Hey folks! It’s time again for another session of cannabis education designed to help pull back the curtain on some of the more nebulous aspects of the regulated cannabis industry. This week, we’re going to be taking a very brief look at some of the advanced technology in the field of cannabis cultivation and production. New tech in the cannabis industry has the potential to improve the efficacy and the safety of the weed we consume, while also changing the ways we consume it. So, kick back and relax whilst I guide you through some seriously sci-fi level weed crafting which includes the use of “AI” in the growing and analysis of cannabis.
Skynet? More like HIGHnet Amirite?
When we talk about AI in today’s world we’re not actually referring to a sentient, feeling, thinking machine capable of the same level of cognisance you and I are (that kind of thing is called an Artificial General Intelligence and is not going to be a thing for a good long while…probably…). Think of the AI that we’ll be talking about today as being like really fancy parrots: they can emulate some of our functions through study and repetition in order to complete a task but can’t really think for themselves. That being said, they are incredibly useful for cannabis growers and brands as they allow for a degree of automation when it comes to growing as well as data analysis (ie. Environmental data, predicting yield outcomes etc.). Not only does this help reduce the cost burden on growers in an industry where there are already burdens a’ plenty, but it’s just really frickan cool.
Then there are the weed growing robots. Robotics have long been involved in the field of agriculture, so of course they made their way over to the cannabis growing side of things. Growers use robots for everything from delivering timed, precise amounts of water to their plants and even with the arduous task of harvesting and trimming the ganja. Of course, artificial intelligence and robotics are just some of the new technologies coming into play in the cannabis industry.
New Ways to Toke
I am of the opinion that some of the smartest people I’ve ever met were massive stoners. They’re able to find a way to use literally anything as an implement to consume cannabis with. Various fruits and pop cans? Pipes waiting to happen. Stuck in the woods with nothing more than a lighter, some hash and a Swiss army knife? Hot knives are the course de jour. So, you can imagine that when stoners are granted access to modern technology, they can stop being overly clever in their weed consumption and get down to being practical and efficient. Most people know about vaping distillates in the 510-thread cartridge or pod format, but that’s the tip of the iceberg.
Consuming concentrates used to be a pain in the hide, with some of them requiring coffee table sized rigs and blow torches that make you feel like you’re bridging the gap between cannabis and something more nefarious. Now though, electronic dabbing rigs and even concentrate pens have made imbibing concentrates easy as pie. These devices have existed in one form or another for years, but to be frank, they weren’t all they could be. Even now, the technology still has a ways to go but it’s leaps and bounds more advanced than it was even ten years ago. With concentrate pens, you can even dab on the go! Which is awesome for those of us who like to be active whilst we consume.
The Future is coming down the Pipe.
This is just really the beginning of all the cool tech that is emerging in the cannabis industry. It’s a great time to take in all of the innovations and marvel at what modern science and cannabis can do when they’re slapped together. That being said, even if 150 years from now, I’m able to download the sticky icky into my brain vis a vis a transplanted chip, I’ll probably still roll a nice big fat joint afterwards because some things are timeless.
