Consumer friendly precision dosing the key to unlocking THC acceptance
While widespread cannabis legalization seems to be inevitable, one area that is still causing a lot of contention is Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive cannabinoid in the plant.
It is what makes people high and because of this, it is seen as the sticking point in the legalization of many products awaiting approval.
The misunderstanding of THC makes many average people reject all cannabis products because any form of high is equated to negative drug connotations such as addiction and negative social behavior.
Problems inevitably always create solutions, so it is unsurprising that the precise management of THC is becoming a major focus area in cannabis product development.
Canopy River’s president, Narbe Alexandrian, laid out the problem of dosing simply when he stated, “a lot of rejectors have tried cannabis. But they were turned off by it because they had a weed brownie that hit them too hard, and they never want to touch the substance again.”
His cannabis investment firm is bullish on new products that are catering to the precision dosing end of the market. Precision dosing is largely seen as the major solution to mitigating the fears of recreational use rejectors.
Precision dosing, essentially the use of products or practical packaging to create predictable and manageable doses of THC, is now seen as a big investment area. Especially with a rise of markets of elderly and female cannabis users who are both sensitive to the affects of psychoactive agents.
Precision dosing allows sensitive users to more predictively manage their experience with cannabis products. Something which is essential if these products are to become more widely accepted.
This is especially true in traditional markets which are already used to precision dosing in pharmaceutical products such as anti-anxiety and pain management medicine which come in clearly dosed pill formats.
Companies such as Dosist and Indose, both California based cannabis vape product start-ups, have received media attention recently off the back of successful funding by prominent venture capital firms such as Casa Verde Capital.
Casa Verde is an investment firm linked with long time cannabis advocate Snoop Dogg.
Both companies join other startups in a push to develop patents and sensor based technologies which allow users to know exactly how much THC they are inhaling when using their vape products.
Despite being medical grade delivery devices, the precision dosing vape pens being pushed by these start-ups are aiming for the mass market with devices generally being offered under the $100 price point. This will allow for a significant retail uptake as cannabis products become more mainstream.
Another retail focused cannabis industry eyeing a boom market is beverages. Firms such as K-Zen Beverages recently received $5 million in venture funding from DCM. They hope to launch a range of cannabis infused beers in the summer of 2019.
K-Zen co-founder and CEO Judy Yee, speaking after the investment, stated that cannabis beverage drinkers will need to be educated in order to understand THC levels and their impact.
“People know what a glass of wine does to them, but [we may] create a pictogram that helps people understand what to expect and when, depending on the amount of THC in the beverage,” she added.
THC delivered in acceptable and manageable forms such as precision vapes, clearly labeled beverages or even edibles will only grow in popularity as more products enter the market and consumers begin to understand the effects of the psychoactive THC element in them.
Whether it happens in 2019 or years to come, the cannabis revolution is becoming more diverse and sophisticated with time. These early startups will go a long way towards establishing a more responsible cannabis consumer market that leverages the full benefits of all cannabinoids.
Throwne Consulting Group has no affiliation with any company mentioned in this article at the time of writing.
