The Science and Business of Recreational Cannabis is Changing
We have all experienced the same problem. We log into our online provincial cannabis store, or go to a retail store, and find hundreds of products to choose from, but very little helpful product information to differentiate them. How do you select one?
This problem also affects cannabis producers who spend millions on advanced R&D to design products that deliver specific consumer experiences, why can’t they make such product effect claims at retail?
The short answer is because back when the Cannabis Act Regulations were originally written, there did not exist a feasible way to regulate how to label or describe product effects.
The two main reasons why this was not feasible is because:
- There didn’t exist a scientifically-proven and accurate technology to detect and measure the strength of cannabis effects on the brain, which is the only human organ that is directly and temporarily altered by THC and other cannabinoids.
We all know that current lab technology only measures the THC potency in cannabis products or THC levels in human body fluids (saliva, urine, etc.). However, none of these two measurements are reliable factors to determine practical, important information like how “high” you will get, or how long the psychoactive effects will last.
- The second challenge is that describing cannabis product effects is a multi-variable definition and product cannabinoid properties (THC/CBD potency, etc.) is only one of them. The other two main variables that define a cannabis effect experience are:
The consumer profile – Human factors such as sensitivity to THC, tolerance built to THC, your mood at consumption time, etc.
The consumption information – How much you consume and what is the consumption method.
As a result, we understand why Health Canada took such a conservative approach when it comes to describing cannabis product effects. They wanted to mitigate the risk of inaccurate, false or misleading information being used to promote and sell cannabis.
This does not necessarily mean that Producers and Retailers currently cannot talk about cannabis effects but there is a series of regulations required to do it in a compliant manner. The product effect data needs to be unbiased, accurate and backed up with scientific research. In fact, it is the mandate of retailers to promote responsible cannabis use by helping and educating consumers to select a product and consume it in a safe and enjoyable way.
Fortunately for all involved, scientific research methodologies have evolved and a new business model has emerged that makes it possible to better serve Canadian recreational cannabis consumers with the information they deserve at a price the industry can afford.
At Zentrela, we have focused on designing a complete solution that solves the two main problems preventing the scientific cataloguing of product effect content:
THE SCIENCE
Zentrela has developed the first true test for measuring cannabis effects. Our proprietary neurotechnology, the Cognalyzer®, combines neuroscience and AI to detect and measure cannabis effects based on brainwave analysis. In simple words, the Cognalyzer converts brainwaves (EEG data) into a cannabis effect level. It is a patent-pending method that has been scientifically validated and soon the results will be published publicly!
Now that we can quantify cannabis effects, we are opening the first of its kind Consumer Research Facility that will allow us to execute the CUSIC™ Project. CUSIC™ stands for “Cannabis Users Supporting Informed Consumption”. Our mission is to invite cannabis consumers who share the same social responsibility that we have at Zentrela to participate in our observational studies that allow us to build the largest and most complete scientific database of product effects.
THE BUSINESS
Zentrela has also pioneered a new DaaS (Data-As-A-Service) business model that provides producers and retailers an affordable solution to generate science-backed product effect statements for their entire portfolio of recreational cannabis products. Zentrela performs all of the primary research to capture the product effect data and licenses it to producers or retailers for informational, educational or promotional purposes.
We all benefit when Canadian consumers are better served with scientific, trustworthy product-effect information. Our ultimate goal at Zentrela is to provide producers, retailers and regulators with the most reliable and accurate product effect data that allows them to meet their business goals while promoting safe and responsible cannabis consumption. We are pleased to contribute to Canada’s global leadership in this innovative category, working together with regulators and industry participants to provide Canadians the information they require for the safe and informed use of recreational cannabis products.
Read more about our approach (and consider participating in our research) at www.zentrela.com.
