FGCU student develops device to measure proper cannabis doses

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Photo by Accugentix.

Oil derived from hemp is growing in popularity to help people. CBD oil or cannabidiol can help people manage their anxiety and pain. One FGCU student recently invented a device that helps users better measure their doses. This could help solve a regulation riddle.

FGCU student Alana Hacker founded Accugentix with the goal to help people measure proper doses for medical marijuana.

“I wanted it to be accurate,” Hacker said. “And me personally, I’m very interested in genetics, so I put those two things together … I really wanted it to be unique.”

And it is proving to be unique, with two patents pending.

“We’re developing a dosing system for medical cannabis,” Hacker said. “That includes CBD oil and medical cannabis oil. That has CBD oil and THC.”

The device will measure how much CBD oil someone is taking and help track the dosage on the app.

“When I first thought of it, I’m like, you know this could probably help some people,” Hacker said. “There’s a huge dosing issue in medical cannabis industry. People are taking too much, and most working-class people don’t want that.”

And medical marijuana experts like Sam Walch at FGCU agree the device will benefit people.

“There’s the scientific viewpoint that says we need to have standard doses to track,” said Walch, director of workforce development. “And standard dosing that wants to go from the medical side is extremely important.”

Hacker said the inspiration for the device came from a personal moment.

“I have a family member who was going through cancer treatment,” Hacker said. “It wasn’t going so well. So they tried the medical cannabis route, and in conjunction with her chemotherapy, it worked great.”

It’s been FGCU’s Institute for Entrepreneurial ship that’s taken the personal moment and her passion into the real world.

“Alana is like a lot of the students at FGCU,” said Eric Arseneau, associate director of the institute. “They have a particular passion that comes out of their major.”

Hacker will have a chance to receive up to $75,000 in a few weeks at the national competition for entrepreneurs. Her dosing device will compete with other ideas around the country.

“It’s just trying to get the money to do that or trying to get the support,” Hacker said. “But FGCU has helped me out tremendously.”

RELATED: Confusion over cannabidiol: Is CBD legal? It depends who you ask 

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