Habu Health: Data Driven Research and Education in Cannabis

Habu Health and Smart Cannabis

This article was originally published on The Weed Blog

With cannabis legalization comes the opportunity for cannabis education.  We are currently living in a society (in the U.S. anyway) where we have been fed decades of propaganda and conjecture by the federal government, and actual studies and research about cannabis (much less factual public education) have been virtually impossible.  Now, though, we are able to push forward in this realm, and Habu Health is doing just that.

Cannabis use represents the largest medical experiment in human history, yet nobody has been recording the results. Using scientific rigor, Habu Health is aiming to be the first company to accurately provide personalized recommendations for cannabis products. The data will also provide powerful insights for targeted product development, sales, and consumer preferences, which will transform the cannabis industry.

Habu Health is led by neuroscientist Dr. Adie Poe, the company’s Chief Scientific Officer.  Dr. Poe is working to create technology that will finally record this type of valuable research and then build massive intelligent data sets.  Dr. Poe agrees that this is a critical time for the cannabis plant.  She explains, “We really see these as two separate issues: stigma will go away on its own once people have the opportunity to have first-hand experiences about the safety and usefulness of this plant. Unfortunately, a lot people do not trust scientists, or are not convinced by data: very similar to the climate change “debate.”  No matter how much evidence you present, the only thing that changes some people’s minds is seeing a loved one recover from illness with the help of cannabis. As incremental legalization and emergence from the green closet continue, stigma will die. As far as pushing the movement forward, the absolute most critical issue is getting cannabis removed from Schedule 1. When this happens, the barriers to medical research will disappear, along with many other awkward issues in the industry (like the cash/banking problem).”

Chris Poe is the CEO of Habu Health and agrees with his partner. “I strongly believe it’s the responsibility of the leaders in this industry to get onto the front lines and educate people. Let’s talk about our intentions with the future of the industry. Let’s talk about the current short comings of the legislation, and how we can improve standardizations across the cannabis industry. We are in a unique period of infancy with the cannabis industry, where all of us involved get to figure out how the industry is going to progress! I’m not here to hide behind the stigmas… I want to confront them. Our goal with habu will always be to communicate directly with those people who are afraid to enter the market, because of stigmas.

Currently, Habu Health is offering a series of talks they have entitled Smart Cannabis in order to support their commitment to building consumer confidence.  The Smart Cannabis programming will focus on the science behind this amazing plant, and will bring industry leaders and the public together to have a science/fact based conversation about the truth. For more on the series of talks, look here.

Chris Poe adds, “Our goal with Habu Health is to bring a personalized recommendation engine into the hands of every cannabis user. We want everyone to have access to what cannabis products are going wo work best for them. So whether you are a recreational, or medical user, everyone can benefit from removing the “trail and error” from the cannabis purchasing experience. Imagine having the complete confidence and ease of purchasing a loaf of bread, with every cannabis purchase. That is how we are going to move towards targeted product development, which will change the industry forever. I want to develop cannabis products that will solve everything you need, without the side effects that you don’t enjoy.”

Dr. Poe also commented, “A person’s experience with cannabis is entirely dependent upon the complex set of plant “ingredients” they consume, and how those ingredients interact with their unique body and brain. Right now, it’s almost impossible to get consistent, reliable results and experiences when using cannabis, because even between genetically identical plants, there can be wild differences in the cannabinoids and terpenes found in the cured flowers. At habu, we are embracing these differences, and finding a way to achieve consistent health benefits within this chaotic framework. Our goal is to harness big data in order to provide accurate recommendations about which cannabis products are best suited to which people. We are very passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to scientifically accurate information about cannabis.”

Team Poe also encourages people to participate in their initial data collection process happening right now with their web app. You just go to this link (accessible from any mobile or desktop browser) and record your feedback after every session. The more you use the app, the more accurate their data is going to be.  The only way to improve the cannabis experience for yourself and your community is through research. This is an exciting hybrid of citizen science and personalized medicine, and we commend Habu Health on their efforts.
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