If the recent news about the idea of 3D-printed chickens from KFC has made you uncomfortable, this information will raise the bar of absurdity even higher. Tyson Ranch, owned by Mike Tyson, has obtained a global license for the use of 3D printers for condensed, powdered drinks, developed by the Californian company Smart Cups. It will use it to produce and sell cannabis-based drinks.
The Smart Cups technology enables 3D printing of condensed flavor concentrates on various substrates such as the bottom of a plastic cup – adding water to it, a drink with a dedicated flavor is created. The company claims that thanks to this solution it reduces the requirements for the storage and transport of drinks, which translates into lower logistic costs. In addition, the cups themselves are made of bioplastic of plant origin.
Tyson Ranch will use 3D printers to print controlled doses of cannabis on the bottom of the cups, which will be activated when water is poured over them. Tyson says a novel approach to cannabis consumption could lead to better, more consistent dosing, which is intended to be used medicinally on the one hand and used as a drug in countries where cannabis is legalized on the other.
With the spread of cannabis around the world (it is legal, for example, across Canada), people are looking for alternatives to smoking it. Other forms like oils or foods can be difficult to dose which can be a problem in some situations. Smart Cups and Tyson Ranch emphasize that their method will allow for precise dosing, which is to be of particular use in medicine. Will the idea meet with interest – we don’t know? Does 3D printing have any particular application in all this? Certainly marketing …