Marijuana Industry Using Technology to Improve Growing, Selling and Delivering

Marijuana businesses are increasingly using technology to grow, test, sell and deliver their product, according to CBS News.

“As things have come above board and more financing has become available and companies become less threatened that they would be put out of business, they have been more willing to invest in technology that is making cannabis products safer and more effective,” said Donald P. Land, a University of California, Davis, professor who is the chief scientific consultant for the cannabis testing firm Steep Hill.

The company tests for pesticides, heavy metals and the level of active ingredients in marijuana. Steep Hill recently introduced a mobile testing lab that can test the potency and moisture of marijuana in minutes, the article notes.

“The main result of introducing testing to cannabis has been a legitimization of cannabis as a medicine,” Land said. “Prior to that time, nobody knew what they were purchasing or using. Since that time, it’s widely recognized that there are many different types of cannabis that lead to very different medicinal effects. The differences can only be discovered by doing chemical or genetic testing.”

The company has also introduced a testing kit for growers. The system lets growers test a leaf to determine the sex of a plant. Most growers prefer female plants, because they have a higher yield.

Delivery apps allow customers to order medical marijuana and have it delivered to their home, while people who use medical marijuana are rating dispensaries through apps.

Steve Gormley, a partner in a number of companies that work in the medical marijuana dispensary field, said technology will be useful in improving the efficiency standards and consistency of marijuana. He noted technology is being used to influence everything from lighting for marijuana plants to systems that provide the plants with nutrients.