Article content continued

Lobo’s CEO John Lem says that picking Sousa to be part of his company’s board was a “clear” choice,” given that he had been in charge of the LCBO and the Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), until the Ford government came into power. “He generally understands the regulatory climate for cannabis and we felt he would be a good resource when it comes to navigating the cannabis space,” Lem said.

Lobo holds the exclusive licence and technology patent for the “Cube,” a small, portable plastic device that tests an individual’s DNA for genetic markers related to cannabis metabolism, risk and impairment. For instance, if you purchase a certain strain of cannabis, and want to know how “stoned” you’ll actually get, a sample of your DNA collected using a cheek swab and placed on the “Cube” will reveal, within 45 minutes, how slowly or quickly your body metabolizes THC and CBD.

I spent some time as minister overseeing the cannabis file and figuring out how to best distribute cannabis as well as protect the health of Canadians Charles Sousa, former Ontario finance minister

“We currently sell it directly to consumers, and we’re allowed to do that because we don’t offer any medical advice,” said Lem. “If the device were to be used in a medical setting, say in a clinic or hospital, we would have to get Health Canada’s permission to distribute the Cube.” Lem says he plans to eventually sell the device to hospitals and clinics across North America, so it can be used as a testing tool by medical practitioners to determine how well a patient will be able to handle the consumption of cannabis.