New Ideas for Cannabis Solutions: Part 1: Smart Grinders

Introduction

At Tomorrow Lab, we are always looking for opportunities in new technologies among emerging markets. The (somewhat) new and arising cannabis market brings about a plethora of research, learning and design conversations for us curious designers.

Being a relative newbie to the world of cannabis, I was excited and very curious to see what kind of ideas I could come up with after researching devices in this space. I have dabbled in almost all cannabis product categories and have both close friends and family members who have been cannabis fans for a long time, so I went into this research with a solid background understanding, yet an inquisitive mindset. I wanted to find what gaps there are in the market for physical products, since that is what Tomorrow Lab does best, but also educate myself along the way, and of course – have fun doing it! 🌿😃

Exploration

I started by combing the overall market to understand the different types of cannabis consumers use, how they use it and the different types of devices that can be utilized. I decided to focus on cannabis’ largest product category: flower. According to Headset’s November 2022 report on US cannabis product categories, flower (including pre-rolls) makes up approximately 53% of the market share; followed by vapor pens at 23.5% and edibles at 11.8%. I started with the first flower accessory almost all cannabis users need and use on a regular basis – the grinder.

What is it?

A quality grinder for flower is essential when preparing cannabis for consumption in any form. Whether that be for rolling a joint, packing a bowl or loading a vape or bong. Uniformly ground cannabis heats more evenly, and thus more efficiently making for a more even and smoother burn. Grinding also helps to preserve the quality of the cannabis by keeping all the potent sticky bits, called trichomes off your fingertips. They can also help to take the mess out of preparation and storage.

While there are grinders at every price point and material available, regular manual grinders compress and shred material, making a high quality grinder key to having the best cannabis smoking experience.

There are several key elements that users look for in a quality grinder:
– Sharp blades
– An easy, and potentially enjoyable user experience
– Multiple chambers
– Size; width of chambers
– Material; most prefer metal over wood or plastic
– Type of closure

What grinders are currently available?

Upon initial research into what types of grinders are currently in market, I kept coming across the USA-made Santa Cruz Shredder as a top choice for an affordable ($28-54), quality grinder. They come in three sizes: a 2 piece, which has no storage chamber; a 3 piece, which has a bottom storage chamber with curved edges for easy scooping; and a 4 piece which has an additional chamber with a screen to help further filter out the smallest and most potent bits, called kief.

One feature of note is their patented tooth design. It’s slightly different than most grinders, having more of a rectangular shape than diamond, and is wider at their base. They claim that the teeth are designed to cut multiple ways, which helps to not slice or smash the herb, ending with a “fluff to perfection” consistency. The textured outside rim allows for better grip and ease of rotating the chambers back and forth, lowering the torque necessary, and therefore easing wrist pain for many users. Even the NY Times Wirecutter recommends it!

I next wanted to find a grinder that had great functionality, but that also looked good sitting out in the home, potentially being an art piece or conversation starter. I stumbled upon Laundry Day, a lifestyle brand out of Spain. Their ‘Silo Grinder’ is statuesque, sleek and modern, and aesthetically fits into any surrounding. This grinder claims to be ergonomic and provides a literally smooth grinding experience due to the cylindrical shape. It also has four chambers; the top two for grinding, featuring that common diamond shape and a magnetic closure; the middle chamber to collect and store herb with a screen, and the bottom compartment to catch kief. With a $95 price tag it’s heading in that premium direction, but is still attainable.

Next, I wanted to see what smart grinders I could find. The original “OG” OTTO by Banana Bros., claims to be the first and only “automatic milling machine.” It has a patented artificial intelligence internal milling system that analyzes the herb and “automatically adjusts the direction, speed and pressure” of the blades to create “the perfect grind every time.” This grinder has an expandable chamber that allows the milled herb to pass evenly through the bottom chamber. The bottom chamber needs to be attached to an external base container, which has a cone shaped chamber. It then needs to be lined with rolling paper to collect the ground flower and – poof – you’ve got a pre-rolled joint! Although this grinder comes with a hefty price tag of $150, for frequent users this may be worth it.

A more affordable option at $56 is Cloudious9’s Tectonic9’s Auto Dispensing Grinder, which features automatic dispensing for a touch-free experience. It has a built-in vibration motor that helps dispense the ground herb into the desired final destination, which seems like a great solution to avoid transferring oils from your fingertips on the flower and vice versa in order to preserve as much of the sticky good stuff as possible. It also has a slidable gate and hidden flip spout in the final chamber to help accurately position the aim of the herb to its final destination. Another feature I liked was having a viewable LED lit final chamber so the user can always check on the amount remaining without having to open the container and expose the herb to more air than is necessary.

Product Summary

After looking at approximately forty different grinders (that’s a lot I know!) and narrowing down to those four selects, I have a lot of thoughts!

I know that each cannabis user is looking for different features depending on how they consume, how frequently and their budget among other factors. But I have not seen any one device that solves more than just a few problems and/or desires from consumers.

Key Feature Comparisons:
– Overall aesthetic – basic or opulent
– Manual or automatic grind
– Number and function of chambers
– Grind size and texture
– Ease of retrieving or transferring ground flower
– Short or long term storage

Check out these prior Tomorrow Lab client projects in the cannabis and smart storage space:
Smart Cap; reminder technology for consumer goods
Dadi; reproductive preservation for men
Tync; accurate, portable CBD dispenser
AdhereTech; frictionless medication adherence

If you have a new cannabis product or smart storage idea and want to bring it to life – connect with us for a free consultation here!

Product Opportunities & Conclusion

I started contemplating what features I would want in a perfect grinder. Would I want it to be smart? What kind of smarts? A connected App? What about more long term storage? Humidity control? A built in scale? Controlled and/or measured grind? Child safe locks? Can it be more easily cleaned? What if I want it to blend into my home decor? There is a lot to consider!

I wanted an all-in-one grinder that solved many concerns regular cannabis users confront, while providing an overall enjoyable user experience, and have it look nice in any home setting.

Firstly, is the debate over manual vs. automatic grinding. I spoke to several regular cannabis users and while they expressed interest in the results of automatic grinding, they said what they liked best about manual grinding is that they can control how much is being ground per occasion (for example, are they smoking alone or with company). Also some users actually enjoy the process of preparing their flower and devices – like a ritual – forcing them to slow down and enjoy the entire experience.

I came up with six features that I believe could be incorporated into a smart grinder that both newbies and connoisseurs would enjoy.

Feature #1 – Grinding Mechanism – The top chamber is where the flower can be loaded at the top; and the following chamber has the teeth/grinding mechanism that is activated by a gentle push down and twist action. The user should be able to select just how much flower should be ground in that action. There could be a manual switch on the side of the grinder to select the amount to be ground, indicated by how long the device is engaged. Or it could be controlled by an app for better accuracy.

Feature #2 – Chambers – The ground flower makes its way to the third chamber, which is meant for storage. I contemplated adding a scale in this chamber, but I am not confident that would be easy to do and stick to a price point that would be competitive in the market. (But what about storage containers with internal scales? 🤔) The chamber instead would have an app or manual button that activated a tinted glass window around the entire perimeter. When the button is engaged, the tinted glass will become transparent so the user can see how much flower is currently being held. The glass being tinted when not engaged will help to protect the flower from UV rays, which deteriorate the material over time. In an ideal world, the chamber would be air tight, humidity controlled at 59-63% and temperature controlled at 32-68 degrees fahrenheit, which are the suggested optimal storage conditions for cannabis. But considering this grinder is meant for frequent users, I believe the chamber being air tight and as dark as possible is the most important. (stay tuned for long term storage ideas in Part 2!) The chamber will have a mesh screen on the bottom just like the multi-chamber grinders discussed above, in order to passively filter the kief that falls through to the final chamber.

Feature #3 – Automatic Spout – In order to retrieve the flower from either the third chamber holding ground flower or the last chamber holding kief, a spout would be engaged by the press of a button on either chamber. It could have a vibrating motor like the Tectonic9, or it could be a motorized slider that dispenses flower in measurable small amounts. For example, if you are smoking alone, one press of the button would engage the slide to distribute enough flower to fill half a bowl; and three presses would fill a joint for sharing.

Feature #4 – Safety Mechanism – Seeing as I would want this grinder to be able to fit into any surroundings, but its main home being the living room, safety should be a priority. While magnetic closures are easy to use, they are still able to be accessed by children. The most secure and quickest solution I believe would be a fingerprint lock. It could live on the side with the other buttons and switches, or be accessed by an app. A ring of LEDs around the top chamber would pulse on when opened and when locked for visual confirmation. When the lock is engaged, no chamber of the grinder would be able to be accessed.

Feature #5 – Cleansing Reminder – Cleaning your grinder can be a pain point, especially if you do not clean it often. It can get sticky, parts get stuck and that precious sticky stuff can be easily left behind or not ground properly. In a magical world I imagine an auto wash setting that would act like a dishwasher, but that sounds like an impossible engineering task. If there could be sensors in the two top chambers which do the actual grinding, and alert the user when there is too much build up, whether by a different colored LED reminder than the lock or through an app, how easy would that be! A special brush could come with the grinder as an accessory to make sure all crevices are taken care of.

Feature #6 – Exterior Aesthetics – Finally, the grinder material, size and shape should be aesthetically pleasing and have the potential to spark conversation. While metals have the easiest maintenance, I know many users love the benefits and look of glass, ceramic and porcelain. Ceramic helps absorb odor, keeps bacteria at bay and is fairly durable. Shoutout to the infamous Seth Rogan’s cannabis lifestyle brand Houseplant, that offers many ceramic accessories that are meant to be displayed as much as they are used. The exterior could be made of ceramic, allowing for different colors and textures; internal top two chambers with the grinder made of stainless steel; then the two bottom storage chambers made of glass for easy cleaning. There could be two sizes offered: a large one that holds up to four times the amount of flower as the small, more travel friendly option. There could be a swappable glass bottom chamber, but they share the same top and/or cover. For the shape, I feel strongly that it should always be cylindrical, organic shape with smooth lines. I did find several square shaped grinders and couldn’t help but think that must be uncomfortable to handle!

There is so much to consider for what makes the perfect device for grinding! While I know it is impossible to meet every need of every user in a product, I do feel I was able to weed out 😉 the most important components. What a research experience this was for me – it was illuminating, entertaining and informative. I hope sharing these insights and ideas lead to an enjoyable read! We at Tomorrow Lab love sharing our thoughts and starting conversations around new products, emerging technologies and market trends. Stay tuned for a Part 2 of this cannabis exploration series!