Two of the hottest sectors in the Silicon Valley economy — based on Internet buzz and mainstream news headlines — are artificial intelligence and cannabis. Put those two scorching hot industries together and you get PotBotics, a startup that uses AI to to provide medical marijuana recommendations to patients.
Probotics, which has offices in Silicon Valley and New York, promises to “guide [medical marijuana] patients to the appropriate cannabinoid levels, medical cannabis strains, and consumption methods for their specific ailment.”
For patients searching for the right type of cannabis for their individual needs, this scientific approach is much better than the random trial-and-error method or the “it-worked-for-me-so-it-might-work-for-you” method.
In many states where medical or recreational marijuana is legal, budtenders provide an important customer service. But budtender training is spotty at best and may offer advice that simply does not work for you.
Probotics claims its technology is a blend of “artificial intelligence, DNA analysis, and cannabis research” and it can zero in on the data available to benefit patients.
“We want to help patients get better consulting and advice when considering medical marijuana,” said Dr. Boris Goldstein, the company’s founder. Another co-founder is his father, Baruch Goldstein, who previously worked on AI projects after receiving his PhD in mathematics.
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“We don’t talk about taste, flavor, or smell, and we stray away from strain names,” Boris Goldstein told Fast Company. “Strain names aren’t tied to medical benefits because certain strains at different dispensaries don’t give the same therapeutic relief since their cannabinoid levels are different.”
On the company’s website, it explains why its technology is preferred by patients:
“Patients who are recommended medical marijuana are given very little information on the different strains available to them on the market. There are more than 750 strains of cannabis to choose from and many methods of consumption such as tinctures, dabs, edibles, lotions, vaporizers and sprays. Choosing the wrong strain and form of ingestion can aggravate symptoms instead of alleviating them.”
Launched three years ago, PotBotics claims to be the first biotech company to merge robotics and artificial intelligence with cannabis. Its first product offering, named PotBot, is an artificially intelligent avatar that can understand organic speech, engage in two-way communication, and assist patients with tailoring strains to their specific needs, the company says.
The PotBot app is available in Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. There is also a desktop app available. The company reports that more than 600,000 smartphone users already have tried the technology.
Last year, the company was named in Entrepreneur Magazine‘s ‘Top 10 Startups in Cannabis You Need To Watch’ for its innovative approach to patient health.
How Does It Work?
It’s pretty intuitive:
- First, the patient provides a few pieces of basic information (age, weight, gender, state of residence, etc.)
- Next, the patient selects the ailments it is hoping to treat with cannabis.
- The PotBot will then provide recommendations for the marijuana most appropriate for your specific condition.
- The app will also locate a nearby dispensary or retailer near you. It will also search for a doctor in your area.
