Healthcare technology company Lifespot Health (ASX:LSH) has launched a new smart vaporiser device designed specifically for medical cannabis.
Lifespot Health’s MediHale vaporiser is a Bluetooth-compatible vaporiser. The device operates similarly to a regular vaporiser, except it connects to a smartphone app that sends usage information to a patient’s doctor. The device is also lockable and tamper-resistant.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approved the Medihale vaporiser for sale to patients listed on the TGA’s Special Access Scheme (SAS). The first group of patients have now gained access to the device in Melbourne. It is only available with a prescription through the SAS portal.
The MediHale system is designed to be used with replaceable sealed pods (like a pod coffee machine). These pods are filled with medical cannabis e-liquid formulations produced by participating medical cannabis companies. The first patients to use the MediHale vaporiser have been given a CBD oil from EC Pharma, though LifeSpot says blends from different companies will be available later this year.
The MediHale vaporiser is designed to reduce some of the flaws of other medical cannabis ingestion methods. Previous research has shown that inhaling cannabis is the fastest way to receive relief from medical cannabis. Vaporising oils is also cheaper than other medical cannabis delivery methods, as the bioavailability of cannabis oils is higher (so patients can receive the same relief from a smaller dose).
Though it’s still not completely risk-free, vaporising medical cannabis is also likely safer than smoking it through a joint.
Lifespot Chief Executive Officer Matthew Golden reportedly told Small Caps that the MediHale device was received with “very positive” feedback. He says the device also allows Doctors and patients to precisely control the doses of cannabis oils that patients inhale.
Utilising proprietary e-liquid cannabinoid formulations allows physicians to select which cannabinoids and their doses are being prescribed to the patient, a feature not possible when smoking or vaping flower.
Lifespot Health’s MediHale vaporiser is currently only available to Australians with a prescription to medical cannabis through SAS. The company expects to use the MediHale vaporiser in an anxiety study they are currently developing with EC Pharma.
