Following the rise of the cannabis industry, many consumers around the U.S. have heard of at least one of its derivatives: CBD. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-addictive compound found in the resinous flower of the cannabis plant. Due to its therapeutic benefits, many medical institutions have sought to use CBD as an alternative to traditional treatments. Generally, when compared to its fellow component, THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, CBD has significantly lower levels of THC, meaning that it does not provide consumers with the psychoactive effects often associated with cannabis. Moreover, due to THC’s biological makeup, multiple government agencies have banned the substance, prompting many cannabis-based companies to integrate hemp or CBD operations into their business portfolios. Now, consumers can easily find CBD-based products at their local convenience stores or pharmacies. Nonetheless, these products are expected to contain less than 0.3% THC levels, which is the legal limit for commercially sold CBD-based products, while typically, most retailers and dispensaries offer products containing 18:1, 8:1, 4:1, 2:2, or 1:1 CBD to THC ratios, according to Care By Design Chief Executive Officer Chad Connor. The varying ratios offer consumers different effects, while still remaining fairly similar. The current widespread proliferation of CBD-based products has further highlighted the rapid expansion of the industry. And, as more retailers and medical institutes continue to sell CBD products, the industry is well positioned to become an explosive marketplace, with Brightfield Group’s research projecting the U.S. hemp CBD market to reach USD 22 Billion by 2022. Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTC: PBIO), Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTC: GTBIF) (CSE: GTII), Acreage Holdings Inc. (OTC: ACRGF) (CSE: ACRG.U), Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPT) (TSX: NEPT), MariMed Inc. (OTC: MRMD)
Last year, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, a CBD-based drug, to treat childhood epilepsy. Along with the approval of Epidiolex, the FDA had also approved several other cannabis-synthetic drugs. Furthermore, researchers have suggested that CBD can be used to treat a variety of other medical conditions such as chronic pain, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, anxiety, and depression. Consumers can take CBD through various forms such as tinctures, creams, oils, or flower. However, the forms differ in their delivery time and effectiveness. Primarily, most consumers prefer oils because they provide stronger and more immediate effects when compared to smoking flower. In a survey conducted by Brightfield Group and HelloMD, consumers chose CBD more than other cannabinoids because CBD products are more widely available and some consumers are looking to avoid the “high.” The data compiled during the survey also discovered that hemp-derived CBD users, marijuana-derived CBD users and whole CBD users had similar reactions when receiving CBD treatments. “Given the skepticism toward hemp among cannabis consumers (including our survey respondents), we were surprised to see that hemp and marijuana CBD users’ surveys rated their treatments as equally effective. 40% of hemp-derived CBD users with a medical condition find their cannabis products to be extremely effective at relieving their symptoms—compared to 37% of marijuana-derived CBD-only users and 41% of whole plant CBD users,” said Kayla Hunter, former Market Analysts at Brightfield Group. “While skepticism towards the effectiveness of hemp-derived CBD seems to be prevalent in today’s market, the results among cannabis community members surveyed suggest that more research is necessary to come to a clear conclusion as to how it stacks up against marijuana-derived CBD and whether this skepticism is justified.”
Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) announced earlier last month that it had, “released a new, short video demonstrating the ability of the Company’s proprietary Ultra Shear Technology (UST™) platform to create water-soluble CBD oil that disperses instantly, resulting in improved dosing effectiveness, enhanced absorption, and more aesthetically-pleasing products when added to carbonated soft drinks, vitamin-infused sports drinks, and beer.
In addition to superior aesthetic quality, the Company believes the resulting low nanometer-scale emulsions (“nanoemulsions”) of UST-processed CBD oil should also result in optimized and reproducible bodily absorption, bioavailability, and dosing safety for CBD oil and other UST-processed materials, when compared to many of the processed CBD oils and products that are commercially available today.
Mr. Edgar Ward, President and CEO of NutraLife Biosciences (OTCQB: NLBS), said: ‘NutraLife manufactures and sells NUTRAHEMPCBD, a line of CBD-infused products that includes creams, sprays, and other products that support daily health and wellness uses. We strive to ensure that our CBD-infused products will always be of the highest quality possible; therefore, we are constantly looking for advanced technologies to continue to improve our manufacturing processes. After reviewing available data and PBI’s videos, we believe methods like PBI’s UST platform may enable us to offer products with superior quality and effectiveness.’
CBD is a non-psychoactive, oil-soluble compound extracted from the cannabis plant, and is typically marketed dissolved in plant oil. It has been widely reported to offer numerous health benefits from stress and anxiety relief, to decreased muscle, joint, cancer and other pain, reduced inflammation, and to nearly miraculous relief of persistent seizures. However, because CBD is an oil-based product, its ingestion typically results in poor absorption in water-based living systems. There has been enormous interest in the development of truly water-soluble CBD, to achieve efficient absorption and bioavailability from foods and beverages. The market for CBD beverages alone could achieve revenue of $260 million in just the U.S. by2022 (Bloomberg, September 27, 2018) and much more world-wide. Unfortunately, because of solubility issues, many CBD products on the market today contain an inefficient over-abundance of CBD and/or undesirable chemicals to improve and stabilize its solubility in water. PBI believes that all of these beverages and other CBD-based products could substantially benefit from PBI’s Ultra Shear Technology platform, to achieve water solubility and stability from the physics of high-pressure shearing – rather than from dependency upon chemistry and reliance upon use of undesirable chemicals.
Dr. Brad Young, Chief Commercial Officer of PBI, commented: ‘We are very pleased to now show (in this follow-up video) the ability of our proprietary UST platform to mix CBD oil in water and infuse carbonated soft drinks, vitamin-infused sport drinks, and beer. This latest video further highlights the power of our UST platform to make nanoemulsions and its potential to help nutraceutical and beverage manufacturers make high-quality, oil-based products. With such compelling results to rely on, and with numerous opportunities ahead of us, we intend to accelerate the development of our UST platform to better address what we believe are several multi-billion-dollar markets in nutraceuticals, cosmetics, and food & beverages.’
About Pressure BioSciences, Inc: Pressure BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: PBIO) is a leader in the development and sale of innovative, broadly enabling, pressure-based solutions for the worldwide life sciences industry. Our products are based on the unique properties of both constant (i.e., static) and alternating (i.e., pressure cycling technology, or PCT) hydrostatic pressure. PCT is a patented enabling technology platform that uses alternating cycles of hydrostatic pressure between ambient and ultra-high levels to safely and reproducibly control bio-molecular interactions (e.g., cell lysis, biomolecule extraction). Our primary focus is in the development of high pressure-based products for biomarker and target discovery, drug design and development, biotherapeutics characterization and quality control, food science, soil & plant biology, forensics, and counter-bioterror applications. Additionally, we are actively expanding the use of our pressure-based technologies in the following areas: (1) the use of our recently acquired protein disaggregation and refolding technology from BaroFold, Inc. to allow entry into the biologics manufacturing and contract research services sector, and (2) the use of our recently-patented, scalable, high-efficiency, pressure-based Ultra Shear Technology (UST™) platform to (i) create stable nanoemulsions of otherwise immiscible fluids (e.g., oils and water) and to (ii) prepare higher quality, homogenized, extended shelf-life or room temperature stable low-acid liquid foods that cannot be effectively preserved using existing non-thermal technologies.”
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Green Thumb Industries Inc. (OTCQX: GTBIF) (CSE: GTII), a national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and retailer, is dedicated to providing dignified access to safe and effective cannabis while giving back to the communities in which they serve. Luxury cannabis leader Beboe recently announced the launch of Beboe Therapies, a CBD-infused skincare collection that combines the brand’s unmatched plant expertise and quality standards. Beboe Therapies cultivates the purest formulas to deliver the magical benefits of CBD. Beboe offers the sophisticated cannabis consumer an experience unlike any other on the market. Beboe is the Los Angeles -based leader in luxury cannabis. In 2019, Beboe was acquired by Green Thumb Industries Inc. Each Beboe Therapies product is formulated with the same high potency, high-quality CBD found in Beboe’s premium vaporizer pens and pastilles and elegantly packaged in the brand’s signature rose gold. “Expanding into skincare was a natural progression for the brand. For us, it all comes back to a love and admiration for the plant. The benefits of CBD are highly regarded, and we believe in nourishment from the inside out,” said co-founder Scott Campbell , whose celebrated artwork can be seen on all Beboe packaging. “Everything we do is with the utmost attention to detail. We’ve spent the past year developing this line in a way that meets our quality standards.”
Acreage Holdings Inc. (OTCQX: ACRGF) (CSE: ACRG.U), headquartered in New York City, is the largest vertically integrated, multi-state owner of cannabis licenses and assets in U.S. states with respect to a number of states with operating licenses. Acreage Holdings, Inc. recently announced the December 21st opening of The Botanist cannabis dispensary in Worcester, MA at 65 Pullman Street. The Botanist is the new brand for Acreage’s nationwide retail footprint of dispensaries as well as a branded line of carefully curated cannabis products that will soon be sold in them. The Botanist presents a unique experiential design, blending nature and science in an immersive retail environment that is inspired by 19th Century laboratories, greenhouses and the study of botany. The Botanist will offer a selection of the best cannabis products, including flower, vape cartridges, edibles, concentrates and tinctures. A family of proprietary The Botanist cannabis products are currently in development and will soon debut at the store. In keeping with The Botanist’s commitment to education, exceptional service, and a customer experience unlike other cannabis retail stores, the dispensary will also offer a rich program of educational and entertaining events, such as cannabis 101, cooking with cannabis, CBD-infused mocktail parties, and more. Acreage Chief Marketing Officer Harris Damashek said: “The Botanist was designed as a way of life – a physical embodiment of curiosity, medicine, health, and nature, that centers around the power of the plant. It signifies a place with purpose, a place for discovery, and a place that our customers will love to return to. It is the antithesis of the typical cannabis retail store, which usually offers customers nothing more than a cluttered space that sells.”
Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPT) (TSX: NEPT) specializes in the extraction, purification and formulation of health and wellness products. Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. recently announced that its Solutions Business had begun offering turnkey product development solutions with hemp-derived ingredients to business customers in the United States. A U.S.-based supply chain of licensed hemp extract producers has been established, and initial purchase orders are now being processed. Neptune boasts long-standing experience in the management of custom and white label turnkey product development solutions comprising a diverse array of product forms including softgels, liquids, topicals, emulsions, and water-dispersible powders. Branded ingredients and products that have contributed to Neptune’s success, such as MaxSimil® and ECSentialsTM formulations, could potentially be used in unique combinations with hemp ingredients, particularly as the U.S. regulatory framework around hemp extracts and cannabidiol (CBD) evolves. “The U.S. market for hemp is developing rapidly and represents a significant opportunity for the consumer products industry. Neptune is now offering products and services to American brands that want to create a unique hemp-based portfolio, with products made exclusively in the U.S. for the U.S.,” said Jim Hamilton, President and Chief Executive Officer of Neptune.
MariMed Inc. (OTCQB: MRMD) is dedicated to improving health and wellness with the highest quality hemp and cannabis products. MariMed Inc. recently announced that its MariMed Hemp subsidiary will acquire 70% of MediTaurus, LLC, owner of the international Florance™ brand of CBD health and wellness products and extensive intellectual property (IP) relating to cannabis formulations. The Florance™ brand is established in the U.S. and EU with online distributors, wholesalers, pharmacies and physicians. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. This is the first acquisition for MariMed Hemp, which was formed to optimize MariMed’s strategic investment in GenCanna Global, Inc., the Kentucky-based producer of compliant, quality CBD derived from hemp. Bob Fireman, Chief Executive Officer of MariMed Inc., noted, “This transaction is extremely important for MariMed for three reasons: First, from an operational standpoint, the Florance™ brand jump-starts our MariMed Hemp division with an established, premium line of CBD health and wellness products and formulas in the U.S. and the EU, global licensing of MediTaurus IP; and a network of established European relationships. Florance™ provides a ready platform for new product introductions, including diversity of the uses of hemp including food, food supplements and topicals. MariMed will help rapidly scale up production, distribution and licensing partnerships throughout the major U.S. markets where MariMed operates and sells; Second, with MediTaurus and its co-founders, including Dr. Žiburkus, comes a wealth of expertise and research experience into the benefits and function of compounds found in cannabis and hemp. Dr. Žiburkus will be both a trusted advisor and continue his key roles of needed scientific research and balanced education of the medical community on the benefits cannabinoids offer for a variety of health conditions; Finally, MediTaurus is a perfect fit with MariMed’s mission, values and corporate culture to unlock and introduce the known and yet-to-be-discovered health benefits of cannabis and hemp.”
SOURCE FinancialBuzz.com
