How Can DNA Testing Complement Medical Cannabis Use?

Imagine getting individualized strain recommendations based on genetic testing and AI machine learning. While this idea might sound scary to the local budtender, it’s a reality that many companies are bringing to life. 

One such company, known as EndoDNA or Endocanna Health, is using groundbreaking new tech to create personalized cannabis use plans based on every customer’s unique genetic information. Once upon a time, Endocanna Health CEO Len May got kicked out of the house for smoking weed. Now, he’s been at the forefront of cannabis genetic testing technology since 2017. 

What Is EndoDNA Testing?

If you’d like to try this new technology for yourself, it’s easier than it’s ever been. Simply swab the inside of your cheek, send out a prepaid package with the specimen, and wait. Endocanna Health’s DNA testing kit is $199, but if you’ve already uploaded your DNA to a database like Ancestry.com, the price of the service drops to $49.95. 

Your results are broken into the following categories:

• Anxiety 
• Cognitive function & behavior 
• Digestive function 
• Drug dependence 
• Drug metabolism 
• Fitness 
• Metabolism 
• Mood 
• Musculoskeletal & immune function 
• Pain, nausea, & neurologic patterns 
• Sleep 
• THC side effects 

These categories include even more specific reports; for example, “PTSD” can be found under the “Anxiety” category. It’s incredibly thorough. AI uses genetic markers found in your DNA testing to recommend THC-to-CBD ratios, terpenes, and specific strains per report. 

You’ll also learn helpful information about how your body metabolizes cannabis. Some people aren’t suited for edibles because their liver is over or underactive when processing THC. Others might be sensitive to CBD, so they won’t be recommended high-CBD strains.

To explore further, the CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 genes regulate THC metabolism. These genes indicate how sensitive you are to THC and other medications. If you’re genetically prone to having a subpar metabolism, strains that are high in THC are more likely to be uncomfortably psychoactive than those with a lower concentration. 

Changing Public Perspectives 

People are often pleasantly surprised with the extra health data the test provides. Your report will alert you of genetic predispositions you have, which empowers you to make lifestyle changes preemptively. This can have incredible benefits — someone genetically predisposed to neurological disorders may start taking neuroprotective herbs, become physically active, watch less TV, or learn a new language.

However, this service isn’t without controversy. One criticism that Endocanna Health has received is that they sell terpene blends that are sometimes found in recommended products. In 2020, May assured Leafly reporter Meg Hartley that no direct profits are made. He explained, “We look at certificates of analysis from different product manufacturers and run them to a matching algorithm, and we look for several things: Number one, we look for the percentage of CBD, THC; secondary, terpene profile; and then some others, like essential oils.”

Likewise, there are many people who are against DNA uploads on principle. In a similar vein, the AI industry is under scrutiny for its potential to gather personal, sensitive, and confidential health data to make certain kinds of labor obsolete — a fear that new technology and automation have instilled in the working class for nearly the entirety of the past century. Data privacy may be in the hands of AI, waiting to be misused, racially-biased, or declassified by a security breach.

But this isn’t stopping May. He predicts that genetically personalized cannabis experiences will become more and more commonplace once prohibition ends on a federal level. May told LA Times writer Adam Tschorn: “I believe we’re going to have indication-specific products for specific people with [specific] genotypes…The same way that I take my personalized vitamins and my personalized nutrients based on my DNA, I’ll take my supplement cannabinoids as well.”

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re excited about this idea, or concerned that it seems a little too Black Mirror, there’s no denying that the potential medical implications are huge. It’s a huge leap forward in the future of cannabis medicine, as people’s lives change every time a patient is paired with the right medicine. With personalized strain recommendations, extensive health and wellness information, and more, Endocanna Health is revolutionizing cannabis health and technology.

Perhaps one day we will all have personalized cannabis supplements created for our needs through DNA testing — only time will tell.