Medical cannabis is gaining attention, as its applications and the list of approved medical conditions it treats grow. Some medical professionals are still wary of the drug, however, due to its reputation and inconsistent dosing. Israeli company Syqe (pronounced sy-kee) Medical is doing something about that.
Introducing the Syqe Inhaler, which is, according to the company’s website, the world’s first metered-dose, pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis inhaler. Designed to consistently deliver a precise dose of medical-grade cannabis, the device should instill greater confidence in doctors who prescribe the drug.
Based in Tel Aviv, the company “aims to transform cannabis and other psychoactive botanicals into mainstream medical drugs.“ Clinical trials suggest they are well on the way. The precision of the inhaler allows patients to obtain the perfect “balance between symptom relief and psychoactivity.”
Additionally, built-in wireless technology allows physicians to monitor their patients’ use, and an app will allow them to alter the dosage remotely as needed. Patient input can also adjust the dosage to maintain that optimum balance.
The benefits of the device are many. First, vaporized cannabis offers a clean, concentrated dose. Now, patients obtain their medical marijuana and vaporize it with their own devices, but the Syqe Inhaler has its own proprietary cartridges. Precision-measured cartridges also eliminate the guesswork of the more traditional smoking. Additionally, the inhaler is compact and easy to carry, and can be printed on any 3D printer.
Israel is on the cutting edge of cannabis research and development. In Israel, marijuana has been researched since the 1960s, and some 13,000 patients have received approval to use cannabis medically. Most recently, fibromyalgia and childhood epilepsy were added to the list of conditions for which the drug may be prescribed. In fact, the Israeli government is backing the development of Syqe’s inhaler, to the tune of $1 million US.
