Legal pot a boon for local start-ups, say Waterloo region entrepreneurs

Tech start ups in Waterloo region say the legalization of cannabis has the potential to grow their businesses.

Guard-Ex, SannTekand Groboare just a few of the local businesses taking advantage of Canada's new rules around the use and possession of pot.

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As the cannabis industry grows, JaySha, director of Velocity, said more students at the University of Waterloo are interested in getting involved inthe industry.

"Through the pipeline we have on campus through all the students engagement and entrepreneurial activities we've defiantly seen lots of other projects,"Shasaid.

Grobo, known for itsautomated hydroponic grow boxes,started tapping into thecannabis business three years ago, when it shifted from a focus on home-grown veggies to home-grown cannabis.

"It was medical patients locally that started coming up and asking us ... 'Hey, can you help us grow our cannabis?'" said BjornDawson, co-founder and CEO.

Now, Dawson said they're playing catch-up with the number of orders they're receiving.

Road and work safety

Another local tech start up that hopes to capitalizeon new cannabis legislation is SannTek.

Co-founders Noah Debrincat and Thomas Dunlop want to develop abreathalyzer device that will detect THC levels using nano-technology.

Debrincat said using this kind of technology will improve the sensitivity of the breath test, allowing it to detect small amounts of THC.

• 5 basics about consuming cannabis: UW releases pot video for pharmacists

SannTek is still in the early stages of development, but Debrincat said they've been in contact with Waterloo regional policeand other Ontario police servicesto better understand what kind of device is needed.

Guard-Ex, another local company, could soon start testing their drug recognition device with Waterloo regional police.

TheGX-420 will be able to detect many different drugs, including cannabis.