Cannabis 101 tells us there are three basic types of strains: Sativa, Indica, and hybrid. Sativa strains give an uplifting head high, Indica strains produce a more relaxed effect on the body, and hybrids are a mixture of the two. However, without proper research, it’s really a guessing game of what strain is the correct one to use to treat your specific condition.
The new Releaf app has users record how they are feeling during a smoking session to learn which strains people are using to make themselves feel better.
“Together we can find out how cannabis works best in treating our ailments and symptoms and start pushing back on the disinformation created by the war on drugs,” said Franco Brockelman, one of the co-founders. The software company, MoreBetter Ltd., is based in Washington, D.C. and has just released their beta version for 100 testers. The app aims to treat specific conditions or unwanted feelings the user is experiencing with personalized reports to help the patient figure out which strain is the best medication.
Its software records firsthand accounts of how and what the average person medicates, then aggregates the data to recommend specific strains to other users suffering the same ailments. The app has three advantages for Clinical Cannabis users; Tracking user experiences, discovering what’s working for others, and receiving personal analytics.
It’s a much needed database of information in an era where more and more states are allowing medical use of the plant – bridging the gap of research left by the failed war on drugs.
The developers hope to change the way people use cannabis from hidden, experimental self-medicators to an open-source information share, driven by human input and computer-driven analytics. According to their site, their hope is “that the collected information will help us all understand medical cannabis better and help those in need get easier access to the medical benefits they deserve. Together, we can explore cannabis in a thoughtful and direct way that will aid countless people approach medical cannabis now and in the future to treat their ailments effectively.”
I asked them if there was any significance of the company’s D.C. location in an industry deeply rooted in long-time legalized states like California or Colorado. Releaf agreed it’s rare, but an amazing opportunity to be where cannabis is legal, and be allowed to test the software application to the fullest extent with human trials.
Releaf says security is a priority, that’s why the program is highly encrypted and users are anonymous. The people at Releaf tell me they hope to get the patient trials finalized this month and release the full, free app this June.
