A Turkish venture firm has created an airport x-ray baggage scanner that uses a cannabis-based composite material to prevent radiation from escaping into the environment.
The scanner was designed by TechnoArge, a research and development company located in the Avcilar district in Istanbul.
“The industrial cannabis fiber that is used in composite making absorbs radiation,” TechnoArge general manager Muzaffer Gökçimen told the Anadolu Agency. “The x-ray scanner was patented in 144 countries.”
According to Gökçimen, the machine also disinfects luggage as part of the scanning process.
TechnoArge is currently developing other hygiene-focused innovations such as the Bandcleaner which is designed to clean and disinfect escalator handrails automatically. The company is also developing a bullet-proof vest that uses a cannabis composite material and is lighter, cheaper, and more durable than other modern vests.
Gökçimen says that the company is looking to begin manufacturing automotive supplies from cannabis composite materials in a year as well.
There are currently 19 out of Turkey’s 81 provinces that are allowed to cultivate low-THC cannabis for industrial purposes, though more are expected to be permitted soon.
Recreational marijuana use is currently illegal in Turkey though legislation was approved in 2016 to allow for individuals with a doctor’s prescription to use sublingual cannabis medications such as Sativex.
Image: TechnoArge
