Did you know that over half of the Unites States has legalized medical marijuana? That’s right, 29 states plus Washington D.C. currently offer legal cannabis to its residents for medical purposes. That’s a massive number of people that have access to medical marijuana in order to aid them with the plethora of ailments that this miracle plant helps alleviate.
The medical marijuana industry is rapidly expanding. Cutting-edge innovations have been cropping up with lightning speed—from new growing and processing technologies, to advanced, more effective methods of ingestion (just think of all the fancy vaporizers that have come out recently!).
The pioneers involved in this industry are creating technologies that are making huge positive impacts on patients’ lives, while also advancing innovations in the medical field as a whole.
Ehave is a data-driven medical innovation company that has been empowering the mental healthcare community with next-generation, data-rich tools designed to improve patient management, diagnosis, and treatment. Currently, the cannabis industry lacks comprehensive data for clinicians to draw from when advising patients on treatment plans, as well as reliable systems to track outcomes. Ehave is working to find solutions to these issues with scientific data, as CEO Prateek Dwivedi explains:
“Medical innovations, like precision medicine, are built on a foundation of high quality data to ensure that treatments are tailored to the patient. By taking this concept to cannabis, we can ensure that the patient has the right strain and dose for their condition, which will prove that the cannabis works. That’s the power of data.”
As medical marijuana industry expands, innovators are helping to change the face of that industry. As a result of better technology and data, cannabis’ legitimacy as a viable, useful medicine is increasingly accepted by both the public and the medical community. This isn’t just good news in terms of deepening awareness and understanding of the enormous potential of the drug. The products being developed to study, deliver, and track treatments are filling a serious gap in the medical industry, while dramatically improving the quality of life for patients who can benefit from cannabis.
Dr. Andrew Kerklaan, President & Founder of Dr. Kerklaan Therapeutics, a robust line of doctor-designed, lab-tested, patient-approved cannabis products that provide pain relief, sleep aid, PMS relief, and skin health, says:
“This is an exciting time to be deep in the evolving cannabis industry. A few years ago, not only was I searching for safe, natural solutions for healing—my patients were demanding them. They needed a breakthrough. It was frustrating. Here was this tried-and-true plant with untapped potential and untold benefits. We were sitting on a powerful disrupter—a scientific resource that worked in harmony with the body’s nervous and immune systems and yet we couldn’t disrupt. Happily, we persevered. Being in Canada helped. Today, we’re proud of helping so many people in pain with our new formulas, and proud of helping change the conversation around cannabis.”
The prohibition dam that was built back in the early twentieth century to block use of what has been rightly called a miracle drug, is starting, at last, to crack. Through the fissures, we are seeing a stream of steady advancement and innovation in the medical cannabis industry. It’s only a matter of time before the dam finally breaks down completely, allowing a rush of companies, investors, products, and services to come pouring out. When that happens, it will completely transform the industry as we know it.
Zoë Biehl is a writer, editor, and wandering anthropologist. She is senior editor at Psymposia Magazine, a writer for Time Out Israel, and does freelance writing and editing for clients across the United States and Israel, where she is currently living. By focusing on working with non-profits, Zoë hopes to use her skills to make the world a better place in whatever small way she can. She holds a degree in anthropology and sociology.
