Author: Joy

We’ve spoken to countless leaders across the industry. While the sentiment around the industry morale is positive, the internal details are somewhat concerning. Most are not making any money, and everyone feels like they are getting squeezed from both sides.

Undoubtedly, things are hard in the cannabis industry. The truth and fear are that things will only get more challenging over the following months.

Diversification and finding additional growth prospects continue to be a topic of conversation.

Continue asking yourself how we can leverage our efforts to increase TAM (total addressable market). In the near term Q1, the 2023 projections are likely adjusting as the industry looks to DC for some form of catalysts.

Editors’ Note: This is an excerpt from our Monthly Playbook. If you would like to read the full monthly playbook and join the thousands of others you can sign up below.

The cannabis industry is full of challenges and problems. We’ve spent countless months screaming them from the rooftop. The “secret sauce” in the industry is the individuals inside. As we do each month in this Cannabinoid Playbook, we break down the various challenges hindering the cannabis industry and try and uncover precisely what it means.

One aspect that is massively undervalued and overlooked is the incredible people who work and operate inside of it.

In cannabis, the opposite exists, and everyone is currently fighting to survive.

Capital markets are in the dumps. Limitations, challenges, stigmas, and fragmented markets are all around us. Washington, DC, continues to use cannabis as a pawn. This industry has endless obstacles and challenges.

Everyone from the largest MSOs to the smallest mom-and-pop operators is struggling. I assure you that there are no bean bag chairs here.

This feeling is different from any of the previous jobs I have had. In my previous life, people were more closed off and more status quo. Industries like technology, oil and gas, and pharma have been around for a while, with individuals having careers in those spaces.

The people inside the cannabis industry are different. In the technology industry, most start out with a cushy six-figure salary with incredible perks like yoga, cooking classes, and bean bag chairs everywhere.

The most impressive and underrated aspect that hasn’t been taken away is the feeling of comradery.
Individuals in this industry are warm, friendly, and open. It’s the unspoken truth of recognizing that you are doing hard shit, and I am doing hard shit. Respect.

Cannabis is different.

Suppose you have worked in cannabis for ten years. You have an entire career. One year in cannabis is equal to a dog year.

Before going to Las Vegas for MJBIZCON, I wondered what the sentiment would be. It’s another year without safe banking and legal interstate commerce and with ongoing issues with NY rollout.

Most cannabis companies are not thriving. It would be easy for people to be slightly down.

Instead, what I witnessed was the complete opposite: incredibly warm, excited, friendly people were there to reach their hand out to introduce you or connect with you.

The industry is still so new, and the ones pushing forward have a resiliency and openness different from traditional industry.

That feeling of comradery is why some of us pushed our limits and stayed out until the wee hours of the next morning. Because we genuinely care about each other. We recognize and appreciate the time together. We know that tomorrow will be challenging, and many of us have already decided this fight isn’t for us.

The cannabis industry is unique, and the main reason is because of the people in it. The cannabis industry is certainly not perfect, but as we continue to grow and evolve, the individuals behind the various organizations, from legacy to legal, are the sole reason why I continue to be massively bullish on the cannabis industry. Thank you for being you.

Editors’ Note: This is an excerpt from our Monthly Playbook. If you would like to read the full monthly playbook and join the thousands of others you can sign up below.

THC and the Cannabis Mind Initiative

For too long, societies worldwide have prohibited Cannabis, a historically useful and valuable commodity. The predominant concern has been Cannabis delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content and its psychoactive effects. How does THC affect mental states? Is it beneficial? What are its liability concerns?CESC’s Cannabis Mind Initiative focuses on the psychoactive or intoxicating effects of Type I (THC dominant) Cannabis and its subtypes of varying potencies.

Cannabis typically contains one of two dominant phytocannabinoids, THCA or cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), and several combinations of other active ingredients. Consumers might inhale, apply, or ingest a product without apparent psychoactivity. However, it is the use of THC (derived from its THCA precursor) in products that most often leads to intoxicating states. THC’s psychoactive effects are mostly attributed to its activity on CNR1 (CB1), a prevalent G-coupled protein receptor in the brain. THC consumption may cause adverse effects; however, it also leads to meaningful subjective experiences. Despite a diverse and rich potential for Cannabis in the marketplace, THC is the elephant in the room. CESC’s study of THC-dominant Cannabis addresses its psychoactive and intoxicating effects.

In the past decade, we have seen unprecedented shifts in the availability of Cannabis. Increased access to Cannabis has been associated with an increase in high-potency THC products. From 1995 to 2014, THC potency tripled (4%-12%) in confiscated Cannabis flowers. Today, markets sell Cannabis flowers with 20% or more THC content. Extracted and concentrated oil products have potencies of 50-80% THC. Jurisdictions that have tried to prohibit D-9 THC see legal hemp products converted to other isomers of THC as companies work around regulations to offer a product with more psychoactivity.

Americans have a love-hate relationship with Cannabis. Harry J Anslinger, head of the US Treasury Department’s Narcotics Bureau, wrote his opinion in a 1937 article titled Marijuana, Assassin of Youth. “How many murders, suicides, robberies, criminal assaults, holdups, burglaries, and deeds of maniacal insanity it causes each year can only be conjectured.” The ludicrous notion that a plant could initiate such behavior had been popularized in a movie called Reefer Madness. Relative to the history of worldwide use, Anslinger’s perspective didn’t last long. By the 1960s, Anslinger had already conceded that the criminal penalties in force for Cannabis use were too severe. In 1967, mainstream voices of Life, Newsweek, and Look magazines questioned why the plant was illegal at all. By 1996, California had legalized Cannabis use for medicinal purposes through a proposition titled The Compassionate Use Act.

Contrasting perceptions and opposing effects are a hallmark of Type I Cannabis. The relaxing and euphoric effects are contradicted by concerns of anxiety and psychosis. It’s well understood that acute psychosis from THC can be debilitating, especially when unexpected. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, notes that high-potency Cannabis.

products are associated with acute psychosis. However, intentional Cannabis experiences with appropriate doses of THC can also be used as therapy. The hypothesis is that THC may help expand the walls of perception and engender psychological flexibility, which leads to improved mental health conditions.

In a Natural Language Processing analysis of open-sourced reviews by respondents that used Type I Cannabis flowers, CESC identified commonly used words. These descriptors are group into three categories; states of altered consciousness (high, stoned, buzzed), a relaxed-energetic dichotomy, and a broad range of psychosomatic states. We anticipate that this categorization scheme will facilitate correlation with underlying pharmacologic mechanisms.

The frequency of descriptors maps subjective states of the “Cannabis Mind”. The results depict a range of effects describing a more complex experience than acute psychosis or the anticipated ‘high”.

With access to a Northern California community of 2,000 active users, CESC investigates the risk factors and therapeutic benefits of Type I Cannabis use. Data is gathered on the acute and chronic effects of Cannabis use. Longitudinal observations track the health and wellness endpoints of Cannabis users. Quantitative EEG analysis provides an objective biomarker in comparisons of subjective mood and consciousness scales. Our community serves as a model in our investigations of the “Cannabis Mind.”

The CESC is a non-profit organization that relies on community support for its ongoing investigations.

DONATE to Cannabis Science

For more information visit the CESC at www.thecesc.org.

Editors’ Note: This is an excerpt from our Monthly Playbook. If you would like to read the full monthly playbook and join the thousands of others you can sign up below.

The next wave in cannabis cultivation, extraction, manufacturing, formulation, fulfillment, and retail will adopt automation to improve efficiency. Companies with improved efficiencies will be able to provide high-quality products to consumers at lower price points, ultimately gaining more market share and pushing out companies that can not compete at the same price point.

According to Boston Consulting Group, the technologies that will allow for the ‘smart factory’ include the following:

• Additive Manufacturing
• Augmented Reality (AR)
• Autonomous Robotics
• Big Data Analytics
• Blockchain
• Cloud Computing
• Cybersecurity
• Digital Twins
• Human Machine Interface
• Internet of Things
• IT System Integration
• Process Analytical Technology (PAT)
• Quality by Design
• Virtual Reality

Together these technologies create the concept of the ‘Smart Factory,’ a term coined in Germany around 2011. These technologies will reduce the cost and time for product development, enable mass customization, and reduce production costs, all while improving quality. Over the next year, we will cover the areas where the technology is currently being used in the industry, up-and-coming technology starting to emerge, and future concepts on the horizon.

Throughout 2023,8th Revolution will cover each technology in detail and provide examples of how cannabis companies can adopt the technology and the expected economic value.

Editors’ Note: This is an excerpt from our Monthly Playbook. If you would like to read the full monthly playbook and join the thousands of others you can sign up below.

We have recently started reporting on FDA-compliant Delta-9 THC distillate, CBDA, and CBN-O. Our firm will continue to add cannabinoids as we see them gain in popularity and volume in the marketplace. Volatility within the minor cannabinoid market continued this month. CBDV prices dropped 17%, and HHC acetate prices jumped 43%. The most stable cannabinoid from a wholesale price perspective in 2022 has been THC-O. Market prices in February were $1,150 / kg. Currently, the price hovers around $1,116 / kg.

One of the more exciting developments in the cannabinoid market is underway in Minnesota, where THC derived from hemp is being infused in beverages and sold at regular retail outlets. Minnesota could have massive implications on demand for all minors. We will closely monitor how regulators handle the current Minnesota THC beverage industry. The use case and marketplace for end products containing minor cannabinoids are still emerging. Every emerging market has its growing pains, and price volatility will continue until established use cases and finished consumer products are created. Disclaimer The reported pricing is based on market observations.

Editors’ Note: This is an excerpt from our Monthly Playbook. If you would like to read the full monthly playbook and join the thousands of others you can sign up below.