The Race in the Cannabis Screening Device Industry: Will Guard-Ex Be a Winner? 

On February 4, 2019, Dastiger Khan, CEO of Guard-Ex Corp. and his team were preparing for a meeting with the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police to present the implementation plan for the new cannabis screening device their firm had designed and developed – the GX420. Guard-Ex was part of The Accelerator Centre’s JumpStart program located within the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Khan wondered what implementation strategy Guard-Ex should adopt to achieve the firm’s goal of becoming a global leader in the emerging marijuana screening device industry.^[1]

All figures in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

Guard-Ex Corp.

The idea to develop an impairment screening device originated in October 2016, when Dastiger Khan, Bara Fatal, and Anthony Devallis discussed the notion at a party they were hosting. The three colleagues often hosted parties for their peers; this experience provided them with some insight into the urgent need for a process that would help deter people from choosing to drive home impaired.

Guard-Ex was officially incorporated on March 8, 2017, to address the need in the industry for an impairment screening device, since the use of marijuana was to be legalized in October 2018. The industry was scrambling to determine how use of this drug was going to be monitored and controlled. After buying out the other co-founders in June 2017 to ensure the firm maintained the strategic focus he envisioned, Khan brought on three colleagues to join his team who were also considered co-founders for the firm. Going forward, Guard-Ex was operated by a team of four university students from the Waterloo Region, Khan from the University of Waterloo, and the other three from Wilfrid Laurier University. Khan was confident that this new team could work together to manage the firm going forward to achieve his vision.

Guard-Ex worked with the Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science to develop the impairment screening device prototype. The Guard-Ex team, along with their industry advisor, Retired Waterloo Regional Police Chief Gravill, conducted many presentations within the community to educate and build relationships with key potential clients such as the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, the Waterloo Regional Police Service,  the Toronto Police Service, as well as the York, Peel, and Niagara Regional Police Services. The team also met with Challenger, a motor freight logistics company in the Waterloo Region, with the aim of obtaining a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) to conduct a pilot implementation program with their device.

Guard-Ex Organization Roles

The Guard-Ex organizational roles were assigned as follows: Dastiger Khan, Chief Executive Officer; Rahul Malhotra, Chief Research Officer; Baltej Sandhu, Chief Marketing Officer; And Harmeet Chauhan, Chief Financial Officer. (See Exhibit 1 – Guard-Ex Organization Chart.)

Dastiger Khan, CEO

Dastiger Khan graduated from the University of Waterloo, with a degree in economics, in April 2019. Khan began his studies at the University of Waterloo in the mathematics program and realized the program was not aligned with his interests. Once he transferred into the economics program, he realized that he found a great fit and excelled. Khan played as a flanker for the University of Waterloo’s rugby team and was the chapter VP external relations at the Kappa Mu fraternity.

As VP External Relations Khan gained significant experience in organizing school group activities, motivating members, and managing chapter volunteer hours. Typically, the chapter would log 3000 hours of volunteering annually, approximately 10 hours per meeting. During his year as VP External Relations, the chapter logged over 6000 hours of volunteering and grew a budget of $3000 to $9000 through funds generated. This growth was fueled by Khan’s passion and his ability to inspire a team. One of Khan’s favourite events was the university’s  DiaBEATthis event. This event raised $4000 toward finding a cure for diabetes.

Khan commented, “I feel good about organizing these types of events. It is for a good cause and is worth it. About two years ago I loved partying, and now I can go out and have fun, and help others too.” Serving as VP External Relations and hosting parties for the chapter played a key role in sparking his idea for developing a solution to the growing impairment detection problem. Khan explained, “I saw a need to develop a process that would deter people from driving impaired and wanted to do something about it.” Khan added, “Me and my partners, we threw a lot of events…and we always promoted designated drivers at our parties. What we often noticed was that individuals would be fine with not drinking and driving [but] they would be fine with smoking a joint or hitting a bong.”^[5]

Khan was passionate about his start-up company, his team, and the solution they were developing to solve a major problem for drivers and society. “A lot of startups in Canada don’t aim to be the next Facebook or Google,” said Khan. “They aim to be bought out by them. We’re not doing that. We want to get to the top.”

Dragon’s Den Victory – Guard-Ex Faced the Dragons and Won!

Guard-Ex was invited to attend the Dragon’s Den reality TV show to pitch their impairment screening device business idea to these experienced investors on October 18, 2018, the day after marijuana was legalized in Canada.^[6] The Guard-Ex team faced the Dragons and won!^[7] Five of the six Dragons were so impressed with the team’s business presentation they offered Guard-Ex a deal even higher than the Guard-Ex team proposed. Seeing potential in the Guard-Ex business plan, the Dragons offered $300,000 for 15% of the business rather than the $100,000 requested. Guard-Ex accepted the deal and celebrated their epic victory in the Den. After the Dragon’s Den victory, Bob Schlegel, founder of the Schlegel Centre of Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation, offered to invest an additional $500,000 in the team to help develop their device and implement it into the field. Guard-Ex was thrilled to have secured these investments to fund the development and implementation of their GX420 device.

Video: Guard-Ex Pitch on Dragon’s Den

Source: CBC, (2018). GuardEx. (7 min, 17 sec). Dragon’s Den (Season 13, Episode 5) https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1345672771763.

However, after some review, Guard-Ex decided to back out of the deal with the Dragons. Off-camera, the Dragons’ approach to the strategic direction of the firm was not in alignment with the direction that Guard-Ex was comfortable with. Given the early stages of their prototype development, Guard-Ex believed that the Dragons were making too many demands. The Dragons wanted to solidify contracts and secure deals before the product was fully developed. Guard-Ex believed it was too soon in the development process to make deals with external parties that were dependent upon the functionality of the end product. The Guard-Ex team explained that this was one of the most challenging decisions they had to make, but they stood their ground. Khan commented, “Turning down the Dragon’s deal was a tough call for us. It was hard to say no to that. We had to do the cost/benefit analysis. We would be moving a lot faster if we had taken the deal, but we would not have the rights that we have now and the pathway that we have would not be our own. We do not give up our rights, we are not like that.’

Ultimately, the Dragon’s controlling approach was not acceptable to Khan and his Guard-Ex team, so they informed the Dragons that, although they appreciated the feedback and support, the deal was off.

Investors & Advisors

Robert J. Schlegel, CPA

CEO, Founder, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist
Pavestone Co, Bedrock Logistics, Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation

Schlegel graduated with his B.A. from Wilfrid Laurier University, School of Business and Economics, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in 1972 and earned his CPA in 1975. Schlegel founded Pavestone Co. and Bedrock Logistics as well as the Schlegel Villages nursing homes.

Born and raised in the Waterloo Region with a Mennonite background, Schlegel demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit early in life and continued to fuel this passion. After the family businesses expanded south of the border in Texas in 1979, the family decided to move to Texas in 1985 to better support the businesses and reduce travel time. Schlegel had the passion, entrepreneurial spirit, and persistence to be successful and wanted to give back to others to educate and inspire those interested in entrepreneurship. He founded the Schlegel Horizon Foundation from which he established the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation in 1998. Located at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation added the LaunchPad incubator program to expand services for Laurier alumni, and this program was where the Guard-Ex venture was formed.

Schlegel was so impressed with the Guard-Ex team that he decided to invest $ 1 million in the venture in February 2019. This was Schlegel’s first investment in a company being developed through the LaunchPad Centre. “When I first heard about Guard-Ex, I was intrigued by the concept,” Schlegel said. “Everything else out there requires a blood test and that doesn’t prove impairment.”6 Schlegel made up his mind to invest a total of $1 million after meeting the Guard-Ex team. “They were the most energetic guys I had ever seen there.,” said Schlegel.

Laura Allan, Executive Director, Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation, and champion of the LaunchPad Incubator, indicated that she was thrilled by the significant investment. “These students are hustlers, and I mean that in the best possible way. They had a business running parties, and they would see people leaving and getting behind the wheel who looked impaired. They thought, ‘this has to be fixed’ and they’re passionate about finding a solution.” said Allan.^[8]

Schlegel added that the investment made sense to him as the implementation of the GX420 was well aligned with his own personal principles. He commented, “The tagline in my emails used to be, ‘safety first, then quality, then quantity.’ This is a product that’s going to improve safety.”^[9]

R. Larry Gravill, Honorary PhD, BA

Guard-Ex Advisor, Retired Waterloo Regional Police Service Police Chief and Citizenship Judge 

Gravill served as an advisor to Guard-Ex and worked with the Guard-Ex team to establish connections in the areas of policing, and the judicial system, participated in potential client presentations and provided feedback regarding the use of the GX420 in the field.

Gravill earned his B.A. degree in 1973 and an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree in 2009 from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Gravill served as chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) for 15 years and retired in 2007 after 37 years of experience on the force. Initially, he served three years with the Ontario Provincial Police, then he joined the WRPS in 1973. He had many special assignments over the years, including a secondment to the Ontario Police Commission for two years, graduate programs at the F.B.I. National Academy in Virginia, and was the president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. He moved up through the ranks as Executive Officer to the Chief of Police, Superintendent of Field Operations, Deputy Chief of Administration and was appointed Chief of Police in 1992. After retiring as chief, Gravill was appointed as a Citizenship Judge for the Waterloo Region and served in this capacity until 2018.

Gravill was no stranger to the world of police-oriented information systems. He championed the implementation of the first police network to extend beyond the political and geographical boundaries in 1981 which provided the foundation for more advanced information system integration among police services in the years that followed. The Police Regionalized Information Data Entry (PRIDE) system allowed participating police services to integrate systems and share information electronically. PRIDE grew to include other municipalities such as Stratford, Brantford, and Guelph. WRPS was a leader in the level of systems integration among police services and worked to leverage this resource to provide premium, proactive service to the community.

Schlegel introduced Gravill to the Guard-Ex team in August 2018. Schlegel was aware of Gravill’s extensive experience in policing, and the two were long-time friends, having attended Waterloo-Oxford District High School together. Guard-Ex recognized Gravill’s experience with policing, legal systems, and the relationships he had established in these areas and realized he would be an excellent advisor for their team. They knew that he could provide valuable feedback regarding the prototype and functionality in the field, as well as introduce the team to potential clients, such as the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Waterloo Regional Police Service, and other police agencies in the Golden Horseshoe. Gravill came on board as an official advisor for the Guard-Ex team in May 2019.

The Impairment Screening Device Industry

In 2018, the marijuana screening industry worldwide was estimated at $6 billion and was forecasted to increase at a rapid pace.^[10] The use of marijuana had transitioned from illegal to legal in Canada on October 17, 2018.^[11] The legalization of marijuana spawned an explosion in the impairment screening device industry. Significant attention was placed on developing effective screening and monitoring of marijuana use. Safety and quality testing in the recreational and medicinal cannabis market had exploded in North America.^[12] The industry was scrambling to solve the problem as now that using marijuana was legal, police urgently needed a way to consistently test drug levels roadside.

There were challenges in the industry, as developing devices to effectively detect marijuana use requires more sophisticated testing than other types of drugs and involves a number of factors, creating many hurdles for start-ups to overcome. Most cannabinoids^[13] are fat-soluble compounds that can easily store in fat and take a much longer time to be eliminated from the body compared to other recreational drugs. The length of time varies greatly according to the users’ metabolism, quantity, and frequency of use. It also depends on whether actual tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or THC metabolites were being tested for, as metabolites have a much longer detection time. Typically, marijuana could be detected up to 3 to 5 days after exposure for infrequent users; for heavy users: 1 to 15 days; for chronic users and/or users with high body fat: 1 to 30 days. Heavy marijuana users could produce positive tests for 1 to 3 months after ceasing use.^[14]

False positives were known to be triggered by consuming hemp-seed bars and other products, although the more sophisticated and expensive gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GCMS) device was able to discern the difference.^[15]

Research reported that dietary zinc supplements could mask the presence of THC and other drugs.^[16] However, a contradictory study refuted the possibility of self-administered zinc producing false-positive results.^[17][18]

Anyone caught with THC levels above regulation could be charged with a summary offence, which was similar to the misdemeanor class of offences in the U.S. If a driver was caught with more than the five nanogram THC limit after already being convicted of a summary offence, they could be indicted on impaired driving, which bumps the charge up to the class of offences comparable to those of felonies in the U.S. Effectively detecting levels of THC was critical.^[19]

Developing a device that was able to avoid false positives was key to the credibility of the industry. Guard-Ex was confident that their comprehensive testing GX420 device would deliver consistent results given the variety of metrics measured.

Court System Challenges

Challenges resided in the court system for Guard-Ex as hurdles toward formal acceptance for the marijuana testing device results continued to exist. Examples of cases entering the court system protesting the drug screening test results were increasing. For example, a woman in Nova Scotia challenged an impairment test conducted during a routine RCMP checkpoint on Jan. 4, 2019.^[20]

The driver, Michelle Gray, indicated that she was not worried about the test as she had taken her cannabis at least six hours before the checkpoint to treat her multiple sclerosis symptoms. However, she tested positive and was taken to police headquarters for an expanded sobriety testing. Gray passed the sobriety test and was let go; however, she had to pay $300 to get her car from the impound, missed four days of work, and was embarrassed to have had to go through the experience in front of her son, who was a passenger in the car. RCMP Corporal Lisa Croteau explained, “There is no correlation between the level that you’re at, the active THC in your body, and impairment.” Gray had her license suspended and her car impounded because the Motor Vehicle Act instructed police to issue suspensions for drivers who failed a roadside screening test. Hence, it was critical for the devices used in these marijuana screening tests to be accurate and reliable. When testing for marijuana, there were a number of factors that needed to be considered compared to testing for other drug usage such as alcohol.

The formal process that Guard-Ex and other firms hoping to gain a foothold in the impairment detection device industry had to go through was lengthy. First, the firms had to present their solution to the Drug and Driving Committee to gain obtain their approval. After approval, the Drug and Driving Committee, which was part of the Canadian Forensic Society, would send the information to the Attorney General of Canada to be incorporated into the Criminal Code as a device included in the Criminal Code Device Appendix. Once the new device was included in this appendix, it could formally be used in the process to convict offenders.

Despite these challenges in the impairment device screening industry, screening device start-ups were forming throughout North America and firms were investing significant resources in the race to develop the ideal marijuana screening device that would be adopted across the industry as a standard.

The Guard-Ex device had a strong position compared to competitors in the industry as the GX420 did not simply test for THC levels. The Guard-Ex device tested five different physiological factors to determine impairment and was substantially more reliable that a single-factor test, especially considering the impact of marijuana use on the human body and longer-lasting effects.

Competition

Competition in the impairment screening device was high. There were several key competitors located in the Waterloo Region that were developing devices to detect substance use and were supported by research hubs in the area. The race was on to determine who would implement their technology in the field first and gain a strong foothold in the growing industry. (See Exhibit 2 – Competitor Comparison Chart.)

SannTek was based in the Velocity Garage in downtown Kitchener and used nanotechnology to analyze breath samples to detect impairment. Both start-ups were developing hand-held devices that police could use to quickly determine if a driver has been participating in substance use but had taken drastically different approaches to solving the problem. SannTek was based upon a vastly different technology and testing approach compared to Guard-Ex.

Cannabix Technologies Inc. focused on marijuana breathalyzer development for law enforcement and the workplace. Cannabix was developing breath testing technologies that were durable and portable to enhance screening of marijuana-impaired driving offences on roads. Cannabix was working to develop drug-testing devices that would detect tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana that causes intoxication, using breath samples. These devices would be used to provide screening of THC at the roadside and identify drivers under the influence of marijuana. In particular, Cannabix was focused on developing breath testing devices for THC screening that would target recent use of THC, (within a 2- or 3-hour time period at the time of testing) in contrast to saliva or urine testing for THC, which could be invasive and take a considerable amount of time for laboratory analysis. The Cannabix devices were also intended to be useful for other practical applications, such as testing employees in the workplace where impairment by THC could be hazardous. Cannabix did not have a device that was federally approved and had not made it to market yet. The firm was following the reverse initial public offering strategy to try and get to market as quickly as possible.

Draeger was the only competitor with a solution, the Draeger DrugTest 5000, that was federally approved. The Draeger solution was adopted by Manitoba police with mixed results.^[21]

Abbot was a healthcare firm based in Illinois, U.S., who had recently had their SoToxa hand-held impairment detection approved to be part of the Criminal Code Device Appendix. Abbot acquired Alere, a Massachusetts manufacturer of saliva-testing drug devices, for $5.3 billion (US) and indicated that the SoToxa hand-held device was able to produce test results in less than five minutes.^[22][23]

Information Technology – The GX420 Device

The GX420 marijuana screening device was designed primarily to be used for roadside impairment screening purposes. The device examined physiological signs such as eye movement, body temperature, muscle activity, brain waves, and heart rate and used machine learning to accurately identify key indicators exhibited by an impaired individual. The measurement of five physiological indicators to detect impairment gave the GX420 device an advantage over other devices being developed as the competing products were more limited in screening abilities and were more invasive to administer, compared to the GX420 because they measured chemicals from saliva, breath, or urine.

Guard-Ex partnered with SnapPea Design, located in Waterloo, Ontario, for product design and development. Dastiger commented,

Choosing the right firm to help with the product design and development was relatively easy, as we already had a good relationship with SnapPea. We did look at other firms, but some did not have the software capabilities we needed, and the price was pretty much the same across the board. SnapPea was one of our advisors. They already had an idea of our focus, so it was easy to talk to the about what we wanted to do. Their approach fit with what we wanted to do, and this fit was a priority. We go to their office two to three times per week and email or call them often.

The GX420 device operated based on machine learning, python programming, and artificial intelligence technology. The device was easy-to-use and small, which provided benefits for mobile use in the field. Officers or others administering the test could be trained in one or two sessions to operate the device and perform the necessary tests. The device was a VR headset placed upon the subject’s head and it measured physiological reaction time to determine any impairment. If a police officer suspected that a driver may be impaired, the Guard-Ex device would be strapped over the driver’s face. The officer could read the driver’s eye movements and other biological indications of impairment on the laptop screen located in the cruiser. The process to gather the physiological measurements took approximately one minute.

There were two lights on the front of the device headset. One light was the colour red, and the other light was the colour green. If the red light was on after the driver completed the physiological measurement process, the driver was free to go, as this meant that there were no indicators of impairment in the readings. If the green light was on after the test, the procedure required the officer to take the driver to the station for additional testing.

Chemicals such as THC can remain in the body for extended periods of time and tests based upon competing devices that evaluate only current levels of chemicals using breath or saliva samples did not consider the cumulative effects of chemicals in the body. This was an additional advantage that the Guard-Ex GX420 device had over other devices on the market in detecting impairment. Not only did the device detect marijuana, and a long list of other drugs including cocaine and opiates, but it also determined whether a person was fit to perform responsible actions such as driving a truck, operating a machine, or flying an airplane.

Device Testing

Testing of the GX420 device was conducted at the Laurier Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience to ensure the technology was operating as intended, and to finalize the design. (See Exhibit 3 – GX420 Device Pilot Testing Flowchart.) After the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience validated the technology, Guard-Ex produced 10 prototypes for the police cruisers for testing in July 2019. Initial testing was focused within the Waterloo Regional Police Service to achieve the most efficient and streamlined data collection. The Waterloo Regional Police Service used all 10 GX420 devices for testing purposes. Members of the police service also volunteered to test the device before and after their shifts to provide Guard-Ex with additional feedback and data regarding their unit. Many roadside pilot tests were organized in combination with the standard police roadside testing during holiday weekends and other events. During these pilot tests, the Guard-Ex team asked civilians if they were interested in participating in the pilot test, and most civilians agreed to volunteer to participate in the study. The pilot tests provided Guard-Ex with useful data for further development of their device and the data was also helpful toward the implementation of machine learning algorithms. Ten thousand sets of data were required to implement the Guard-Ex machine learning model. Therefore, testing the device as frequently as possible to obtain the necessary data was important.

Another GX420 device was given to Challenger Motor Freight for pilot testing purposes. Fifteen employees within the Challenger Motor Freight company volunteered to check their vital signs before and after every shift.

The Guard-Ex team set up a testing booth, staffed by Guard-Ex team members and WRPS officers, at the popular EverAfter event in Waterloo, Ontario, in June 2019, to recruit volunteers to test their device.

Pricing

There were two pricing models for the Guard-Ex solution. One pricing model was based upon a purchase of a GX420 device for $4000 per unit plus a $350 monthly fee for the software. The second pricing model was based upon a monthly subscription for both the hardware and software. The monthly hardware subscription price was $300, and the monthly software subscription was $350.

Going Forward

Khan realized that evaluating the options to determine the best implementation plan for the GX420 impairment-testing device was critical and that organizing an ideal implementation plan would take time, but could Guard-Ex wait? Where should he start to prepare his recommendation for the roll-out of the Guard-Ex device in the field to ensure the strategy would secure clients, pass hurdles in court, and gain the firm a strong foothold in the marijuana screening device industry fast enough to remain competitive?

As his team members began entering the boardroom to prepare for the upcoming presentation to the Chiefs of Police, Khan knew what he had to do.

Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Guard-Ex Corporation Organization Chart

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Exhibit 2 – Competitor Comparison Chart

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Exhibit 3 – GX420 Device Pilot Testing Flow Chart

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References

Beadie, A. (2018, October 23). New frontiers in the cannabis testing industry. Analytical Cannabis. https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/new-frontiers-in-the-cannabis-testing-industry-310395

Connolly, A. (2018, October 10). Conservatives decry justice minister’s remarks that impaired driving charges will come “case-by-case.” Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/4532578/cannabis-legalization-conservative-critics-charges/

CBC. (2018, October 18). Up in smoke (Season 13, Episode 5). Dragon’s Den. https://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/episodes/season-13/episode-5-season-13

Froese, I. (2018, September 28). At least 2 Manitoba police forces will weed out impaired drivers with pot-screening device. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-police-forces-drager-device-rivers-morden-1.4839712

Hall, J. (2019, May). How cannabis-fueled frat parties led to a new roadside screening device. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/news/cannabis/2019/05/10/how-cannabis-fuelled-frat-parties-led-to-a-new-roadside-screening-device.html

Jain, J. (2018, February 23). Project management techniques to avoid project failure. PMI Institute. https://www.whizlabs.com/blog/project-management-techniques-to-avoid-project-failure/

Krigsman, M. (2009, January 14). Study: 68 percent of IT projects fail. ZDNET. https://www.zdnet.com/article/study-68-percent-of-it-projects-fail/

Laurier Alumni News, (2018, November). Police to introduce student-developed cannabis screening by Guard-Ex. Laurier Alumni News. https://www.laurieralumni.ca/s/1681/15/social.aspx?pgid=3098&gid=2&cid=8718.

Pender, T. (2018, October 10). Waterloo Region start-ups say their technology can help police detect drivers high on marijuana. Waterloo Region Record. https://www.therecord.com/business/2018/10/10/waterloo-region-startups-say-their-technology-can-help-police-detect-drivers-high-on-marijuana.html

Petracek, H. (April 2, 2019). N.S. woman to challenge law after testing positive for cannabis at checkpoint. CTV Atlantic. https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-woman-to-challenge-law-after-testing-positive-for-cannabis-at-checkpoint-1.4362087

Platt. B. (2019, April 22). After lengthy delay, government prepares to approve second device for testing drivers’ saliva for cannabis. National Post. https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/after-lengthy-delay-government-prepares-to-approve-second-device-for-testing-drivers-saliva-for-cannabis

Rudd, J. (2018, July). Trends in the cannabis testing industry. Analytical Cannabis. https://www.analyticalcannabis.com/articles/new-frontiers-in-the-cannabis-testing-industry-310395

Strathmann, F. & Lin, C. (2013). Elevated urine zinc concentration reduces the detection of methamphetamine, cocaine, THS and opiates in urine by EMIT. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 37, 665–669.

Tasker, J.P. (2018, June 20). Trudeau says pot will be legal as of Oct. 17, 2018. CBC News. https://www cbc.ca/news/politics/cannabis-pot-legalization-bill-1.4713839

Yang, Y., Lewis, M.M., Bello, A.M., Wasilewski, E., Clarke, H.A., & Kotra, L.P. (2017). Cannabis sativa (hemp) seeds, tetrahydrocannabinol, and potential overdose. Cannabis Cannabinoid Research, 2(1), 274–281. DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0040

Venkatratnam, A. & Lents, N. (2011). Zinc reduces the detection of cocaine, methamphetamine and THC by ELISA testing. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 35, 333–340.

Image Descriptions

Image 1

1. Dastiger Khan, Chief Executive Officer
2. Harmeet Chauhan, Chief Finance Officer
3. Rahal Malhotra, Chief Research Officer
4. Dr. Jeffery Jones, Chief Product Officer

1. Robert Schlegel, Investor and Board Member
2. Former Chief Larry Gravill, Law Enforcement Advisor

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Exhibit 1

This organizational chart depicts the hierarchy of the Guard-Ex Corporation. The top level shows Dastinger Khan, Chief Executive Officer. The next level below reads, from left to right, Rahal Malhotra, Chief Research Officer,  Baltej Sandhu, Chief Marketing Officer, and Harmeet Chauhan, Chief Financial Officer.

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Exhibit 3

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A version of this case was originally published in the Journal of Applied Business and Economics: Gravill, J. (2020). The race in the cannabis screening device industry: Will Guard-Ex be a winner? Journal of Applied Business and Economics, 22(14), 12-22.

Download a PDF copy of this case [PDF].

Read the Instructor’s Manual Abstract for this case.

How to cite this case: Gravill, J. (2023). The Race in the Cannabis Screening Device Industry: Will Guard-Ex Be a Winner? Open Access Teaching Case Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.58067/KWGE-3926

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