Digitization of Cannabis — The New Future
Starting from 1999, protestors used to have annual rallies in different parts of the world against the laws and restrictions on the usage of cannabis (also known as weed). The biggest and most prominent one was the “Global Marijuana March,” in which millions of people participated and protested in thousands of different cities in 85 nations worldwide, which ignited a big spark among youth.
My First Encounter
In my undergrad., I studied end-to-end processing of chemicals and food ingredients, including manufacturing pharmaceutical products, making liquor, paint, and all relevant chemicals. In one of my projects, I came across the process of extracting components from cannabis, which are being used in medicines or other words, it’s called “medical marijuana.”
Medical marijuana is no different than recreational marijuana, but it’s taken for medical purposes, and the cannabis plant or chemicals in it are used to treat many health diseases.
You must have heard that it makes people high when they smoke marijuana or eat foods containing it. In short, it’s one of the most controversial topics in today’s modern digital age.
Though it’s now legal in developed countries like the United States and Canada, many European countries are also looking to alter their stringent laws. Still, interestingly, the experts have not been able to figure out the effect of all its 120 components, which are called cannabinoids, except two of them.
Why are scientists not researching it like any other drug?
One of the main reasons is that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers weed as a “Schedule I” drug, which has the same level as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy and is considered low medical value. If you are a science enthusiast and want to explore more about weed from a medical perspective, you would need a special license to study it.
To my surprise, these states have opened the “Cannabis Lounges” where you can consume it legally, and businesses with a permit can allow customers to buy and use marijuana in their cafes. Indeed, it does not stop here (the #1 job site in the world) shows thousands of jobs under “Cannabis Testing Jobs” results.
Yesterday, when I searched for top travel Canadian YouTubers, I came across a video with the title “50 Cannabis YouTube Channels to Follow in 2020,” and I was really amazed. When I dug deep, I realized that these people are called Weed-Tubers, who make their living by getting stoned on YouTube.
These entrepreneurs are steering the wave of marijuana legalization, and they are famous as “Cheech and Chong” for the digital age. By far, this is the fanciest way that I have ever seen to capitalize on digital media.
‘Josh Young’ from the US smokes weed before he eats breakfast, lunch, and dinner and runs a YouTube channel, StrainCentral, which has more than 3 million subscribers, and thousands of viewers watch him every day.
This digital media channel is his only source of income to pay bills.
It’s fascinating that people do not limit themselves only to social media apps as virtual and augmented reality has also entered the cannabis space. This technology offers advantages like virtual product libraries and augmented package engagement, prioritizing both informative and creative experiences for the audience.
They have even invented the crypto “currency” to overcome physical cash transactions' serious challenges due to the business's tenuous federal legality. I am curious about what else these smart minds will innovate ‘digitally’ for the cannabis industry to grow.
If you read the latest news and articles, you’ll get to know that the entrepreneurs, investors, and venture capitalists are already eager to break into the cannabis industry because they consider it the next big thing.
It’s unlike traditional marketing and advertising.
The emerging technology will be a huge helping hand for the business-minded people, and B2C companies like dispensaries and distribution organizations will attract customers and increase revenue through mobile apps.
And not to forget, digital platforms and mobile apps are the best way to offer loyalty programs to customers.
Since mobile users tend never to lose their phones, it’s the best way to retain consumers, build new relationships, and directly communicate with them. With all these advancements, I hope that the medical industry can also leverage this opportunity and come up with ground-breaking inventions with the help of digital media and cannabis that could cure deadly viruses.
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