By Yona Schnitzer
Israel briefly became the center of the cannabis world this week as the two day CannaTech conference took place at Tel Aviv’s fashionable port broadwalk. Cultivators, scientists, doctors, investors and entrepreneurs all came together at the Trask event hall to see the newest innovations in the field of medicinal cannabis. There were lectures, masterclasses and booths set up by leading Israeli and international companies showcasing their latest products and innovations.
Here are five Israeli companies to watch:
4. Oterize
Winning the convention’s pitch competition was Oterize, an app that can effectively prevent impaired driving by using a scientifically proven test to identify cognitive impairment and reduce the likelihood of accidents, death, injuries and monetary loss. While most cognition tests were designed to address the effects of alcohol on a driver, the Oterize app is capable of determining whether or not a user is suffering from any type of impairment, regardless of the substance causing it. “As medical and recreational cannabis becomes increasingly legal, driving under the influence is definitely an issue many are thinking about. Otorize is an idea that is important, timely and marketable,” said Saul Kaye, CEO of iCAN, which produces the CannaTech, about the innovation and the reasons it was selected to win.
With Israel leading the world in many aspects of the cannabis industry, and with significant medicinal cannabis reforms rumored to be coming as early as April, Israeli companies and cultivators are expected to soon be allowed to not only export their technology, but their actual cannabis based products as well. Should that change occur, Israel may just find itself becoming the world’s first cannabis superpower.
