Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week there’s more news on terpenes and the cannabis experience, word that a wrestling legend is entering the cannabis sector, a cautionary note for truck drivers who use CBD and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“You wouldn’t walk into a winery in Napa Valley and ask for the highest ABV (alcohol by volume) wine. Taking the THC percentage of a cannabis product and considering only that when purchasing flower or concentrates is not the best way to look at the quality of the cannabis product. Like wine from craft winemakers, seeking a top-shelf cannabis product that is chemically balanced and delicious is imperative for taste and experience.”—Myron Ronay.
Mr. Ronay is CEO of Bel Costa Labs. The company uses state-of-the-art technology to provide cannabis lab testing from what it describes as an agricultural, educational, and technology-driven approach. His comment is taken from an extensive interview he did with Taylor Engle for the online publication Leafwire.
During the interview, Ronay noted that his company’s studies have found that higher THC potency did not necessarily equate to a better consumer experience.
Said Ronay, “Consumers often mistakenly believe they will use less product or experience more euphoric effects from a high THC testing cannabis product. Considering just the THC percentage means you’re ignoring other components like terpenes, which contribute significantly to flavor and effects.”
Ronay contends that as THC potency increases, that crucial terpene content decreases. He believes the terpene-to-potency ratio is a quick read of how enjoyable and effective your experience will likely be.
He added that consumers should ask their budtender which companies also report terpene and secondary cannabinoid composition on the container or their site. They should then look for flower that contains a minimum of two percent terpenes. According to Ronay, the more terpenes, the more flavorful your experience.
He also believes consumers should look for concentrates that are high-terpene and full-spectrum, such as the product commonly called “sauce.”
Ronay makes a compelling argument that informed consumers would be wise to get off of the “more THC is necessarily better bandwagon” and become more informed about the role terpenes play in their cannabis experience.
To learn more, we urge you to read Taylor Engle’s excellent interview with Myron Ronay. It appears in the August 18, 2022 issue of Leafwire.com.
Cannabis Corner
Those who are still grappling with how they feel about cannabis may be influenced by the news that a professional wrestling legend has taken the plunge into the cannabis sector.
According to Ryan Glasspiegel, reporting for the New York Post, Ric Flair has partnered with boxing icon and cannabis entrepreneur Mike Tyson’s cannabis line Tyson 2.0 and Verano Holdings Corp to create a line of cannabis products under the brand “Ric Flair Drip.” The brand is going live in several states in October, including Arizona, Nevada and Illinois followed by Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia later in 2022.
Said Flair, “Now, more people can get into the Ric Flair state of mind– limousine riding, jet-flying, good vibes only. I discovered the benefits of cannabis later in life and was overwhelmed by how much it has helped elevate the mind and heal the body. Alongside TYSON 2.0, I am committed to sharing these amazing benefits with as many consumers as possible.”
Glasspiegel says that Flair—known fans as “The Nature Boy”—credits edible cannabis gummies with helping him to stop taking Ambien and Xanax, which he had used for more than 30 years as a sleep aid.
When the brand formally launches in October, its products will include flower, pre-rolls, vape cartridges, blunts and edibles (called WOOOOO Chews after his trademark exclamation), offered in sativa, indica or hybrid strains. All products will be packaged with graphic designs inspired by Flair’s image or 16-time pro wrestling champion legacy.
And yes, we know that “Ric Flair Drip” is also the name of a song by Savage 21 and Offset that initially charted at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the word “Drip” is used by some as slang for being fashionable.
We have now told you more than we know.
To learn more, we suggest reading Ryan Glasspiegel‘s detailed and insightful article in the August 24, 2022 issue of the New York Post.
nypost.com/2022/08/24/inside-the-ric-flair-drip-cannabis-launch/
Highway Safety
Commercial drivers who use CBD products may be in for a bumpy ride. That’s the word from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a federal agency in the United States Department of Transportation that regulates the trucking industry in the United States. The primary mission of the FMCSA is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.
The agency, in a draft handbook for medical examiners who are responsible for issuing U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) certifications, says that while drivers aren’t prohibited from using federally legal CBD products that contain up to 0.3 percent THC per dry weight, it cautions examiners that the use of the non-intoxicating cannabinoid could still jeopardize physical exam certifications.
Drivers are required to submit to the exam and receive the DOT certification, which lasts for two years.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, the reason that the handbook warns medical examiners about drivers’ CBD use is because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate products that are widely available in commercial markets across the country.
The draft document states, “There is no Federal oversight to ensure that the labels on CBD products that claim to contain less than 0.3 percent by dry weight of THC are accurate.” The agency takes the position that testing positive for THC because of mislabeling isn’t a valid excuse. That means drivers who use these products are doing so at their own risk and could be deemed ineligible for certification if they take the wrong product.
Jaeger notes that the draft handbook, which is now open for public comment until September 30, does point out that, “CBD products containing less than 0.3 percent by dry weight of THC are not considered a Schedule I substance; therefore, their use by a CMV driver is not grounds to automatically preclude physical qualification of the driver. However, each driver should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.”
Jaeger also makes the point that drivers “cannot be physically qualified” by an examiner if they use marijuana, “even if marijuana is legal in the State where the driver resides for recreational, medicinal, or religious use.”
In a related matter, DOT recently proposed a revised drug testing policy that would allow saliva-based tests as an alternative to urine based tests. Depending on frequency of use, THC is generally detectable in saliva anywhere from one to 24 hours after use, rather than weeks, which is the case for urine. It would also revise the standard for the presence of THC to eliminate the possibility of a positive test resulting from passive exposure to cannabis smoke that might occur at a public event.
To learn more, including how all this relates to inflation and supply chain issues, we urge you to read Kyle Jaeger’s clear and concise reporting in the August 19, 2022 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Senior Celebrity Spotlight
Like it or not, it’s the time of year when manufacturers add pumpkin spice flavoring to just about everything—and CBD gummies are no exception.
Ed Knight, writing for the website High There, reports that media personality, domestic goddess and cannabis entrepreneur Martha Stewart has unveiled a new line of limited edition pumpkin spice CBD gummies.
Said Stewart, “The Pumpkin Spice flavor signifies the beginning of the fall season and I wanted to capture this delicious moment with our CBD gummies. It’s always important and a pleasure to expand our offerings and continue to make CBD convenient and tasty to enjoy, every day.”
Each Pumpkin Spice Gummy contains 10 mg of pure CBD isolate.
According to Knight, Stewart’s “Pumpkin Spice CBD Wellness Gummies” are the latest addition to the Martha Stewart ‘s CBD portfolio, which includes products such as “CBD Wellness Berry Medley Gummies,” “CBD Tropical Medley Wellness Gummies,” and “CBD Wellness Citrus Medley Gummies.”
Stewart’s line of CBD products is produced through her partnership with the Canadian-based company, Canopy Growth.
And just for the record, business intelligence company Morning Consult reports that “25 percent of Americans feel that late August is the perfect time to start seeing pumpkin spice products.”
To learn more, we suggest reading Ed Knight’s article. It appeared in the August 15, 2022 issue of HiThere.com.
highthere.com/products/too-early-for-pumpkin-spice-martha-stewarts-cbd-brand
Stats of the Week
This week’s magic number is $100 billion. That, according to one cannabis CEO, is the estimated worth of the cannabis market in the U.S., if and when federal legalization takes place.
That’s the word from TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur on comments made by Tilray CEO Irwin Simon during an appearance on Yahoo Finance Live. Simon called the U.S. “a $100 billion opportunity in cannabis.” He also believes that traditional firms, such as “the Nestles and Unilevers” will eventually enter the cannabis sector “because they know Gen-Z, millennials, that’s very much what they want.”
Said Simon, “If you look at cannabis today in the U.S., 93 percent of Americans want medical cannabis legalized and about 63 percent, 65 percent want adult use. Today, it’s legal in about 33 states, plus D.C. So it’s out there that… a majority of people want cannabis legally.”
Granted, Simon, as the CEO of a cannabis company, has a vested interest in such a bell-ringing figure, so it may be prudent to take his estimate with the well-known grain of salt. Tilray Brands, Inc. is a global pharmaceutical, cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, incorporated in the United States, headquartered in New York City, New York.
Still, across the board, estimates of the value of a cannabis industry protected by legalization at the federal level continue to climb higher. Even if they miss the mark, projections such as Simon’s clearly represent a new normal when it comes to attitudes towards cannabis in the U.S.
To learn more, we urge you to read TG Branfalt’s article in the August 15, 2022 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
www.ganjapreneur.com/tilray-ceo-u-s-represents-100b-opportunity-in-cannabis/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
