Consumers continue to be very curious about CBD. If you don’t believe us, just ask Google. That’s what a group of researchers at the University of California at San Diego did.
What they found was 6.4 million Americans turn to Google every month to learn about or buy Cannabidiol (CBD), eclipsing or rivaling interest in most other health products or topics.
For example, the study, which was published in JAMA—The Journal of the American Medical Association —found that search queries for CBD eclipsed those for acupuncture by 749 percent, apple cider vinegar by 517 percent, meditation by 338 percent, vaccination by 63 percent, exercise by 59 percent, marijuana by 13 percent, and veganism by 12 percent.
The study’s co-author Dr. John W. Ayers, the Vice Chief of Innovation in the Division of Infectious Disease and Global Public Health at UC San Diego, says CBD has become “insanely popular.” He noted that just “three years ago, there was essentially no one searching about CBD online, but now there are an estimated 6.4 million unique searches each month.”
Dr. Alicia Nobles a research fellow at UC San Diego added, “Consider this one example. For every two internet searches for dieting in the United States we found there is one for CBD!”
A number of the researchers on the project echoed concerns that are often raised by professionals in the cannabis industry. Specifically, given the sudden rise in popularity of CBD products, many consumers are using products that are not subject to regulatory scrutiny or may be using CBD to self medicate when they should be going to a doctor.
One researcher on the project went as far as to refer to the sudden popularity of CBD as “this generation’s snake oil,” citing a need for further research on its benefits.
To learn more, visit the article, “Americans’ interest in CBD eclipses nearly all other health products or topics” in the October 23, 2019 edition of Eurka Alert, a publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-10/esc-aii102119.php
Getting The Most For Your Cannabis Dollar
Naturally, consumers want to get what they pay for. Unfortunately, when it comes to cannabis products, mature consumers and others may not be getting all of the benefits of the products they are paying for—even when they are paying for quality cannabis from a reputable source. The problem is the human body and the way it processes THC and CBD.
According to Emma Stone, writing in Leafly, it’s time consumers became familiar with the term bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the degree and the rate at which a substance is absorbed into your bloodstream to be used where needed or desired.
It turns out that the way in which an individual consumes cannabis and how the human body processes it can affect how it is absorbed—and how a person experiences its effects.
For example, Stone reports the bioavailability of THC—the percentage of THC absorbed by the body— when consumed orally, averages from 4 to 12 percent. When smoked or vaped, the bioavailability of THC increases to an average of 30 percent.
Stone also points out that when cannabinoids such as CBD and THC are ingested in oil form—that can include edibles since oil is often used to make commercial edibles in particular—the bioavailability of THC and CBD becomes, as she terms it, “compromised.”
Stone explains that CBD and THC oils resist absorption into the bloodstream because the human body is up to 60 percent water. Since it’s commonly held that oil and water don’t mix, it should come as no surprise that the absorption of cannabis oil by the human body can be a challenge.
Another challenge is that when cannabis is ingested orally, it is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and transported to the liver, where it is metabolized. As a result of this process, only a limited quantity reaches the circulatory system. That means its efficacy can be hindered.
However, the efficiency of absorption is not the only factor to consider when it comes to how consumers prefer to use cannabis. Some prefer to use edibles while others prefer to smoke it. Still others prefer to use transdermal patches or intranasal delivery systems, most often used to prevent a migraine. That being said, there are steps consumers can take to increase bioavailability.
Dr. Patricia Frye, a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians and chief medical officer at Hello MD offered Stone the following suggestions. Frye recommends consuming healthy fats—guacamole, humus, dark chocolate or even ice cream—when consuming cannabis edibles.This will boost the body’s ability to absorb THC.
Those who smoke or vape cannabis have a better chance of efficiently absorbing THC since cannabinoids do directly to the lungs and then the blood stream, bypassing the liver. Frye told Stone the key for those who want to ingest as much THC as they can by smoking is to take more puffs. Holding your breath for more than ten seconds does not get more THC into your system
Said Frye, “The most cost-effective way to use cannabis is not to use more than you need. Less is more.”
You can learn more by reading Emma Stone’s detailed and insightful article in the October 28, 2019 issue of Leafly.
www.leafly.com/news/health/most-thc-cbd-oil-waste-in-body
Cannabis Trends
As we have noted on several occasions, causation and correlation are two different things. However, we do find it interesting and worthy of future investigation that the growing concern about the health risks associated with vaping appears to be accompanied by an increase in the sales of cannabis edibles. It suggests that rather than giving up cannabis altogether, consumers who consumed cannabis by vaping, mature consumers included, may be exploring other options.
Margaret Jackson, writing for Marijuana Business Daily, reports marijuana retailers are saying that sales of infused products, such as edibles, are up since the beginning of the vaping health scare that has sickened more than 1,600 people and killed about three dozen in 49 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to data provided by Headset, a Seattle-based company that turns cannabis sales data into useful information—the share of cannabis sales captured by edibles has increased steadily (through Oct. 6) since the first vaping death was reported on Aug. 23.
For instance, edible sales in Colorado increased to 15 percent of the market. That’s up from 12.7 percent. In Nevada they increased to 14.9 percent, up from 10.9 percent. California recorded an increase from 10.9 percent of the market to 13.6 percent. In the state of Washington, the percentage of edible cannabis sales grew to 10.6 percent, up from 8.9 percent. At the same time, sales of vape products in the same four markets registered a marked decline since Aug. 23, although Jackson does report California and Nevada have started to record a rebound in legal vape sales
Clearly, consumers are considering alternatives to vaping. Alex Pasternack is executive vice president of a Denver-based company called Binske that makes both edibles and vape pens. Said Pasternak, “Customers are starting to ask more questions and be more concerned about the products.”
To learn more, visit Margaret Jackson’s article in the October 28.2019 issue of Marijuana Business Daily.
mjbizdaily.com/sales-of-marijuana-edibles-up-in-at-least-four-states-in-wake-of-vape-health-scare/
Investor news and notes
It’s long been said that for every miner that found riches in California’s gold fields, ten times that number of entrepreneurs made money selling supplies to the miners.
That being said, those who wish to invest in the cannabis sector don’t have to find the next Canopy Growth. Instead they can look for opportunities to invest in companies that support cannabis operations with supplies, technology and management skills.
For example, a grow operation requires fertilizer and lighting as well as ventilation and security systems, many of which are developed specifically for the industry. A dispensary requires many of the same things as well as, in most cases, the capacity to do seed-to-sale tracking of a product in order to comply with government regulations.
Sushree Mohanty, writing for Market Realist, reports on one company that serves the cannabis sector, Flowhub, that recently received a vote of confidence from Evolv Ventures, a venture fund backed by Kraft Heinz. The fund has invested $23 million in the cannabis start-up.
Mohanty contends the venture fund’s play makes a lot of sense. The fund was created to help emerging start-ups focused on logistics, e-commerce, supply chains, and direct-to-consumer projects. Flowhub is a cannabis retail software company based in Denver whose main operations include providing point of sale, compliance, inventory tracking, and business intelligence data to cannabis dispensaries through a digital platform.
Kyle Sherman, Flowhub’s founder and CEO, said the investment will enable his company to continue to automate the cannabis supply chain, retail and reporting processes and bring to market technology solutions to the cannabis industry.
An interesting side note is that Kraft Heinz’s (KHC) biggest shareholder is Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate holding company controlled by the man known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” Warren Buffett. Mohanty points out that this marks Buffett’s first foray into the cannabis sector, an area of investment he has previously avoided.
You can learn more by reading Sushree Mohanty’s reporting in the October 28, 2019 edition of Market Realist
marketrealist.com/2019/10/cannabis-kraft-heinz-marks-warren-buffetts-entry/
Consumer Education
In an interesting approach to corporate social responsibility, a leading cannabis company has initiated an innovative consumer education program.
When Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis in October of 2018 the law did not include edible products and several other forms of cannabis. However, all of that changed on October 17, 2019. That’s when a law was passed making it legal to purchase and use edibles, extracts and topical forms of cannabis in Canada
The law goes into effect in mid-December and comes with a number of restrictions, such as limiting the amount of THC in a package of edibles to 10 milligrams and requiring child-resistant and plain packaging for edible cannabis to lower the risk of accidental consumption and make packages less appealing to children.
Recognizing that the intoxication that comes from eating cannabis can be more intense than the high that comes from smoking it, Aurora Cannabis, described as one of the world’s largest cannabis companies, has announced an initiative to educate new and experienced cannabis consumers on responsible consumption and safe storage of edibles products when they become available for sale in December.
Called Ready for Edibles, the national bilingual educational initiative employs the visual style of Not Safe For Work (NSFW) online posts. The campaign will depict blurred images of cookies, gummies and other edibles products stamped with the wording: ADULTS ONLY, stating “Edibles are coming and they’re not for kids. Ask a budtender or learn more at www.readyforedibles.com“
Educational content will also focus on identifying signs of over-consumption, understanding the differences in onset times and effects, cautions around mixing with alcohol and driving while intoxicated. All of Aurora’s NextGen cannabis products, including cookies, gummies, chocolates and mints, will include the certified, lab-tested concentration of THC and CBD.
Said Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora, “We want to make sure consumers have the information they need to understand the differences in these products, how to consume them responsibly, and most importantly, that they should be kept away from children and pets.”
You can learn more at www.readyforedibles.com. While the site was designed for a Canadian audience, the tips apply to mature consumers in the U.S. as well. Visitors are asked to sign in with their age and to declare which province they reside in. If you live in the U.S. but have fantasized about living in Canada, this might be your chance to pick a home province.
Mature consumers who are thinking of traveling to Canada can learn more about the new law by reading an article from the October 17, 2019 edition of the Winnipeg City News that explains it all. Just click on the link below.
www.newswire.ca/news-releases/aurora-cannabis-launches-national-safety-campaign-on-edibles-804658621.html
winnipeg.citynews.ca/2019/10/17/pot-edibles-legal/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can contact them at joe.kohut@gmail.com or at 347-528-8753.
