Cannabis sativa has been used for somewhere around the last five thousand years. But now it's gone digital, thanks to Medicinal Genomics' iPad app, Jane-Ome, now live on the Apple iStore.
As well as being a recreational (though not always entirely legal) drug, marijuana may have a role in the treatment of cancer, glaucoma, inflammatory disease, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as reducing sickness in HIV and chemotherapy patients and combating muscle spasms in people with multiple sclerosis. Back in August 2011, Medicinal Genomics announced a draft sequence of the Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica genome. This data is accessible via the app and will be updated continuously, along with scientific news feeds, videos and commentary.
"Medicinal Genomics is excited to roll out Jane-Ome to help make sense of the extensive datasets created by the Cannabis genome project," said Kevin McKernan, founder and head of scientific operations of Medicinal Genomics. "The company's hope is that Jane-Ome will help make that data more relevant to the public and serve as a conduit for future Cannabis genomes."
But who's it for? Targeted at the interested public rather than the serious scientist, the app includes a mix of scientific data with "factoids" and a Facebook-enabled cannabis trivia game, allowing users to "earn the right to guide future sequencing efforts." But even a serious scientist needs to kick back and relax with his or her iPad every now and then.
- see the press release
- read about the Jane-Ome
- check out the article in the Boston Business Journal