CannaKorp chooses aluminium over unrecyclable plastic for its pod-based vapouriser

CannaKorp, a start-up based in Stoneham, Massachusetts, is preparing to put a single-use pod-based marijuana vapourizer on the market.

Just as the coffee company vertically integrated its distribution system, CannaKorp will produce the vaporizer and partner with legally authorized growers to fill the pods.

Each CannaCup contains between 0.25 grams and 0.4 grams of ground cannabis flower and will cost about $5 or $6, depending on the strain. Once the pod is inserted, the vaporizer, called a CannaCloud, heats the marijuana without burning it. Within one minute, the portable canister fills up with vapour, which users can then inhale. The prescribed dose of marijuana is recommended by doctors for the treatment of anxiety related disorders.

The company has opted for aluminium pods, making the system perhaps more like Nespresso, which produces aluminium coffee capsules.

Although Nespresso's pods are recyclable, the company has also faced criticism for creating large amounts of waste. In part, that’s because Americans only recycle about 35 percent of their trash, according to the latest figures from the Environmental Protection Agency. The Aluminum Association estimates that $1 billion worth of recyclable aluminium cans wind up in landfills every year.

Whether the pot pods will find their way to recycling centres or Dumpsters remains to be seen. CannaKorp anticipates rolling out its vaporizers in early 2017.