Dr. Lester Grinspoon (pictured left) is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a longstanding (and outspoken) proponent of cannabis.
But he wasn't always a fan.
In 1967, Grinspoon set out to prove that cannabis was a harmful drug, but his research on the side-effects of cannabis convinced him that the public fear surrounding it was unfounded.
His book Marijuana Reconsidered (1971) reflected this reversal of opinion and was followed by several more books, including Marijuana: The Forbidden Medicine in 1993.
Today, Grinspoon is one of the advisors for CannaKorp, a Stoneham-based tech startup that's trying to revolutionize how cannabis is consumed with what many have described as the world's first "Keurig for weed."
Invented by Michael Borque (pictured right), the CannaCloud aims to change how cannabis is consumed with its single-use, pod-based cannabis vaporizing system — reminiscent of a Keurig coffee maker.
CannaKorp even filed the patent for its product at the same law firm Keurig used and even hired a couple of former Keurig executives to its leadership team.
James Winokur, CEO and co-founder of CannaKorp, said the funding would be used to start selling the CannaCloud in states where marijuana is legal (like Massachusetts and Colorado) and to make two to three technical hires in 2017. He expects to bring CannaCloud to market by April 2017.
The CannaCloud system will cost around $150 to $170, with single-serving pods expected to cost between $6 and $10 on average depending on the strain and other variables.
“Right now we are pre-revenue, but we have a product that’s available for sale,” Winokur said. “We want to establish a great brand and have people see us as a technology company. Once we build a portfolio people can trust and believe in, I think we will deliver the best cannabis experience in 2017 and beyond.”
The round will also be used to build out CannaKorp’s network of dispensaries and processors, which will distribute and sell the CannaCloud.
Founded in 2014, the goal of CannaKorp’s product is to reach what Winokur described as a “mainstream” audience — or, people who don’t use cannabis regularly because they dislike the traditional methods for preparing and/or consuming it.
“People often say they don’t like grinding the cannabis and manipulating it, but we make it way more convenient for them, especially if the patient has physical problems,” Winokur said.
The patent-pending vaporizer has a one-way valve that is detachable so users can easily clean it, and users can choose what strain of cannabis they’d like in their pods.
Though CannaKorp doesn’t exclusively target patients that have been prescribed medicinal cannabis by a doctor, Winokur said the company sees the use of its flagship product as part of a general “wellness program” for people trying to treat ailments.
“We refer to it as a wellness product and not medicinal because there’s still some stigma around it,” Winokur said. “Using [CannaCloud] helps with conditions, so we more broadly call it a wellness program.”
Earlier this month, CannaKorp announced it closed a $4.1 million Series A led by private equity firm Singularity Capital Management, bringing its total funding to $5.7 million.
Photos via social media
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