Newspapers like Bloomberg are calling the newly “legalized” cannabis business in the United States the next gold rush. If legalized throughout the US, the cannabis business will eclipse wine. That’s something worth about $40 billion a year. So “prospectors”, inventors and investors there are laying down their stakes and claiming access to new territory.
But in Israel where cannabis has been researched freely since the 60s (I have had the pleasure of interviewing THC discoverer Raphael Mechoulam); and consumed legally with a license, there has been plenty of wiggle time and room for innovation. Syqe, a new medical inhaler printed with 3D technology is one of the latest companies to innovate specifically for the medical cannabis market.
One of the problems I’ve learned researching the efficacy of cannabis as a therapeutic agent is dosing. It’s very hard for patients who are not regular smokers to know how to dose and therefor right therapy.
Syqe Medical, a new medical cannabis company from Israel, has developed an inhaler that lets people, we’ll call them “patients” but anyone can use the device, to supply metered doses of vapor made from cannabis granules.
The dosage can be programmed via your iPhone. See an image below of how the cartridges should look.
I spent my summer researching cannabis and medical marijuana in Canada, and spent time at the vapor lounge Get Melted in Toronto. I visited medical cannabis companies and people developing growing technologies. All agree that medical cannabis could be the next big thing. Many of the people I spoke to smoke recreationally, but not all of them. They do all see the market potential in this new frontier.
But bags of money aside, people who are turning to cannabis for medical relief are swearing that this age old natural remedy has the power to change lives, like that of a little American girl (about 5) called Charlotte who was convulsing herself to death with 200 epileptic seizures a day.After using cannabis which was bred to be low in THC (that which gets you “high”) and high in CBD (that which gives you therapy) Charlotte is now able to start living a normal life. She experiences about one epileptic seizure a week now and has a very popular medication named after her, Charlotte’s Web CBD Oil.
After using cannabis which was bred to be low in THC (that which gets you “high”) and high in CBD (that which gives you therapy) Charlotte is now able to start living a normal life. She experiences about one epileptic seizure a week now.
Now when it comes to inhaling vaporizing is a big deal among cannabis uses because vapor gives a clean and concentrated dose. Usually people buy the product and then vaporize it in their own devices. Syqe Medical (pronounced si-kee), backed by the Israeli government with about $1 million USD will provide metered doses to those who need it via pre-loaded cartridges.
The device itself can be printed on 3D printers anywhere.
As for the pot – well that depends on country and state legislation on how you will obtain those cartridges.
The Internet of Weed
The Syqe device can sit in your pocket like an asthma inhaler for convenience. They say it’s the world’s first medical device which delivers doses with pharmaceutical conditions, based on clinical data the company is collecting.
Testing the Syqe device in the lab:
Syqe claims to deliver high resolution of dosage – to get the precise balance between symptom relief and psychoactive effects – the balance between the TCH and the CBD.
An app connects to the data and user experience lets the doctor augment dosage if necessary remotely. Syqe it will also collect data on the strains and their medicinal effects. The device is supposed to be ready for sale by the end of this year.
Israel is a hotbed of technologies for cannabis. The latest great is a company called flux developing Eddy to personalize your medss. We will keep reporting on them as they unfold.
Author: Karin Kloosterman
Karin Kloosterman is an award-winning journalist, innovation strategist, and founder of Green Prophet, one of the Middle East’s pioneering sustainability platforms. She has ranked in the Top 10 of Verizon innovation competitions, participated in NASA-linked challenges, and spoken worldwide on climate, food security, and future resilience. With an IoT technology patent, features in Canada’s National Post, and leadership inside teams building next-generation agricultural and planetary systems — including Mars-farming concepts — Karin operates at the intersection of storytelling, science, and systems change. She doesn’t report on the future – she helps design it. Reach out directly to [email protected]
