There's a plethora of useless marijuana-related smartphone apps out there, and most any program offered by a cannabis dispensary or manufacturer equates to nothing more than a fancy advertisement for their services. But instead of adding more junk apps to the already pee'd-in pool, Mary's Medicinals -- maker of arguably most popular transdermal THC and CBD patches in the state -- has managed to create something useful with the Mary's Journal app.
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The app doesn't even pimp any Mary's products. Instead, it's meant as a way for patients to keep track of their medical cannabis usage in a meaningful way that provides feedback to the patient. The data collected is also anonymously and privately stored by Mary's Medicinals, which plans to share it with researchers investigating cannabis efficacy for things like depression, cancer, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The idea is that patients know more about medical cannabis than anyone, and the app is a way to tap into that collective consciousness.
"Most of the knowledge about cannabis medicine that is available today is based on what we have learned directly from patients," Mary's CEO Nicole Smith says in a release. "Mary's Journal now enables patients to share information with each other and with researchers on a global scale, which will lead to clinical studies, improved protocols for canna-based medicinal use and the creation of innovative, effective products."For patients who want or need to keep a record of their treatment, the app is a solid tool that not only tracks how much pot you're using but also how you felt at the time you took your meds, how effective the herb was and even sets reminders for when you need to toke up.
Graham Sorkin, spokesman for the company, tells Westword that the company doesn't have a home for its data yet, but said the app follows all HIPPA guidelines for privacy. Sorkin adds that Mary's is working to create relationships with researchers at several universities in Colorado and in Washington. In the future, the app will also provide patients with a "dashboard" that charts their usage and helps them target strains best for their condition. He said new apps trends that develop will also be shared on the Mary's Medicinal's website."We just need to get as many patients on board as we can," he said. "More patients means more data, and the more we can put out there for people in the future."
The free app is available for both Android and Apple phones.
