Artificial Grass: Canadian Company Lift Cannabis Co. Develops World's First AI-Powered Chatbot for Marijuana

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - May 10, 2016) - As medical marijuana becomes both more socially acceptable and available, a growing number of people are looking to learn more about its benefits -- but the search for reliable and timely information is not always easy. Decades of misinformation about cannabis has made searching the web for answers a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Further, because new research and new cannabis products are being released at an ever-increasing rate, individuals find themselves having to scroll through numerous sites to find exactly what they're looking for.

To help address these problems, Vancouver-based Lift Cannabis Co. has developed the world's first cannabis-specific chatbot. Elevator (www.elevator.ai) is a text-based artificial intelligence (AI) app that enables individuals to ask questions and get instant answers. Elevator provides a more personalized way to help consumers learn about cannabis, locate a doctor, find the right strain for their condition, and even walk them through the purchase process -- all via a simple and familiar chat interface.

Tyler Sookochoff, CEO of Lift, the company behind Elevator, says that the goal of Elevator is to simplify and personalize one's cannabis discovery experience. "Cannabis as a legal industry is quite new, yet there's so much false and misleading information floating around the web about its effects, benefits, and how to access it safely -- and if you're new to medical marijuana it can be really hard to cut through all the noise to get answers specifically tailored for your situation. We developed Elevator as a response to this, and we're harnessing the latest in AI bot technology to give real-time, credible and informative responses. We do the heavy lifting behind the scenes on your behalf, in terms of sorting through and collating only the most credible and up-to-date cannabis information. On top of this, Elevator will remember your questions and its own responses, and the more it learns about you the better it will be able to assist your exploration in the future."

Lift has already established itself as the information leader in the Canadian medical cannabis space, educating patients through its web-based marketplace, brick-and-mortar resource centres, digital and print publications, and Canada's largest cannabis trade shows. "Elevator is a logical extension for the company," says Sookochoff, "as it enables Lift to continue its mission of informing consumers, while expanding its audience and reach beyond Canada's borders. We see Elevator as your personal 'Cannabis Concierge', and by using a simple and familiar chat interface -- ironically, the same type of interface many people have been using for years to text their dealers -- it has universal appeal."

You can see a demo of Elevator at Lift's upcoming trade show in Toronto on May 28-29 (www.liftexpo.ca). Elevator will be rolled out in select cities in Canada and beyond soon.

About Lift:

Lift (www.liftcannabis.com) is a Vancouver-based company that creates media and technology-based solutions for consumers and businesses in the emerging cannabis industry.