Delta 9 Cannabis Inc (TSE:DN) (OTCQX:VRNDF) (FRA:V5D1) is debuting a new spin on its proprietary cannabis grow pods that could help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The cannabis company’s new Decontamination Pod, or D-Pod, can be used, as the name suggests, to decontaminate medical supplies, personal protective gear and other equipment used in the management of COVID-19.
Originally designed as micro-facilities to grow marijuana, Delta 9 has repurposed shipping containers to include heating and ultraviolet light technologies. When personal protective equipment (PPE) or similar products are placed inside the pod, the combination of heat and ultraviolet C light will kill the virus on the materials.
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CEO John Arbuthnot called the technology a “game-changer” in the fight against COVID-19.
“This technology could be a game-changer for governments, hospitals, and care facilities in the fight against COVID-19, allowing them to decontaminate large amounts of PPE and other equipment, increasing the availability of existing PPE inventories and preventing potential exposures to the virus,” Arbuthnot said in a statement.
“We are extremely proud of our employees and partners for bringing this technology to this point and look forward to continuing to do our part in providing solutions to this health crisis.”
The D-Pod was developed in partnership with three other firms and tested at a third-party lab, which confirmed the technology’s effectiveness.
Winnipeg-based Delta 9 said it plans to manufacture the D-Pod through a newly incorporated subsidiary, Blue Horseshoe Manufacturing Inc. The company will use its existing cannabis grow pod facilities to manufacture the first D-Pods, which are expected to sell for around C$250,000 per unit. Production capacity is expected to be around 16 to 20 pods per month, according to the statement.
Delta 9 is also developing technologies to decontaminate equipment at low temperatures as well as modular storage and transport units to assist in the rollout of an eventual vaccine.
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