Cannabis for the Non-User

Communities and consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious. New alternatives are emerging and old methods are making a comeback. Even though health and wellness concepts have come a long way in the last century, the knowledge of homeopathic remedies is still expanding. Just as it has become commonplace to waltz in to a corner store and pick out some vitamins, over 3/5ths of American consumers choose cannabis and cannabis derived options.

Trends in nutrition and diet often fade quickly if the antidotal proof isn’t there, but when an alternative source brings unexpected and unprecedented successes, it is more than just a fad. The discovery of penicillin through the focus on specific microbial sources and advanced techniques can be compared to the current capabilities of isolation and combining terpenes (distinctive aromatic compounds) and cannabinoids in cannabis and hemp products.

Botanical therapeutics that treat or prevent disease and ailments can be sold in the form of dietary supplements, drugs, or botanical derivatives. They can even hold the status of current registered pharmaceuticals through regulatory offices such as the FDA if they pass clinical trials and demonstrate efficacy and safety — but not cannabis, because of its federal illegality.

States rights have allowed for advancements in cannabis research and regular breakthroughs are surpassing expectations — surprising consumers, researchers, and medical professionals alike. Companies like Chooze Corp. and The Clear have brought products to market that represent the headway in cannabis derivative and hemp therapeutic supplements.

Founded in 2015, LucidMood had the lofty goal of creating a cannabis experience without the limiting side effects.

“We explored, we studied, we went down a rabbit hole,” said a spokesperson for LucidMood. “We became experts not only in cannabis, but in the much larger world of botanicals. We learned that there are thousands of identified terpenes, all with the potential of altering the cannabis experience in desirable ways, and we found that different combinations could create specific effects.”

In April of 2016, Boulder-based Chooze Corp. launched its first LucidMood product line of vaporizable pucks infused with terpenes, which induce immediate shifts in an individual’s mood when blended with THC.

“Once the individual effects were isolated, it was easy to create the moods that LucidMood offers,” Chooze Corp. CEO Charles Jones said. “Enjoy the high without the low.”

LucidMood’s vape products offer the potential to change the image of what a cannabis user is. Customers have the option to choose the mood they seek with categories like “Active,” “Tranquil,” and “Comfort.” There seems to be a fit for every occasion. The stoner passing out on the couch with a bag of potato chips on their lap may prove true with the Sleep or Relax formulations but definitely not what you’ll get with the Energy or Party vapable.

Another line of science-based, solvent-free extract oil products include the most recognized and successful brand of cannabis concentrates in the world: The Clear. Formally launched in 2013, The Clear offers THC and CBD vaporizer cartridges, dabables, edibles, and topicals under the direction of Justin Pentelute. The Clear’s steam distillation process isolates and collects the terpenes and flavonoids — no synthetic or non-organic materials are used in any of the hand-crafted flavors.

These pure CBD and THC cannabinoid products display near limitless potential in the health and wellness sector. THC and CBD products can be so specifically formulated that they are scientifically made to achieve a goal, whether it is relieve anxiety, release muscle tension, cancer treatment/prevention,or treat nausea — the list literally goes on and on.

Think back to the ’90s when there was a big hype about Ginkgo Biloba and a brain health trend swept the country. Science proved it was beneficial, worth taking, and was not harmful; consumers bought and took this plant derived supplement — many with remarkable anecdotal success stories. Cannabis and its derivatives have a place in the Health and Wellness market. They are on the same playing field as the lengthy list of available supplements.

Indeed a struggle of marketing these contemporary cannabis products is reaching the target audience: non-users. Since most products are sold only in cannabis legal states they are sold in dispensaries, and it seems only people looking for cannabis will wander into a dispensary. Although with the spreading acceptance of CBD products, cannabis supplements have become more visible to the average consumer, now offered at natural health stores. Cannabis isn’t just for stoners anymore.