A Canadian company has secured a patent for a device designed to detect cannabis use in drivers.
Burnaby-based Cannabix Technologies, Inc. today announced that the Canadian Intellectual Property Office had granted patent No. 2887841 for the THC Breath Analyzer (THCBA).
Cannabix filed the original patent application for the device on April 16, 2015.
Cannabix CSO Dr. Raj Attariwala says the THCBS’s intellectual property protection gives the company formidable insights and technical advancements that it’s made in molecular gas analysis since the patent’s original filing in 2015.
Attariwala says the new patent is a useful plank in Cannabix’s IP protection strategy.
For Policy and Law Enforcement
The company describes the THCBA as a drug screening device for “employers and other markets who are seeking a way to quickly, easily, and non-invasively test for recent use of THC.”
Other markets include law enforcement agencies and government bodies as cannabis becomes legal for recreational and medicinal use in the United States and other countries.
Cannabix CEO Rav Mlait points to recent successful cannabis legalization and decriminalization efforts in states like New Jersey, Arizona, New Mexico, and Connecticut.
“This has led to recent reports from AAA and IIHS outlining the impact of driving under the influence of cannabis,” says Mlait. “Furthermore, employers are re-examining their drug testing policies, procedures, and tools. There is a massive sea-change happening in the U.S. related to cannabis use, and Cannabix technologies is at the forefront of developing the tools to aid public safety and create more relevant and fairer cannabis testing technology.”
In June, Cannabix delivered a THCBA unit to a clinic in the Northwestern United States for beta testing.
Cannabix says the clinic runs a robust drug testing program and is one of the top drug testing providers in its state.
According to Cannabix, the THCBA’s beta testing focused on improving the user and administration experience, identifying cross-reactivity of other substances in a semi-controlled study population, and training the device’s machine learning database and sensitivity profile.
