Today, 4/20, is an unofficial holiday started by Grateful Dead fans in the 90s. Its roots go back to a group of marijuana smokers in the 70s, who would meet at 4:20 pm to partake. The stay-at-home orders in place to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus are changing traditional 4/20 celebrations, and experts are suggesting that smoking is not the safest way to consume marijuana during the pandemic anyway.
Virginia just decriminalized marijuana, becoming the 27th state to decriminalize or legalize the drug — but keep in mind that decriminalization and legalization are not quite the same. (Note that medical use is legalized in 33 states.) Marijuana is still federally illegal, and the current coronavirus crisis is affecting legalization efforts in some states. Existing U.S. cannabis companies are experiencing difficulties and limited access to financial services, too — since marijuana is prohibited by federal law, many of them are forced to only accept cash that could be contaminated with the coronavirus.
What else is happening with cannabis in the age of coronavirus? In recognition of this “holiday,” we searched the ktMINE Patents Database for new and interesting cannabis industry technologies. The following patents and applications have been published with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in 2020.
Patent Application 1: US 2020/068919 A1, Method for making an animal snack containing cannabinoids
This application provides techniques for making an animal cookie containing cannabinoids. The innovation is meant to help animals with and without medical diagnoses.
Source: ktMINE Patents Application
Patent 2: US 10,596,211 B2, Medication dispensing system
This patent includes various novel cannabinoid delivery methods, including transdermal patches and injectables. It includes information about infusing botox with cannabis. The pain relief patches pictured in the diagram below include 3D printed injectable needles, hard structures that expand upon contact with a liquid to create a more effective delivery pathway. Traditional pain relief patches have delayed absorbance and limited therapeutic value as cannabinoids do not easily dissolve in water.
Source: ktMINE Patents Application
Patent 3: US PP31,535 P3, Cannabis plant named ‘lemon crush og’
Plant patents last for 20 years from the date of filing the application, and they protect the entire plant from reproduction, sale, and use by anyone other than the patent owner. This patent covers a new and distinct cannabis cultivar designated as ‘LEMON CRUSH OG’.
Source: ktMINE Patents Application
Patent Application 4: US 2020/069567 A1, Tattoo Ink Containing Cannabis or Hemp Derived Cannabinoids or Mixture of Both
This patent application includes tattoo ink combined with cannabis compounds, meant to reduce the pain, inflammation, and risk of infection associated with tattoos.
Source: ktMINE Patents Application
Patent 5: US US10,575,563 B2, Vaporization device having integrated games
This patent includes a vaping device with integrated entertainment specifically designed not to interfere with the operation of the device, but rather to enhance it.
Source: ktMINE Patents Application
The games described in the excerpts below are based on the movement of LED lights in area 499 of Figure 12A above.
Source: ktMINE Patents Application
Whether you consider today a “holiday” or just another day in April, we hope you enjoyed learning about these latest cannabis innovations.
