The crypto-themed weed vape surfaced for me on 4/20, the unofficial celebration day for cannabis fans worldwide. It showed up via Slack with an image of someone exhaling vapor and bold text claiming every hit delivers Bitcoin. The ad pointed to a gadget named Gudtrip, and the whole pitch struck me as dubious from the start.

I decided to investigate further. After weeks of digging, numerous messages, and research that crossed multiple countries, the reality turned out even more absurd than expected.

My initial stop was the Gudtrip site, which only reinforced the prank-like feel. The product description mixed every tech buzzword possible. It was not merely a Bitcoin-delivering vape but the first agentic cannabis device merging premium cannabis, blockchain rewards, and AI-powered asset tools. AI hype had joined the crypto claims.

One clue suggested the item might exist. The site listed availability in California and noted New York as coming soon. It also named the parent brand as Puffpaw, which markets itself as creator of the worlds first gamified smart vape for nicotine. The goal was supposedly to encourage quitting nicotine through an unclear rewards system similar to Gudtrip.

I checked Gudtrip social channels next. The product seemed to have launched quietly in March. Most posts repeated the Bitcoin-earning claim. One pinned X post stated Smoke weed and earn Bitcoin. Another asked if New Yorkers were ready to smoke a joint and earn bitcoin. Threads posts talked about building wealth one puff at a time and earning Bitcoin from every single puff. A TikTok clip called it the high that pays you back.

These messages convinced me the vape could be genuine. Yet the mechanics remained a mystery. Did it mine Bitcoin directly? I emailed the company for answers.

While waiting, I searched LinkedIn and found Reffo T. listed as Gudtrip CEO of a premium cannabis brand turning consumption into an onchain earning experience. He had posted urging dispensaries to carry the vapes, writing that the product sells itself and Bitcoin ensures customers recall the source.

Cannabis is legal in California but tightly regulated. I contacted the states Department of Cannabis Control to ask if reward-based consumption products were allowed. Deputy director Jordan Traverso said the agency had not known about Gudtrip but had reached out to the maker. That left me in the same position.

From London I could go no further, so I asked US colleagues to assist. Gudtrip listed exactly two California stores. A colleague visited one to settle the question once and for all.

Inside NUG Cannabis Dispensary in Oakland a large Gudtrip poster promised ongoing Crypto Rewards over time and read plainly Get High. Get Bitcoin.

We purchased the device. After tax the AI weed vape cost 67 dollars.

That same day Gudtrip responded, and the picture grew murkier still.

The notion of paying people to smoke sounded catchy yet potentially unlawful and unhealthy. Researchers had told crypto outlet DL News that promoting daily use could be risky and addictive.

Gudtrip appeared to agree. When asked how the rewards functioned and how the company addressed concerns about encouraging cannabis use for crypto, CTO Rishi Kommuri replied in numbered points. The key line stated it is actually illegal to offer financial incentives per consumption type and so on in any way.

Despite website and social promises, Kommuri now said the vape did not award Bitcoin for vaping. The Bitcoin reward is decoupled from consumption, paid upfront on activation, and does not increase with use. A non-user receives the same two-to-sixty-dollar Bitcoin equivalent as a regular user. It functions as standard loyalty mechanics with Bitcoin instead of points.

So users do not earn Bitcoin from every puff after all. A site video had claimed every inhale syncs with your phone and earns bitcoin in real time, yet that feature does not exist because it would be illegal.

The company app added further confusion. Downloaded via a QR code from the dispensary poster, the preview screenshot promised rewards for puffs, but only Gudtrip Points rather than crypto. We asked again for clarification.

A follow-up message from Kommuri stressed the Bitcoin reward ties to activation, not consumption. Gudtrip Points form a separate non-monetary loyalty system that cannot be redeemed for cash, crypto, or products.

Contradictions kept mounting. Kommuri explained the per-puff points were a legacy feature from earlier hardware and no longer active. Ongoing crypto rewards referred to a future portfolio management tool in the app that does not yet exist.

The only remaining step was to test the device. Ethics rules prevented staff from holding cryptocurrency, so a throwaway account was created. Legal guidance also discouraged reporting on questionable drug use, leading us to use an auto fluid extractor pump to simulate puffs.

Linking the vape to the app delivered two dollars worth of Bitcoin. Further pumping filled an in-app progress bar and added points, yet no additional Bitcoin appeared. Another two-to-sixty-dollar reward would require buying a new disposable vape. Separate app sections track prize value and toke history, but the system funnels users toward repeat purchases.

During our exchanges several social posts disappeared from Gudtrip accounts. Archived versions show earlier claims such as Invest while you puff and Every hit earns crypto. The company website also changed, removing the phrase every hit earns crypto from the app screenshot. It appears the firm is softening its original toke-to-earn messaging.

After all the effort the core question received an answer. The vape exists, yet it does not deliver Bitcoin with every hit.