By Brad Bogus
Cannabis products often contain THC or CBD as the only psychoactive compounds; after all, they are the main stars of the show. However, scientific study shows a large supporting cast of compounds that, when combined together, help modulate the effects of THC and CBD to create specific experiences. These formulations help consumers identify the best way to meet their wants and needs, whether they desire to Focus, Relax, Rest or get Relief.
What are these additional compounds? How are Care By Design Effects formulations researched and developed? Let’s discuss.
The cannabis plant produces thousands of compounds, primarily categorized as cannabinoids (such as THC, CBD, THCV, CBN, CBG) and terpenes (d-limonene, linalool, beta-myrcene). There are well over 100 identified cannabinoids and over 200 terpenes. While the plant is capable of producing any number of them, there are only a large handful of these compounds that are most often present in large enough quantities to impact the effects of a particular cultivar. 
Without federal legalization, research in this country is still difficult. There are fewer double-blinded, placebo-controlled human trials conducted on cannabis products than we see done in the pharmaceutical industry. Without these studies, making claims on product effectiveness and what conditions those products treat is complex, and in some cases, illegal for licensed manufacturers to do.
Seeking data elsewhere, we look to Israel, which has a medical program where cannabis flower is prescribed by doctors to treat patient-reported conditions. An observational clinical study following a few hundred patients monitored what cultivars they gravitated towards over time, analyzing what cannabinoids and terpenes those cultivars expressed, and then sorted them based on their originally prescribed conditions. This study provided some of the best insight across the globe as to what compounds were desirable to users to treat their conditions and what proportions were present in the flower they used to treat them.
As mentioned, there are many cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis flower, and each plant produces a variable amount in varying proportions. We chose to focus our formulations on the compounds that showed up in the lab tests in Israel’s study the most, with a few choice additions.
Lab tests found these compounds in most of the flower samples examined by the participants in the study, all in specific proportions to one another. We emulated the terpene profiles observed in the Israel study in our formulations to create our effects-based product line. This is important to note, as many companies attempt to provide consistent effects in their products, but all too often focus on just a few select compounds to drive the effect. CannaCraft took a different tack. We looked at the “bouquet” of compounds that are naturally found in flower, and recreated the fullest spectrum of those compounds together, which seemed the most accurate way to replicate the findings in Israel, as well as anecdotal customer experiences we hear time and again.
We didn’t rely solely on the Israel study, however. We also love the feedback from our very own CannaCraft employees, who also get an opportunity to try all of our formulations.
This process of using high-standard scientific substantiation in our product development has led us to release our new Effects product line. The formulations we’re releasing are called Focus, Relax, Relief, and Rest, available in soft gels, drops, and gummies.
One of the most exciting compounds in the Relax blend is Delta-8 THC. This is a compound rapidly gaining in popularity, and often referred to as THC-light. Not as intoxicating as traditional THC (Delta-9), Delta-8 THC is less potent and less psychoactive than its well-known counterpart and tends to produce less anxiety than is reported by consumers of Delta-9.
Our Focus blend includes the lauded THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) compound, a more stimulating cannabinoid. We included CBG (cannabigerol) in our Relief blend along with THC, which is known to be effective in relieving temporary pain or muscle soreness such as from exercise. We also included CBN (cannabinol) in our Rest blend, along with THC and CBD, compounds which can be beneficial for occasional sleeplessness.
You can find our new Effects products at retailers all across California. CLICK HERE to find the product you need closest to you!
