You’ve probably noticed that cannabidiol (CBD) is everywhere these days. Since restrictions on hemp production and commerce were lifted by the 2018 Farm Bill passed by the U.S. Congress, products containing CBD have proliferated in number and type across the United States. However, as new consumers investigate the onslaught of CBD products, many are left unsatisfied with the choices.
There certainly is a wide variety of CBD products available. However, early adopters of these tinctures, pre-rolls and topicals can’t support the volume needed to maintain the industry’s phenomenal growth. The current challenge for the industry is developing products that fit modern consumer preferences, while staying on the cutting edge of new cannabinoids such as CBG, CBN, CBC and Delta 8 THC. As the market moves from dispensaries to mainstream retailers, customers are seeking delivery methods they already feel comfortable using.
Preliminary studies are showing CBG can help with anxiety, pain and gut issues while CBN is very relaxing and sedative. Delta 8 THC (a close cousin to Delta 9 THC, still illegal in some areas) has mild psychoactive effects while stimulating the appetite and possible neuroprotectant properties. Each cannabinoid offers its own healing properties and there are over 140 that we know of today. It’s not just about CBD anymore.
Vitamin, supplement and pharmaceutical companies see the growing consumer interest in different cannabinoids and terpenes and want to bring them to their customers. But the batch-to-batch precision and consistency that these companies need for testing, product development and customer satisfaction simply haven’t been available. In order for this to occur, innovation must lead the way. What’s currently missing is the ability to create different cannabinoid formulations that achieve specific ingredient ratios and potency requirements with consistency and precision.
At Volunteer Botanicals, we’re working toward the goal of creating an apothecary-style system of pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids that can be combined reliably with other pharmaceutical and nutraceutical ingredients to create whole new products or enhance existing products. Our patent-pending process reduces cannabinoids in different extracts to a consistent particle size, enabling the powder to be utilized in formulations to achieve specific cannabinoid ratios. The process creates a consistent, flowable powder that homogenizes flawlessly in precise formulations for capsules, tablets and other supplement and pharmaceutical products.
Precise cannabinoid formulations combined with traditional ingredients will become the linchpin in creating more consumer-friendly products. But the manufacturing process cannot be discounted. The need for consistent homogeneity with other ingredients as well as the ability to utilize high-speed capsule-filling equipment are critical to creating conversions that meet the specific demands of product creators inside and outside of the hemp industry. Mainstream companies are salivating at the chance to include cannabinoids in their products. But they can’t move forward without the right ingredients.
In fact, the future of cannabinoid products may already be taking shape in Murfreesboro. Volunteer Botanicals, with the help of a Tennessee Department of Agriculture grant, is finishing Tennessee’s first manufacturing facility to meet the needs of product creators wanting different cannabinoid and terpene ingredients in their formulations. All of these products are geared directly at the emerging mainstream consumer, and are helping provide cannabinoid proof points for mainstream manufacturers.
It’s becoming more and more apparent that cannabinoid products will be among the over-the-counter products at your neighborhood Walgreens or CVS, as well as on the shelves of cannabis retailers. Cannabinoids have untapped potential. Our goal at Volunteer Botanicals is to meet the needs of mainstream manufacturers in order to secure this future.
