For people who use cannabis for medicinal purposes, such as pain relief, anxiety and sleep, the evaporation of the drug can be a bit of a trial and error process, as you may not be completely sure of the exact dose you are getting as you can with a standard edible or pill. The manufacturers of the Mode smart cannabis device say that it solves the dosing problem, using a high-pressure sensor to determine how much a user inhales and a prediction algorithm that determines how many micromilligrams a user gets per puff based on the pattern .
According to the company, hundreds of cannabis cartridges are managed by its testing machines to identify each one’s unique characteristics, and the device has an accuracy rate of more than 75 percent, even without letting the app know which cartridge you are using. (The company claims that it exists in the high range of 80 percent for known cartridges.) The mode is compatible with thousands of standard 510 threaded cartridge cartridges, and can be closed manually or remotely with the companion app . The company says that the algorithm is still improving, and that you can download a new version via Bluetooth to the device.
People treat many different medical conditions with cannabis, some use different varieties to treat more than one condition. For example, a user may need a different dose – and probably a different mixture – of cannabis to treat anxiety during the day than he would use as a sleeping pill at night. Therefore, it will come in handy to refine the number of milligrams.
“It’s not just another vape device that you slam through clouds all day long,” Izzy Kirsch, co-founder of Mode, said during a demonstration on Zoom during the Consumer Electronics Show. “You can get a milligram pill, so to speak, and get on with your day.”
Let’s say you use marijuana for sleep and you know what dose you want. Place your cartridge in the Mode device, set it to a dose between 1 and 5 mg, and inhale. The device switches off its heater and vibrates and gives haptic feedback when you have reached the desired dose.
Mark Wagner, co-founder of Mode, said during the CES demo that the company is software-oriented, and rather than building a special sensor to measure the dose, it is refining the algorithm, which is partly evolving was by a former leader of computer science. by Jawbone. In addition to a pressure sensor, Mode has temperature, motion and orientation sensors that help create the ideal dose.
The device also has a mobile app that allows users to track their dose over time. This is useful information if you are testing a new strain or if you decide that your dose is too strong or too weak. The device bases its measurements on the information provided by the cartridge manufacturer. For people who buy cartridges in a pharmacy where the product is a known quantity, it seems the Mode device that relies on the manufacturer’s information. It is noteworthy, however, that the black market and counterfeit patterns may not contain the same accurate information (and could potentially lead to serious illness).
In the relatively new market for medical cannabis, patients can try hard and find errors to find a type and pattern that gives them the quantity they need – even the batteries used with standard cannabis cartridges can vary greatly in the way they dose you. A device that gives you more user control over how much you consume is therefore a welcome addition.
Mode says the device is made of medical materials, including a tear-resistant silicone airway that goes right through the bottom of the device to the cartridge, separate from all of its electronics except the pressure sensor. It uses high quality stainless steel on the heat shield in the tube, and the outside is raw ABS plastic; the company says it stays away from paint, which can lead to emissions.
Mode uses USB-C charging, with a 385mAh custom battery. It can provide between one and two weeks of battery life for a user taking 5 to 20 mg a day, ‘not someone who is constantly crushed by cartridges,’ Kirsch notes.
The mode is available for pre-order and will sell for $ 100 when available later this year. The company’s target in early summer.