Apple files patent for vaporizer

Is Apple planning to enter the cannabis market? Digital Trends revealed last Friday that the Cupertino-based company had filed a patent for a vaporizer/sublimator in July 2016.

Read more: What is a vaporizer, and how do you choose one?

The patent does not directly mention cannabis, but describes a device containing a heating plate located above a substance, which descends as the substance is vaporized, thereby enabling, for example, consistent vaporization. The patent includes five drawings, including the one below, which illustrates the process in more detail:

Speculation is running rampant. The vaporizer could simply be part of a more complex device (a system for watching movies in “Odoravision,” for example) or an e-cigarette. But it’s hard not to think of more obvious uses: vaporizing weed or concentrates.

Firefly's director of operations, Baran Dilaver, sees this patent as good news: «It confirms our vision for innovation in vaporization. However, I don't think this patent is specifically based on our segment [i.e., weed].».

Since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level in the United States, it’s hard to imagine Apple officially shifting its focus to this market. However, the federal restriction did not prevent Pax from raising $47 million in 2015. And with 28 states having legalized medical cannabis, there are significant opportunities for technology companies.

In fact, this isn't the first time Apple has been linked to the vaporizer market. A former Apple employee, Mark Williams, left the company in 2011 to found the Firefly, a high-end spray bottle.

The Firefly quickly became one of the most advanced vaporizers on the market, and is now in its second version, the Firefly 2, which most often competes with the Pax 2.

What about the iVapo? We'll probably have to wait a while before it arrives on the iStore.