Seedo, creators of automated consumer grow labs, will shortly plant a seed in the U.S. medical marijuana market.
Those in the U.S. with less than a green thumb but still interested in growing their own medical cannabis will soon have a compact, high-tech and fully automated option to turn to.
Seedo, an Israeli startup that specializes in home automated grow labs for medicinal herbs, has announced a partnership with U.S.-based Cannabics Pharmaceuticals to create the first controlled device for growing medical cannabis at home. Like other "smart appliances," the Seedo Homelab relies on numerous sensors and artificial intelligence to ensure complete quality from seed to harvest without owner intervention.
“Nobody has seen anything like this,” Uri Zeevi, CEO of Seedo, said in a recent interview from his offices in Haifa, Israel. “It’s really new, just coming onto the market.”
As shown in the amusing promotional video below, Seedo's technology makes growing any kind of plant – from tomatoes to marijuana – as easy as using your smartphone. Simply place the desired seeds in the Homelab, select the plant you're growing on the Seedo app, and then shut the door and walk away. An advanced array of sensors managing everything from temperature to light cycles and nutrients then efficiently manage your plant's growth. When it's time to harvest, you'll receive a notification on your smartphone.
“Seedo is hermetically closed, so disease and pests can’t get to plants when they’re inside (the unit),” Zeevi added. “You just leave them alone. The plants are saying, ‘Don’t bother me; I want to grow!"
In order to reduce the temptation to peek inside and disrupt the controlled conditions, the Seedo Homelab also comes with an internal HD camera. Just tap the app and you'll be presented with a live view of your plant from anywhere in the world. According to the company, the Homelab is so efficient in the management of its resources, that it only costs about $10 a month to operate.
That Seedo's technology was borne along the shores of the Mediterranean should come as no surprise to those working within the cannabis industry. For more than 50 years, Israel has been at the forefront of global research and production of medical cannabis. This serious scientific pursuit coupled with vast agricultural resources is one of the reasons Cannabics Pharmaceuticals, which leverages big data and A.I. to create customized cannabis therapies for cancer patients, chose the country to host its research and development center.
According to Cannabics CEO Eyal Barad, the new partnership with Seedo will allow consumers of medical cannabis complete control over the quality of their herb.
"This initiative will enable patients and eventually businesses to take control of their medical cannabis supply in a revolutionary manner," Barad, a graduate of Tel Aviv University, said in a statement. "Seedo's high-tech devices and Cannabics' capabilities will support the sustainable delivery of the right form and quality of medicinal cannabis."
In the U.S., growing certain quantities of medical cannabis is allowed in some states. For other states, customers can use the Seedo Homelab for growing other vegetables. Available for preorder now, Seedo expects to release their medical cannabis Homelab during the first quarter of 2019.