For people looking to treat ailments with cannabis, getting started can be intimidating. With a wide variety of strains, products and effects, guidance is crucial, but often hard to find.
“Cannabis is not a one-size fits all product,” Jackson Rowland said. “Different individuals experience different effects from different products.”
In an effort to ease the entry into medical cannabis, Rowland has developed a DNA test that will match people with products that are most effective for them.
“My goal at the end of the day is to help people, as I’ve seen the power of cannabis to help heal."
Rowland, who has a background in chemistry and biochemistry, said he knows people that use cannabis functionally for various medical ailments. He was also aware of the lack of information that often deters people from cannabis.
“A lot of people want to use it functionally, but don’t know where to start. They don’t know who to see about it,” he said.
After doing research, he determined DNA testing was the most effective and consistent way to recommend cannabis products and co-founded Green Genomix with Aaron Moss.
“Genetic testing seemed to be the most likely to come about and the most effective,” he said about the future popularity of cannabis recommendations. “Everyone has the same genes, they just have different variants. Its consistent across all humans.”
So, in December he began selling the Green Test DNA Collection Kit. The Green Test uses your DNA to identify specific genetic variants known to be responsible for the uniqueness of your biochemical makeup. This information is used to help determine which cannabis products you should use and how often you should use them for the desired effects.
The test works similarly to current family tree DNA services, as Green Genomix collects an initial questionnaire and saliva sample that is analyzed at the company’s lab.
Once the analysis is complete, the company generates a report that tells you how different cannabinoid ratios impact your mood, anxiety, pain perception, cognition and other functions. It then suggests products to fit the targeted effects laid out in your initial questionnaire.
The test retails for $149 on Green Genomix’s website.
“We are here to help people find the right products and genetics is the best way to do that,” Rowland said.
The Denver-based company currently has six team members, including advisers, working on a contract basis and recently completed the Canopy Boulder accelerator program. Rowland said the experience was incredible for the team and helped them prepare for growth.
Rowland wants Green Genomix to serve as a resource for people looking to find the right cannabis products for them.
“My goal at the end of the day is to help people, as I’ve seen the power of cannabis to help heal. I want to use that so people don’t have to use addictive medicine,” he said. “Our goal is to reach the people that need help connecting to the right products.”
