Cannabis and technology: The new non-stigma of the 21st century. Mauro Orozco

Probably one of the great differentiators of each century is how beliefs change. When we think of concepts such as “nineteenth-century thinking”, we understand that we are referring to the whole set of “philias and phobias” that societies had in the nineteenth century, both social and cultural, political, scientific, artistic and all the other things we can think of. Much of this during the twentieth century was broken, evolved or, failing that, reincarnated in new beliefs, stigmas, ideologies and also more etcetera. It is normal that living in the present we do not notice these ruptures as they are, in Braudel’s words, “long-lasting processes”, but the 21st century has also brought its own new ways of thinking. While this continues to lend itself to much debate, we have one unquestionable maxim: the stigma of marijuana is rapidly fading and legalization in more and more parts of the world is a reality. Science and medicine have found great benefits in the use of cannabidiol, especially in the fields of neurology and mental health. On the other hand, the much feared recreational use has ceased to be this social “satan” as it is increasingly present in academic, professional and scientific circles. Likewise, organized crime would be avoided in a certain sense by putting into practice activities such as self-cultivation. Faced with this panorama, brands and companies dedicated to technology have been taking action on the matter for some years now.

01. LEVO

Let’s start with a product that we can have in the kitchen, next to the coffee maker. This LEVO machine is used to make butter, honey or oil from the plant. The procedure is simply to put the plant in the machine, press the button of what we want and in a few minutes we will have cannabis butter to prepare brownies, honey for a smoothie or oil to make sweets, among other things. Such technology is priced at $300 on the LEVO website or a $160 model with perhaps fewer options, but ideal for those looking for a simpler and more economical alternative.

02. SEEDO LAB

One of the great proposals of this new century in which we live is that of urban gardens. The self-cultivation of plants and vegetables is one of the activities that have become more common among young adults and this also includes cannabis. What happens when I do not have the conditions for a garden at home, but I want to grow my own plant? Well, several brands have put this hydroponic technology on the market. One popular brand is SeedoLab. This device has and does everything you need for your plant to grow in the best conditions. It has LED light and interior lighting adjustment to simulate day and night, irrigation system, temperature and humidity control, hermetic sealing system to create an ecosystem free of pests and CO2 and, as if that were not enough, it can be linked to your cell phone to receive notifications about the status of your plant or even to see your little sprout in stream.

03. APPS

A very well known app, especially in places where marijuana has already been completely decriminalized, is Leafly. This app is very useful to know all the distribution centers, dispensers or smoke shops that you have nearby, in addition to giving you information about the type of plant you need for your health condition and in which of these places to get it. We also have GrowBuddy that serves as an advisor for the cultivation of the plant, giving you reminders for watering and alerts about the status of your plant.

Another very interesting one is EazeMD, which has the function of being able to contact doctors at the moment that can give you consultations regarding the use of the plant for any health problem you may have. In addition to those mentioned, there are many other apps that serve to tell you if you are in conditions to, for example, drive after consuming marijuana or even to weigh the amount you have tried, so that the dealer gives you grams that are not grams.

Mauro Orozco Moreno

Communicologist and historian graduated from the University of Guadalajara. Since 2019 he is dedicated to journalism and content creation about video games, technology and “geek culture” on the internet. He was co-founder of the page Operación Gamer and currently his content appears on his page Totherland on Facebook Gaming.