Whoa: This Is The Keurig for Weed

Courtesy of CannaKorp
Courtesy of CannaKorp

Seeing as there are already devices dubbed as the Keurig of beer or even the Keurig of fresh tortillas, it was only a matter of time before someone came along and made the Keurig of weed, right? Well, the time of convenient pod-based bong hits is almost here, folks, thanks to an ex-Keurig executive and his new company, CannaKorp.

As explained in a recent report by The Boston Globe, the Massachusetts-based company is developing an ultra-convenient marijuana vaporizing machine designed for easy, one-touch use -- you know, just like your damn Keurig coffee maker. The company said it has already raised close to $1.6 million from investors and plans to launch the vaporizer under the name CannaCloud, along with a lineup of single-use CannaCups (think K-cups, but for weed), sometime in 2017. What a time to be alive.

Basically, the device will work by heating your pod enough to release the, uh, active ingredients without actually burning the marijuana and creating smoke, then you breathe in the vapors from a sleek canister. A video on CannaKorp's website claims the whole process takes only a minute. The pods themselves will be filled with the green stuff by licensed growers, per the report. So far, there's no word on how much the thing will cost, but it's probably safe to assume that you won't be able to use your 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond to buy it.

In addition to the Keurig-like pods and convenience appeal, former Keurig Green Mountain executive and CannaKorp Chairman Dave Manly claims the marijuana vaporizer is similar to Keurig coffee machines in yet another way: the reaction it got from people in focus groups.

“People said, ‘Oh my God, how fast can I have one of those?’ Which is exactly what people said when they saw the Keurig,” Manly told The Globe. And, well, look where we are now...

Although CannaKorp said its products are intended for medical marijuana use, they obviously foresee its appeal to recreational users, with co-founder Michael Bourque telling The Globe, "[a]nd we like that." Obviously, state laws dealing with marijuana and other regulations will likely make or break the machine's success, but nevertheless, the company reportedly hopes the vaporizer and pods will land on store shelves as soon as early 2018.

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Tony Merevick is Cities News Editor at Thrillist and feels like it's time to stop Keurig-izing things, and time to start working on something like that badass food microwave from The Fifth Element. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @tonymerevick.