Advanced Cannabis Intoxication Detection Devices Set to Improve Road Safety

 More and more states are beginning to implement legislation to regulate cannabis products. As sales of such products are becoming more prevalent, new and important regulations are expected to be implemented. One of the major concerns over cannabis abuse revolves around operating a vehicle while impaired. Generally, law enforcement officers may conduct field tests such as sobriety tests or even sample tests. However, sobriety tests can be inaccurate, while sample tests may not receive results for days or even weeks. As a result, companies within the cannabis marketspace began to develop the necessary technology for law enforcement agencies to use in crackdowns on drivers operating a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana. Cannabix Technologies Inc. (OTC: BLOZF) (CSE: BLO), OrganiGram Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: OGI), HEXO Corp. (NYSE: HEXO), Cronos Group Inc. (NASDAQ: CRON), Aurora Cannabis Inc. (NASDAQ: ACB)

Presently, the medical cannabis sector accounts for a majority of the market share, as progress is slowly being made in removing the stigmas associated with such products. Overall, the legal cannabis market is permeating throughout the U.S. states and is helping to create a multi-billion-dollar industry. While medical cannabis still dominates that broad cannabis marketplace, the growing awareness and legalization efforts are expected to further propel the overall industry forward. In 2020, legal cannabis sales in the U.S were up 46% from 2019, reaching a new record of USD 17.5 Billion, according to cannabinoid market research firm BDSA.

Cannabix Technologies Inc. (OTC: BLOZF) (CSE: BLO) just announced breaking news that,

"it is ramping up subject beta testing in a high-volume clinic in the Northwestern US and will ship an additional THC Breath Analyzer ("THCBA") unit to the site. The collaborating clinic has a robust drug testing operation and is one of the top drug testing providers to employers within its respective state. The Company also reports that it has shipped two THCBA devices to a biomedical clinic in southern Ontario for beta-testing.

The THCBA is a drug screening device for employers and other markets who are seeking a way to quickly (in less than 5 minutes), easily and non-invasively test for recent use of ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") - the psychoactive component of marijuana that causes impairment. The THCBA consists of a handheld device and protective case which houses a sterilization module, sample preparation stage, device recovery station and integrated battery charging system. Over the course of 2020 to present the Company has been relentlessly focused on building the THCBA from bench prototypes to the current hand-held portable version 3.0 system. Over recent months, this proof-of-concept system has been introduced into small scale beta-testing sites. The focus of the beta-testing has been to gather information on user and administrator experience, identifying cross-reactivity of other substances within a semi-controlled study population and to further collect data and train the device's machine learning database and sensitivity profile. Furthermore, feedback has been provided in areas of handling, connectivity, operating procedures and data management.

While beta-testing the version 3.0, company engineers have begun building a THCBA version 4.0 that incorporates feedback from beta-test sites and strategic design changes. The version 4.0 design changes will be geared towards manufacturability and reproducibility, while improving device performance. Several components such as the device's internal sampling chambers are being optimized for production. The microfluidic sensor and related actuator mechanism design have been simplified to minimize manufacturing variability and reduce cost. Several other components have been upgraded to more robust materials that will reduce assembly constraints and simplify tooling.

Company engineers have been planning these upgrades and changes since Q1 and are well into the design of the version 4.0 device which is targeted for pre-production small batch runs in Q4 (2021) followed by broad field testing and clinical testing to establish V4.0 benchmark standards.

The Company also reports that it has begun preliminary discussions with potential manufacturers in North America for the THCBA."