Big business coming to the cannabis industry

Alt101

Well-Known Member
So, two former executives from Keurig are making a vaporizer called the CannaCloud. It will use "pods" like Keurg. I'm not making the this post to discuss the exact product, more just curious what everyone things about this approach in general. How do you feel about big business getting into the industry? Do you think products like this will be the future for most consumers of cannabis? I can't see myself buying 'pods' personally.

Related Article: http://www.techinsider.io/about-cannakorp-keurig-of-cannabis-2015-11
 

ReggieB

Well-Known Member
Pods? I think it's disgusting tbh they'll probably be putting DRM in those pods like they did with coffee machines so you're locked to one manufacturer. Sounds like the classic big business, sell the content delivery system cheap, rinse peoples pockets on the consumables, this is a bad idea.
 

DDave

Vape Wizard
Accessory Maker
How do you feel about big business getting into the industry?
The moment it's legalized the flood of big business getting into the industry will make the Noah's Ark flood look like light rain!

(They are already making plans and have solidified business channels. It would be my bet that they have their finger over the trigger just waiting)...
 

Philreal187

Well-Known Member
I personally will not support big business especially not in the cannabis world. To me the greatest part about vaporizing and fc is the small companies involved. I'm sure plenty of people will give these companies business and that is their own choice.
 

twosilvertrees

lose the planetary mindset
I understand the concern about big business shoehorning its way into cannabis. However, having some strong corporate backing behind the legalization movement can't hurt, really. It'd be nice if some big manufacturers or companies threw their weight, influence, and support into pushing for legalization -- but I'd be reluctant to let them get involved aside from that :p

Also Keurig produces pods that you can fill with your own ground coffee if you'd like! I'd be SHOCKED if they didn't make a similar item for this vaporizer, provided it ever gets officially launched or whatever. I appreciate the idea behind streamlining the process (no worrying if your grind is too fine/weed isn't dry enough/no scooping so less mess overall) but sometimes prepping your material to be vaporized is part of the ritual, you know?

I think it would be a great device for anyone looking for quick and easy medical relief -- basically mmj patients who may not be as interested or as aware of "stoner culture" or whatever, LOL. Plus, consistent dosages are a pretty big deal for people who use medically. There's certainly a niche for it, even if it's not to my taste.

Holy shit though, 10 bucks for .4g? Yeah, definitely a NICHE product.
 

howie105

Well-Known Member
Business will not walk away from piles of money, not in its nature. More likely they will move to absorb, streamline, and own the whole production and marketing process, sort of like the beer and spirits industries. Worst case scenario one has to opt out and either buy or grow their own illegal MJ. Some things never change.
 

hibeam

alpha +
-- basically mmj patients who may not be as interested or as aware of "stoner culture" or whatever, LOL. Plus, consistent dosages are a pretty big deal for people who use medically. There's certainly a niche for it, even if it's not to my taste.

Holy shit though, 10 bucks for .4g? Yeah, definitely a NICHE product.

We lose our stoner culture and we lose our soul.
 

srama21

Monotonous Botanist
I don't see how this product could be viable in states that lag behind in MMJ legalization.

The title of the techinsider article is funny. "Finally Here" LOL
 

twosilvertrees

lose the planetary mindset
We lose our stoner culture and we lose our soul.

I wouldn't disagree with you, believe me LOL. But not everyone who uses MMJ (or even those who use recreationally!) enjoys cannabis culture, and parts of it can seem quite intimidating/confusing to outsiders even though it's such a friendly and welcoming community. People who could benefit from MMJ may avoid medicinal cannabis for that very purpose!

If this helps deliver the medicine a patient needs effectively and efficiently, then I'm not going to argue against it either.
 

DDave

Vape Wizard
Accessory Maker
Business will not walk away from piles of money, not in its nature.
So true... States already making bajillions of dollars on it and it's not even Fed-Legal yet!

Quote Hightimes Article Title from January, "Pot Is Making Colorado So Much Money They Literally Have To Give Some Back To Residents"

We lose our stoner culture and we lose our soul.
So long as they don't take away our ability to grow the herb, I believe the soul will live on... :rockon:
 

hibeam

alpha +
I wouldn't disagree with you, believe me LOL. But not everyone who uses MMJ (or even those who use recreationally!) enjoys cannabis culture, and parts of it can seem quite intimidating/confusing to outsiders even though it's such a friendly and welcoming community. People who could benefit from MMJ may avoid medicinal cannabis for that very purpose!

If this helps deliver the medicine a patient needs effectively and efficiently, then I'm not going to argue against it either.

Totally. Just being a stoner. I will fight for my right to garden, however.
 

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
Big business is strong arming its way into the cannabis industry as we speak. I'm more concerned with the cannabis and big business. Not as concerned with a vaporizer. I can see vaporizers only getting better.

Make sure you hold on to your rights to grow cannabis in your state. We cannot grow our own in WA state. The lawmakers want to make as much money as they can in taxes at 48%. If we grew our own we wouldn't need to buy from a state store.
 

herbivore21

Well-Known Member
It's strange, see on the one hand, larger businesses have the wherewithal to make things right when major fuck-ups happen. They can more easily achieve proper QC (multiple QC checks by different people on the same item are a must with consumer electronics!) The smaller vendors we deal with these days often fuck up unforgivably and most are as bad as each other, I routinely overlook practices from vape vendors overseas that would be illegal in my country.

Still, this stuff is better resolved with regulations than by bringing in big business (and let us remember that just because they have the means to fix large fuck-ups, does not mean they won't do everything in their power to avoid making things right if they think they can get away with it!).

I also love buying from companies that are such that I can get to know their staff on a first name basis, get information given to me straight, not get fucked on shipping costs (seriously, some very well loved vendors here absolutely sodomize us sideways on shipping, without naming names!), get timely and ethical warranty service. Except for the shipping part, most big businesses don't provide this so well IME. Especially warranty.

That pods idea is naked profiteering. It is obviously about finding a proprietary way to make cannabis more profitable without adding any value to the actual product. The above parallel to printer ink is spot on, and expect to see the same thousands of percent mark-up from wholesale to retail on weed pods too.

EDIT: You are not going to get consistent dosages with pre-packed herb pods. Flowers, even the best grown ones, under glass, according to GW Pharma's best practices for cultivating chemovars are organic material. As such, any given sample of the same amount of said ground plant material will vary accordingly. You will not get consistency in content from sample to sample off the same plant without extracting, refining and isolating (more than we even do with the most refined cannabis extracts people enjoy around these parts including myself!) actives! This cannot be accurately touted as a benefit of pods, given that in the volume being produced, there will be a huge degree of variation between any two given pods of the 'same' strain/grow/even plant! Different terpenes appear in different concentrations in different parts of the same plant. Moreover, some parts of plant develop and thrive more than others, as with all plants. All of these kinds of factors will ensure that we are unlikely to get consistent, verifiable and uniform ingredients/content of any two given such pods of ground cannabis, let alone across all pods!

I want to see big business put those big bucks to good use. Develop new extraction methods, new kinds of extracts, new ways of vaping! This is 2015, I personally know of ways that we could vaporize essential oils without even using HEAT (NO I WILL NOT OUTLINE THESE HERE)!

Why are we still using the equivalent of sucking on a soldering iron with herb suspended somewhere above it in the airpath in various form-factors? This is the burning question in my mind (pun absolutely intended)!

Basically, if they're here to innovate, bring it on!

Otherwise, if big business don't bring something new to the table, then pardon my French, but they can fuck off!
 
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CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
Yes I am referring to recreational grows. It could affect medical cannabis too in the future. I'm not sure who makes the JuJu joint. I bought one at a dispensary all packaged and it was $25. All these new prefilled oil vape pens, they look like big business to me.
 

woolspinner

Well-Known Member
So, two former executives from Keurig are making a vaporizer called the CannaCloud. It will use "pods" like Keurg. I'm not making the this post to discuss the exact product, more just curious what everyone things about this approach in general. How do you feel about big business getting into the industry? Do you think products like this will be the future for most consumers of cannabis? I can't see myself buying 'pods' personally.

Related Article: http://www.techinsider.io/about-cannakorp-keurig-of-cannabis-2015-11

I will be most concerned if the biggies get legislation passed that allows for some partial legalization that restricts the ability to grow your own. At least if we can get legalization that preserves the ability to grow it for yourself, you can, at minimum, preserve the ability to grow clean weed.

It could be ugly if big pharma, big ag, big BUSINESS dives in. Diversity out. Cookie cutter in.
 

herbivore21

Well-Known Member
I know we are a smaller interest group, but in addition to allowing growing for those that want to grow their own medicine/recreation (not my place to judge, even if I'm firmly in the former camp these days), I hope that regulations can allow for people like myself to go on making our own medicine how we see fit so long as we can demonstrate that our methods/medicine are safe.

Anyone in any jurisdiction should also be allowed to retail such products so long as they can demonstrate that they meet best practice safety standards. We don't need these stupid license lottery style systems where there are a limited number of allowed producers and everyone after that point wanting to join in is up the creek without a paddle.

We are richer for having more producers, and we desperately need to see a new and uniform level of standards develop, more competition and less monopolies/closed industries would be helpful here.
 

little maggie

Well-Known Member
I think our small local companies will go the way of those in other areas: coffee roasting, beer, garden supplies or even bread (Dave's Killer) etc. The owners of the small companies end up selling to the big ones. In Portland I've seen some local places bought out by competitors and just disappear while others continue under their same name but are owned by a major company
 

davesmith

Well-Known Member
Glass Blower
The problem with big businesses is that they make crap products. The problem with most people is they don't Give a crap about their products.

I predict artisan cannabis products thriving but the majority of the new consumers not giving two flying shits and getting hi of the macdonalds and Starbucks of this world.

I pray it's different.
 

mikeben

Well-Known Member
It looks like a novelty item for people too lazy to learn to properly vape. Maybe it will remove some sort of stigma of touching and grinding herb some people weirdly have. Maybe it will be used in hospitals, or places where you can't bring your tools easy. I'm not thinking the herb will or can be good under the circumstance, but it's still a better alternative than smoking and like it or not is a step in legitimizing marijuana to yuppies (or whatever you call them now).

I'm very happy the health benefits are obvious to my doctors and as soon as my condition of IBS is approved where I live, I think I will be able to get a card. However so many people are ill and can't get access, and so many people have legal troubles they don't deserve. Of course the reason politicians are making it legal is because of the money, and with that big business will move in. I accept that reality as part of the "deal".

With big business you are going get some good stuff happen, and some bad. You are going to have some good results in vaporizers with the money they can drum up, and some silly ones. If it is like the beer companies deals with certain microbrews (especially overseas) two things can happen.

One is good and that is if they simply act as a investor. In that case they would leave the company alone and just invest money so they can put their name on something proven and make their cut. This won't hurt anything and plenty of brewery's have done this with fine results.

It's when they buy in and change the product, or worse close down competitors that we have to be concerned. However those who want a good experience are still going to pay the extra money for better vaporizers made by the brands that care about them. The goodwill being built up now will not be forgotten.

However to end my thoughts back on point, I think we already know they can't get a good result from this kind of machine, it's a matter of a fresh grind verses preservatives. My wife loves coffee but hates those one use brewers. I have fun messing with them in waiting room of offices, but the stuff doesn't taste good. Now if I can fill and seal the cup myself maybe we have something there. Oh well, let's just wait and see what happens with this one.
 

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
It's the most expensive, ineffective, wasteful way of ingesting coffee (and being locked into one particular coffee pod!), which is why I don't have a nespresso / tassimo or any other BS coffee dispenser.

Why on earth would I want that for my weed?

If it helps those who avoid MMJ because they don't like the sub-culture, fine, same goes for those who use those coffee machines, people who really love coffee, don't use them, they use a cafetiere or a real espresso / percolating machine!

Plus, do we really want yet another plastic mouthpiece vapouriser?

Certainly doesn't appeal to me one iota, but YMMV!
 
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