THC and CBD, bioactive substances produced by cannabis and sought by medical patients and recreational users, sprung to life thanks to ancient colonization of the plant’s genome by viruses, researchers have found.

World’s first cannabis chromosome map reveals the plant’s evolutionary past and points to its future as potential medicine.

THC and CBD, bioactive substances produced by cannabis and sought by medical patients and recreational users, sprung to life thanks to ancient colonization of the plant’s genome by viruses, U of T researchers have found.

The finding is only one of the insights revealed by the long-awaited cannabis genome map detailing gene arrangement on the chromosomes, published recently in the journal Genome Research. Among other revelations are discovery of a gene responsible for the production of cannabichromene, or CBC, a lesser known cannabinoid, as the active substances in cannabis are known, and new insights into how strain potency is determined.

“The chromosome map is an important foundational resource for further research which, despite cannabis’ widespread use, has lagged behind other crops due to restrictive legislation,” says Tim Hughes, a professor in the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research and co-leader of the study. Hughes is also a professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Senior Fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advancement of Research.

The researchers expect the map will speed up breeding efforts to create new strains with desired medical properties as well as varieties that can be grown more sustainably, or with increased resistance to diseases and pests.

The study was a three-part collaboration between Tim Hughes’ team and those of Jonathan Page, of Aurora Cannabis and the University of British Columbia , and Harm van Bakel, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt Sinai in New York.

Hughes, Page and van Bakel first got together in 2011 when they released the first draft of cannabis genome which was too fragmented to reveal gene position on chromosomes.

The new map reveals how hemp and marijuana, which belong to the same species Cannabis sativa, evolved as separate strains with distinct chemical properties. Cannabis plants grown for drug use (“marijuana”) are abundant in psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, whereas hemp produces cannabidiol, or CBD, popular of late for its medicinal potential. Some people use CBD to relieve pain and it is also being tested as a treatment for epilepsy, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s.

The enzymes making THC and CBD are encoded by THCA and CBDA synthase genes, respectively. Both are found on chromosome 6 of the ten chromosomes the cannabis genome is packaged into. There, the enzyme genes are surrounded by vast swathes of garbled DNA which came from viruses that colonized the genome millions of years ago. This viral DNA, or retroelements as it is known, made copies of itself that spread across the genome by jumping into other sites in the host cell’s DNA.

“Plant genomes can contain millions of retroelement copies,” says van Bakel, an assistant professor in the Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology in New York and in the department of Genetics and Genome Sciences. “This means that linking genes on chromosomes is analogous to assembling a huge puzzle where three quarters of the pieces are nearly the same color. The combination of a genetic map and PacBio sequencing technology allowed us to increase the size of the puzzle pieces and find enough distinguishing features to facilitate the assembly process and pinpoint the synthase genes.”

The researchers believe that gene duplication of the ancestral synthase gene and expanding retroelements drove ancient cannabis to split into chemically distinct types. Humans subsequently selected for plants containing desirable chemistry such as high THC.

The gene sequences for the THCA and CBDA synthases are nearly identical supporting the idea that they come from the same gene which was duplicated millions of years ago. Over time, one or both gene copies became scrambled by invading retroelements, and by evolving separately, they eventually came to produce two different enzymes — CBDA synthase found in hemp (fibre-type), and THCA synthase in drug-type (marijuana).

Because the enzymes are so similar at the DNA level, until this study it was not even clear if they are encoded by separate genes or by two versions of the same gene. Adding to the confusion was the fact that most strains produce both CBD and THC despite breeders’ efforts to grow hemp varieties free from the mind-altering THC for users looking to avoid it.

The chromosome map now clearly shows that two distinct genes are at play which should make it possible to separate them during breeding to grow plants without THC.

Some psychoactive effects in medical strains could be coming from CBC, a lesser known cannabinoid that has unusual pharmacology including anti-inflammatory properties. The discovery of the gene responsible for CBC synthesis will make it possible for breeders to tailor its content in future varieties.

“Mainstream science has still not done enough because of research restrictions,” says Page, of UBC and Chief Scientific Officer at Aurora, one of Canada’s largest producers of medical cannabis. “Legalization and looming ease of research regulation really provide for opportunities for more research to be done. And Canada is leading the way.”

Source:University of Toronto

Hemp is an incredibly versatile crop. Not only can it be used for industrial purposes, clothing, food, and paper, but new research suggests hemp batteries are even more powerful than lithium and graphene.

The experiment was conducted by Robert Murray Smith and was discussed on his relatively popular YouTube channel. Smith began by observing a Volts by Amps curve of both the hemp and lithium batteries. Surprisingly, the power underneath the hemp cell was a value of 31 while that of the lithium cell had a value of just 4.

Smith doesn’t claim to have proven anything. Rather, he says the results of the experiment simply show the performance of the hemp cell is “significantly better” than the lithium cell.

This discovery isn’t new. In 2014, researchers in the US found that waste fibers — “shiv” — from hemp crops can be transformed into “ultrafast” super capacitors that are “better than graphene.” For those who are unaware, graphene is a unique synthetic carbon material that is lighter than foil, as well as bulletproof. The main limit to using it is feasibility. Fortunately, hemp costs one-thousandth of the price of graphene.

“People ask me: why hemp? I say, why not?” said Dr. Mitlin. “We’re making graphene-like materials for a thousandth of the price – and we’re doing it with waste.”

In the 2014 experiment, the team, led by Dr David Mitlin of Clarkson University, New York, “cooked” leftover bast fibre — the inner bark of the plant that typically ends up in landfills — into carbon nanosheets. The process is called hydrothermal synthesis. 

The fibers were then recycled into supercapacitors, or energy storage devices which have changed the way electronics are powered. Conventional batteries store large reservoirs of energy and drip-feed. Supercapacitors, on the other hand, rapidly discharge their entire load. As a result, the latter is ideal in machines that require sharp bursts of power.

“People ask me: why hemp? I say, why not?” said Dr. Mitlin. “We’re making graphene-like materials for a thousandth of the price.”

According to Mitlin, “you can do really interesting things with bio-waste”. With banana peels, for instance, “you can turn them into a dense block of carbon – we call it pseudo-graphite – and that’s great for sodium-ion batteries. But if you look at hemp fibre its structure is the opposite – it makes sheets with high surface area – and that’s very conducive to supercapacitors.”

After the bark has been cooked, “you dissolve the lignin and the semicellulose, and it leaves these carbon nanosheets – a pseudo-graphene structure.” The resulting supercapacitors operate at a broad range of temperatures and a high energy density.

The peer-reviewed journal paper ranks the device “on par with or better than commercial graphene-based devices.”

“They work down to 0C and display some of the best power-energy combinations reported in the literature for any carbon,” Mitlin explained. “For example, at a very high power density of 20 kW/kg (kilowatt per kilo) and temperatures of 20, 60, and 100C, the energy densities are 19, 34, and 40 Wh/kg (watt-hours per kilo) respectively.” When fully assembled, the energy density is 12 Wh/kg, which can be achieved at a charge time less than six seconds.

In 2018, the Texas-based electric motorcycle company Alternet announced that it would be joining forces with Mitlin to power motorbikes for its ReVolt Electric Motorbikes subsidiary. 

Clearly, hemp is a valuable and versatile resource. As the crop is decriminalized, perhaps other companies will follow suit and help transition our planet to run on sustainable energy.

By Mandy Froelich | TruthTheory.com | Republished with permission

A group of hundreds of professors, health experts, doctors, and politicians across UK political parties have signed on to letters calling for medical marijuana to be available for free in the United Kingdom. To make medical cannabis available at no cost to patients, prescriptions have to come from the National Health Service (NHS), the UK’s comprehensive, universal, and free-at-the-point-of-service medical system.

Prescribing medical cannabis on the NHS is currently legal in the UK under certain circumstances. But a number of restrictions and bureaucratic obstacles have so far deterred any NHS specialists from prescribing medical cannabis treatments. In their letter, drug and health experts, along with members of Parliament, urge UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock to ease those restrictions. And in another letter, another group of MPs representing Liberal Democrats and Labour have asked Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene on behalf of patients unable to obtain medical cannabis prescriptions.

Doctors and MPs Urge UK Prime Minister to Back Free Medical Cannabis Prescriptions

After nearly a year under the UK’s highly restrictive rules for accessing legal medical cannabis, doctors and politicians say its time for a change. They say the current system of controls isn’t working to put medical cannabis in the hands of patients who need it most. And as a result, patients are dying unnecessarily, experts say, from addictions to dangerous painkillers and from symptoms that could be treated effectively and more safely with cannabis.

“The failure of the medical and pharmacy professions to embrace [medical cannabis] being made ‘legal’ is a great worry to patients and carers, and will already have led to more preventable deaths from conditions such as epilepsy,” argue senior doctors and MPs in their letter to Health Secretary Hancock.

Published 1 week ago 

on September 23, 2019

ByAdam Drury

Medicinal properties of marijuana have been known to men for over 10,000 years but since the 1930’s in the United States, all the knowledge about the plant went underground. Because cannabis became illegal, fear, crime and ignorance were associated with cannabis. But of course, as we all know this is rapidly changing.

California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada all passed measures in November legalizing recreational marijuana. California’s Prop. 64 measure allows adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants in their homes.

Finally, marijuana is getting the scientific community’s attention as many are looking for medical alternatives. New studies are appearing in all areas of disease prevention and treatment such as cancer, seizures and diabetes to name a few.

Marijuana appears to have a beneficial influence in controlling blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes.

The relationship between pot and hunger and appetite have been widely known. Commonly known as the “the munchies”

The endocannabinoid system is a group of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors in the brain, involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory; it mediates the psychoactive effects of cannabis inside our body. If pot increases appetite, how can that be good for diabetes? Even though pot is associated with an increase caloric intake it is also associated with a lower body mass index (BMI), lower obesity and diabetes, but why? New studies are beginning to investigate this.

Recent studies

The first study investigates the benefits of Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) a neutral CB1 in obese rodents. The administration of THCV in obese mice and the subsequent improvement in metabolic functions in these rodents. THCV were found to improve fasting plasma glucose and glucose tolerance when given twice daily, improving insulin sensitivity.

An increased energy expenditure were also noted in obese mouse. THCV was also found to reduce liver triglyceride levels. In another study the use of Rimonabant or CB1 was tested in humans. For one year under the CB1 therapy was reported a 4.7 Kg or greater mean weight loss then the placebo mice group. The treatment also showed beneficial action on metabolic risk factors with an increase in HDL cholesterol (the good one) and a decrease in triglycerides (fat in the blood).

In yet another study seeking to determine the association between diabetes mellitus and marijuana use had a total sample of 10,896 adults including groups of non-marijuana users; past marijuana users; light users and heavy current users.

The results indicated that marijuana users had a lower age-adjusted prevalence of DM compared to non-marijuana users. The prevalence of elevated C reactive protein was significantly higher in non marijuana users (C reactive protein is involved with inflammation therefore having that around is not a good thing). This discovery pointed to the anti-inflammatory properties of marijuana. The study also found that there could be a relationship between early exposure to marijuana and deterrence in the development of diabetes. This study also review other studies performed in rodents where significant benefits against diabetic complications and atherosclerosis were noted in addition to the anti-inflammatory properties. It was also found that CB’s (the non-psychoactive cannabidiol was also found to attenuate the progression of DM type I in rodents.

The limitation of this study (the first one mentioned) were its cross-sectional nature. Persons attending the study may not have represented the larger sample of the population overall. Other limitations were the self-report format which is subject to bias and not always possible to be confirmed.

So what should you do?

So with so much evidence on the benefits of marijuana should you fire up that bowl yet? Not so fast, Even though the medicinal properties of marijuana have been known for a long time we are just discovering how they works. Many are reporting successes of marijuana therapy in various front lines of disease fighting but there are still many questions answered and methodology have not been yet refined.

Marijuana potency have been increasing as growers develop new planting techniques and dosages vary widely and the properties of certain plants are now being studied. We may know the proven benefits in laboratory studies but nothing have been yet tested on populations during a long time period. Unfortunately the therapies available are still being developed and because of the its illegal status in most of the world marijuana have been kept out of the hands of health care systems and professionals capable of delivering safe and effective care except for a few brave ones who goes against the grain in order to find new cures.

For anyone looking to apply for the medical cannabis license under the ministerial license route (as the Medical Cannabis Access Programme is still not operational!!), here is a template that you can use and a checklist of everything you need to include. Just to note as well, that you can apply for the license for chronic pain this way, it needs to be signed by a consultant overseeing your care. Two people in Ireland have the license to use cannabis for chronic pain already! ~ Alicia Maher 👍💚

https://assets.gov.ie/19966/8a13118a3d9e4ac5863dfa4788557fbe.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1mfIZ7IGCr5o5jWPmYlE_TNv7cKkSiAlSDtV1n5qOZfUU645LkQq7Poi0

Mechoulam’s latest research on a new family of cannabinoid acid molecules will be exposed today and tomorrow at CannaMed 2019

Raphael Mechoulam, father of cannabis research, is the speaker with the most excitement in this edition of CannaMed 2019. This Israeli scientist who managed to synthesize THC for the first time, and current director of EPM research, will speak today and tomorrow at CannaMed on the science and chemistry behind its latest innovation, a new family of stable cannabinoid acid molecules whose potency is superior to that of existing cannabinoids, and which also have very promising therapeutic properties.

Indeed, Medicinal Genomics Corp. (MGC), a leader company in blockchain genetics and technology to improve the performance and safety of cannabis sponsored by CannaMed, has announced to the media that today and tomorrow (September 23 and 24) Raphael Mechoulam will head the list of more than 50 speakers and presenters at CannMed 2019, which this year takes place at the Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, California.

This edition of CannaMed is sponsored by Medicinal Genomics in association with EPM. Raphael Mechoulam is the research director of EPM, a US-based company. UU. and leader in the study of stable cannabinoid acid molecules, topic of Raphael Mechoulam’s latest research . EPM aims to close the gap between pharmaceutical industries and cannabis industries by developing a platform for cannabis-based drug creators to access their technology of stable acid molecules in an effort to advance science and Support the development of new medical treatments.

During this edition of CannaMed, Raphael Mechoulam will talk about his Acid program, which he directs at EPM. The Mechoulam conference will include new data, never before presented in a scientific forum, and finally EPM will present its stable acid technology for the first time.

Since Professor Mechoulam discovered the human endocannabinoid system in the 1960s, and his subsequent work done for almost six decades identifying cannabis phytocannabinoids, this internationally renowned scientist has been recognized as the “father of cannabis research.” In addition to the opening speech and announcement of Mechoulam, this fourth annual CannMed 2019 conference will feature the participation of medical cannabis industry professionals, doctors and cannabis advocates from around the world who have joined in this event to share the latest advances in medical cannabis.

Raphael Mechoulam was born in Bulgaria in 1930 and he went to Israel with his family in 1949, where he studied chemistry. Mechoulam earned his doctorate in physics from the Weizmann Institute in 1958, with a thesis on steroid chemistry. After conducting postdoctoral studies at the Rockefeller Institute in New York (1959–60), he became a member of the Weizmann Institute (1960–65) scientific team, where he specialized in the isolation and total synthesis of the main active principles of cannabis Subsequently, Raphael Mechoulam began working at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry since 1975, where he established the “Department of Natural Products”. His main scientific interest is the chemistry and pharmacology of cannabinoids. In 1994 he was elected member of the Academy of Sciences and Humanities of Israel. The recognized as ‘father of marijuana’ first isolated THC, the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient, in the 1960s.

Did you know that CBD has health benefits for dogs, too? It is natural to become skeptical when CBD is promoted as this ‘magic’ medical product. You’d be wondering, and rightly so, where was CBD all this time if it were such a great life saving product? The truth tends to get buried away under the burgeoning weight of public scorn, and it wasn’t until a little girl’s plight was brought to the media’s attention that public perception shifted in favor of CBD, softening the stringent regulations placed on medical marijuana. CBD can be great for your dog!

CBD can be extracted from either hemp or cannabis, and it is normally used without containing copious amounts of THC, which also has similar health benefits but at the cost of creating a euphoric high in consumers. Oil is the most prominent form of CBD although it can be administered through oral and under the tongue methods.

Medical marijuana today has legal status in 30 states and more will soon follow as people begin to realize that a lot of their debilitating illnesses could be treated with CBD and the same goes for your dog!

The reason why CBD works for your dog’s health is simple— dogs, just like humans, have an endocannabinoid system that can be stimulated with CBD. Dogs have two receptors in their body:

• CB1 receptors: these are located in the brain, organs, and nervous system
• CB2 receptors: these are located in the cells of the immune system

CBD targets these endocannabinoid receptors and restores balance when things go haywire. This makes it relatively simple to treat illnesses that have tempered with either the immune system or the nervous system.

Many dogs suffer from anxiety and stress, particularly when they become used to their owners surrounding them every moment of their lives. If you go out and leave them at home, this triggers separation anxiety. They are easily set off by loud noises such as fireworks and faulty smoke alarms. It can be particularly stressful for dogs to be placed in a crowded area because they can’t tell the difference between friend and foe. Such situations put them into high gear and the stress kicks in.

Here are some signs of stress that you should look for when diagnosing the condition:

• Lots of shaking, panting, licking, and drooling
• Disrupted appetite
• Abnormal sleep patterns
• Aggressive behavior

Depending on how your dog responds to stress, the situation can quickly turn dangerous. This is where CBD for dogs can help because of its strong anti-anxiety effects. Keep in mind, however, that researchers still haven’t been able to find out the exact mechanism that taps into the endocannabinoid system to regulate stress levels. The key to restoring stress is to control serotonin levels— classified by many experts as a ‘happy’ chemical.

In addition, an overweight dog is a heart attack just waiting to happen. The extra weight puts tremendous strain on their joints. Overtime, your dog increases its chances of developing cancer. While you should always control the amount of food your dog eats, it is advisable to start using CBD.

There has been a lot of talk lately about using CBD as a way to improve your fitness lifestyle. Many advocate for it as a supplement compatible with healthy living, but not as a treatment for an illness. If you are looking for more information about this substance and the craze behind it, here is what you need to know.

What Exactly Is CBD?

If you are new to CBD products and don’t know what to think of them or how they can help, here’s a short presentation.

CBD is a cannabis byproduct that is increasingly used in medicine, recovery and wellness applications. It is slowly making its way into the mainstream supplements market, encouraged by positive stories about its use, especially in the fitness community. More and more fitness enthusiasts are looking for alternative medicine that can alleviate pain and speed up recovery, and cannabis products seem to offer all that and then some more.

CBD oils and other varied products still need thorough testing to understand the implications of long-term use. For now, consumers rely mostly on anecdotal evidence when looking for CBD products suited for their specific condition, although a growing body of scientific evidence is available to attest the health benefits of cannabinoid.

Benefits of CBD in Your Fitness Routine

Doctors have found that, when matched with a smart fitness routine, CBD oils can reduce inflammation in the body, alleviate anxiety and pain, and help users relax.

CBD is a compound of cannabis that reacts with your brain receptors, but without getting you high. CBD reacts with natural chemical compounds, called endocannabinoids, released in our bodies when we exercise, increasing their levels.

This process leads to a series of interesting reactions. CBD will increase your AEA levels, therefore helping you target and fight the inflammation in the tissue. As a result, your pain and stress levels will decrease more than if you were to rely on diet or over the counter medicine alone.

How to Take CBD to Boost Your Fitness Routine

CBD Oil is becoming the main ingredient in many products that you can include in your fitness routine. However, don’t pick anything that is readily available to you, but try to choose producers that use only pure CBD oil. Here are some examples of high-quality products with CBD that you can include in your fitness routine:

• CBD tincture – it is the most popular form of CBD. It’s easy to take and has a quick effect. Spray it under your tongue, so that it can quickly be absorbed in your bloodstream;
• CBD capsules – another practical way of taking CBD is in capsule form. They are easy to transport and store, and the dose is exact each time;
• CBD infused creams and gels – this type of CBD product is great for your fitness routine because you can apply it only to the affected areas;
• Vape oil – if you are not already vaping or if you think this would be a fun and relaxing way to take a CBD supplement, try vaping it. Not only that it comes in different flavors that contribute to a pleasant experience, but the kick you get from it is quite fast. Use it as a way to relax after an intense workout or as a sleep adjunct;
• Chocolate bars and other treats – these CBD products may not seem the best choice when you are trying to stay fit, but they can work quite well with limited use and small quantities.

The market for CBD products has grown exponentially as more and more consumers begin to understand the positive effects. However, it is good to start by adding a little bit of it to your routine and not overlap different CBD supplements. Test your endurance before going for an intense treatment if you want to get the best out of it.

Noah KotloveCONTRIBUTORCo-Founder of Veil   September 25, 2019 6 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Anyone who regularly smokes weed has encountered some version of the following scenario: An unexpected or unfamiliar guest shows up at your home, but, unfortunately, it smells like a freshman dorm room.

For me, this happened when a dog rescue agency announced they would be coming by to check out my apartment — which, of course, was the final step in adopting the pup of my dreams. I was instantly stricken with anxiety. Earlier that morning, I’d enjoyed half a joint with my coffee, so now I needed a quick and foolproof way to deodorize my place.

Some smooth talking ended up sparing me from the home visit (and getting me my beloved dog), but that brief panic really stuck with me. As a hard-working, young professional, and a recreational cannabis user, I was becoming hyper-aware of what the aroma of pot in my home might suggest to guests or neighbors about me.

While I, and other modern marijuana users, couldn’t be further from the Cheech-and-Chong, stoner stereotypes, the smell of weed can still conjure up some outdated stigmas. But, from my own struggle, came a solution.

RELATED: Why Synthetic CBD Is (Probably) The Future Of Cannabis Pharma

The Genesis Of The Idea

Back in college, many marijuana smokers had a slew of creative methods to hide the smell from overbearing RAs. From burning perfectly good bags of popcorn to exhaling through toilet paper rolls with dryer sheets stuffed into the end (the esteemed “sploof”), it seemed coeds would do anything to avoid punishment for enjoying a little cannabis.

These days, as someone armed with an entrepreneurial spirit and some money, I began to scour the Internet for a more elegant solution to my weed odor problem. I tried nearly every product on the market, but was discouraged to find that none fit the bill.

Some were too toxic to use at home. Some smelled as offensive as the strains they were trying to mask. Some, well, most, just simply didn’t work.

So, I decided to scratch my own itch.

In August 2018, I enlisted the help of my friend (and design extraordinaire), Spencer Joynt, who helped me co-found Veil: An odor elimination spray for cannabis.

At the time, Spencer and I were both self-employed. I was operating an app for people in Alcoholics Anonymous (ironically enough) that I had created in 2015, and Spencer was running his own graphic design agency. These unique circumstances allowed us to self-fund Veil. With an initial investment of $10,000, we were up-and-running.

Together, we spent months searching for chemists who could formulate a spray that would truly eliminate, not just mask, the smell of marijuana smoke. Tracking these people down proved to be quite challenging; after all, there’s no Yelp or LinkedIn for scent scientists seeking employment. We had to resort to old-fashioned tactics (read: endless hours of Googling).

To make matters exponentially more difficult, we were committed to making the spray as safe and low-impact as possible (it turns out that some of the most-effective odor eliminators are super harmful chemicals), so we needed to stay away from certain ingredients in Veil.

After scouring hundreds of Google results and contacting dozens of potential partners, we started to get discouraged — even when we did find potential fits, we were eventually rebuffed because of the association with mairjuana. Despite ever-expanding legalization and normalization, many still have trepidation about getting involved with marijuana professionally (no matter how tangentially).

After months of false starts, we finally found a small team that not only met our safety and non-toxicity standards, but also shared our enthusiasm for the marijuana odor problem. They concocted a unique cationic surfactant that neutralizes the odor released when burning cannabis terpenes (colloquially: smoking weed). It does this by complexing specific molecules and reducing their concentration. In layman’s terms: Veil alters the molecules so much that you can no longer smell them.

RELATED: These Weed Accessories Are Taking Over The Market

In Search Of The Perfect Scent

While this chemistry team was tinkering in the lab, Spencer and I were painstakingly crafting a fragrance profile to replace the neutralized smoke odor. We worked hard to build a brand that elevated the product above pothead cliches, and we needed a sophisticated scent to match. We tested hundreds of combinations of organic essential oils, eventually discovering a blend that hit all the right notes: sweet orange, cracked black pepper, and Virginia cedar. A little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, and perhaps most importantly, gender-neutral.

In July, 2019, almost a year after its inception, Veil finally hit the market; an accomplishment our entire team is proud of.

Beyond the usual startup challenges, there have been some unique hurdles to launching a brand in this space. For instance, we were shocked to learn that we were banned from advertising on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, despite how cannabis-adjacent Veil is. Even mundane tasks like opening a bank account or setting up payment processing were complicated, as old-school gatekeepers with outdated perceptions of marijuana made it difficult.

Yet, these extra difficulties have been far outweighed by the enthusiasm we’ve encountered from our customers and contemporaries. A rising tide lifts all boats, as other cannabis-related companies have been gracious in lending help where they can. Seemingly, every time we connect with other entrepreneurs in the space, they’re eager to introduce us to people in their network who can help. In fact, several of our first wholesale accounts were secured via these kinds of referrals.

We’ve had an outpouring of love from early customers on social media. One customer, a middle-aged medical cannabis user, let us know that Veil allowed her to comfortably medicate while on vacation with her family for the first time.

At the moment, we’re pushing hard to get Veil in front of as many marijuana users as possible — whether it be direct-to-consumer from our website, or through wholesale partners like dispensaries and lifestyle boutiques. While we’re focused on getting to profitability with our one product, we’re also eager to expand our offerings based on the feedback we’ve received. Additional scents and smaller, travel-sized bottles are just a few announcements to keep an eye out for in the near future.

We’re excited about what’s to come, giving cannabis users more products that don’t just pander to tired clichés; but actually work.