A DNA test conducted in under an hour that claims to predict certain effects from cannabis that differ person to person has been launched in Alberta, Canada, The Vancouver Star reports.
The test is developed by Toronto company Lobo Genetics. Known as the Cube platform, the test uses oral swaps and then does a search of the DNA for certain markers identified by research to be associated with things like delayed onset, risk factors for mental illness, or whether the person is more likely to suffer memory loss. The test takes about an hour and costs $30.
“We’ve spoken to a lot of people that already thought there was something wrong with them – like they had taken cannabis before and they were the only one in their group where they had a strong reaction and then we test their genetics, and sure enough, they’re a slow metabolizer or they have one of the other [genetic] markers.” — John Lem, CEO of Lobo Genetics, via the Vancouver Star
Last week, Lobo Genetics set up five different stations at Nova Cannabis stores in Alberta, including two in Edmonton and one in each city of Calgary, Fort Saskatchewan, and Spruce Grove.
While an expert with the University of British Columbia was consulted about the development said that the technology is certainly based on science, he also said that most of the research has been on cells in a petri dish and not humans, which could be a limitation of the technology until more clinical research is completed.
The stations will remain in the Nova Cannabis stores for the rest of the month. As more brick and mortar cannabis stores are launched across Canada, Lobo Genetics hopes to expand their Cube stations to more provinces.
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