“With this global license for printing cannabis, we’ll be able to address the dosing issue, which has plagued the cannabis industry for years,” said Tyson. Here’s how it works.

Just when you thought you’d seen every cannabis product imaginable, from CBD pillows to weed hummus, Mike Tyson is coming in with a surprise jab.

According to information procured exclusively, The Ranch Companies, founded by Mike Tyson, has acquired a global license to print (yes, you read right, print) cannabis products.

But what does this even mean? How can you print a cannabis product? And even more so, how can you print a beverage?

Well, there’s where Tyson’s new partner, Smart Cups, comes in. The company, responsible for creating the world’s first printed beverage, will license its IP to The Ranch Companies for it to print ingestible cannabis products with accurate and consistent dosing.

Sound too surreal to be true?

Well, it isn’t. Here’s how it works:

“For The Ranch Companies, it is very exciting to be working with Smart Cups’ technology, because it gives us the opportunity to make anything that is possible with this innovative tech,” Tyson said in an exclusive conversation.

“Having the ability to produce lines of ingestible cannabis products that will have accurate and consistent doses of cannabis is incredibly important to us.”

How It Works

Getting a little bit further into the nitty-gritty, what Smart Cups does is print active and flavor ingredients from diverse natural products on the surface of substrates, thus eliminating all of the liquid from a beverage — consequently reducing transportation costs and carbon footprints.

In order to achieve this, the company uses micro-encapsulation printing technology to infuse its plant-based products into the substrate, which is then embedded in a bioplastic cup.

“In this specific application, we use water soluble cannabinoids and are able to precisely print them on virtually any surface,” explained Chris Kanik, founder and CEO of Smart Cups. “The printed actives and flavors are released when they come in contact with a liquid (i.e. water, soda, or saliva).”

An ‘Incredible’ Technology 

When asked about the deal, Tyson called Smart Cups’ technology “incredible.

“I mean, when you look at what they are doing it is really cool. I see the long-term benefits it will have, helping people be confident and understanding proper dosing. It is important to know what we are putting in our bodies, as well as how much of certain ingredients, medicines, etc,” Tyson added.

But the deal is not just about novelty. It’s about health.

In an era where cannabis products have become extremely potent, dosing can mark the difference between effective and ineffective medication.

In fact, Rob Hickman, CEO of The Ranch Companies, noted dosing has been “one of the systematic issues plaguing this industry.”

For him, acquiring the science and technology to efficiently deliver consistent and accurate dosages “will be a game changer in the cannabis marketplace.”

“We have partnered with top research universities to collect critical clinical data supporting CBD for medicinal purposes and pain relief. The Smart Cups Technology is a new delivery system which we believe will set new standards in this industry,” he continued.

Bringing up an example, Kanik added, “at the moment, the industry is lacking consistency. When an individual consumes 100mg of aspirin, no matter where they are in the world, they are confident that they are consuming 100mg of aspirin. Smart Cups Technology can provide that same consumer confidence.”

And Tyson seemed to concur.

“We’ve seen ingestible forms of cannabis continue to grow as popular alternatives for many users who wish to avoid smoking. With this global license for printing cannabis, we’ll be able to address the dosing issue, which has plagued the cannabis industry for years,” Tyson voiced.

The Future, Now

According to Kanik and Hickman, The Ranch Companies will be developing products in a number of categories utilizing the Smart Cups printing technology. However, like many in the cannabis industry, The Ranch Companies is “waiting for rulings allowing the consumption of CBD.

“Once that occurs we will aim for national distribution,” said Hickman.

“CBD is helping a lot of people. And it is the government’s responsibility to figure out how to make it fully legal for consumption,” Kanik concluded.

This article has been reposted with permission from Benzinga.