortable about eating, rather than worried about what they might be getting themselves into due to unpredictability in weed potency.
“We have partnered with top research universities to collect critical clinical data supporting CBD for medicinal purposes and pain relief. The Smart Cups Technology is a new delivery system which we believe will set new standards in this industry,” said Hickman. He added, “At the moment, the industry is lacking consistency. When an individual consumes 100 mg of aspirin, no matter where they are in the world, they are confident that they are consuming 100mg of aspirin. Smart Cups Technology can provide that same consumer confidence.”
Many states are still far behind the true pioneers in cannabis like Colorado and Washington, but the laws continue to loosen up elsewhere significantly—leading to a billion-dollar industry that just continues to expand. Other celebrities have thrown their hat into the ring also, including Snoop Dog, Tommy Chong, and Whoopie Goldberg.
Big corporate investors are also turning their attention to what is obviously a highly-profitable business opportunity, with 3D printing playing a role in numerous projects so far, from medical marijuana inhalers to child-safety devices, and even unusual recycling concepts.
[Source / Images: Forbes; Maxim]
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