I went looking for the AI weed vape that gives you Bitcoin for smoking
The Verge investigated Gudtrip, an alleged "AI-powered crypto cannabis vape" that claimed to reward users with Bitcoin for smoking, only to discover the company's CTO later admitted such incentives are illegal and rewards are decoupled from consumption.
Intelligence analysis by Gemini 2.5 Flash
An investigation into Gudtrip, a purported "agentic cannabis device" combining AI, blockchain, and cannabis, reveals the product's marketing falsely promised Bitcoin rewards per puff. The company's CTO eventually clarified that financial incentives for consumption are illegal, and rewards are an upfront payment, contradicting widespread advertising.
Imagine a new toy that says it can give you candy every time you play with it. That sounds super cool, right? But then a grown-up finds out that giving candy for playing might not be allowed by the rules. This story is about a special vape that said it would give people digital money, called Bitcoin, every time they used it to smoke something called weed.
A reporter went on a big adventure to find out if this special vape was real. He saw lots of ads saying "puff and get Bitcoin!" He even bought one for one hundred and sixty-seven dollars. But then, when he asked the company how it worked, a person from the company said, "Oops! It's actually against the rules to give money for smoking."
So, it turned out the vape didn't give money for every puff like the ads said. It gave a little bit of digital money just for buying it, like a tiny prize when you first open the box, not for how much you use it. This shows us that sometimes, things that sound too good to be true, often are!
Analysis
The Verge's Robert Hart embarked on a multi-continent investigation after encountering an advertisement for Gudtrip, an "AI weed vape" that sensationally claimed "every hit delivers Bitcoin." Initially skeptical, Hart's search for the product led him to a website describing it as "the first agentic cannabis device" that merges "premium cannabis, blockchain rewards, and AI-powered asset tools." This combination of tech buzzwords, including AI and crypto, raised red flags.
The Search for Gudtrip
Despite the outlandish claims, social media posts from Gudtrip, including a pinned post on X stating "Smoke weed and earn @Bitcoin," and a TikTok video promising "the high that pays you back," provided just enough evidence to suggest the product might exist. Hart contacted California’s Department of Cannabis Control to inquire about the legality of products rewarding consumption, only to find they were unfamiliar with Gudtrip.
The Purchase and the Contradiction
With the help of US colleagues, Gudtrip vapes were located and purchased for $67 at NUG Cannabis Dispensary in Oakland, California, where a large poster boldly declared, "Get High. Get Bitcoin." However, a crucial twist emerged when Gudtrip's CTO, Rishi Kommuri, responded to Hart's inquiries. Kommuri stated, "it is actually illegal to offer financial incentives per consumption type and so on in any way," directly contradicting all of Gudtrip's public-facing marketing. He clarified that the Bitcoin reward is "decoupled from consumption" and is "paid upfront on activation, to every customer, and does not scale with puff duration, session count."
Ethical and Legal Implications
The investigation uncovers a significant discrepancy between Gudtrip's aggressive marketing, which heavily promoted a "smoke weed and earn Bitcoin" narrative, and the company's internal acknowledgment of the illegality of such a scheme. This raises concerns about deceptive advertising practices and the potential for encouraging unhealthy consumption habits, as researchers noted the dangers of incentivizing daily cannabis use. The story serves as a cautionary tale about products that leverage popular tech trends like AI and crypto to make unsupported or legally questionable claims.
Key points
- Gudtrip, an "AI weed vape," was marketed with claims of rewarding users with Bitcoin for each puff.
- The product's marketing materials and website described it as an "agentic cannabis device" combining AI, blockchain, and cannabis.
- An investigation by The Verge found Gudtrip vapes available for purchase, corroborating the product's existence.
- Gudtrip's CTO later admitted that offering financial incentives per consumption is illegal and that Bitcoin rewards are an upfront payment, not tied to usage.
- The discrepancy highlights potential issues with misleading advertising and the ethics of incentivizing cannabis consumption.
