Edibles have been growing wildly in popularity, going from an every-now-and-then item, to a primary way of getting high. Whether using them medically or recreationally, there’s something pretty awesome about eating your way to feeling better. And now with new methods, even better edibles can be made. Take CannaPowder and its patented technology for edibles and other products.
CannaPowder is on the forefront of edibles technology producing nanometric powder that can be used for all kinds of products. These powders are definitely growing in popularity for both the recreational and medical markets. Check out The THC Weekly Newsletter to keep on track with this, and tons of other stories in the cannabis industry, and for special access to deals on flowers, vapes, edibles, and many other products! We also have great offers for cannabinoid compounds like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which you can find in our “Best-of” lists!
What are cannabis edibles?
Cannabis edibles, much like the name implies, are cannabis products that you eat. While this might be well understood, how they work is a little more complicated. Edibles are known to cause slightly different effects from smoked or vaped cannabis, and this happens for a couple reasons, and leads to a couple main differences.
First off, when cannabis is inhaled, it goes straight to the lungs where it gets picked up by the alveoli, and then transferred to the bloodstream. This happens within seconds of time, giving what seems like a near-instantaneous high. The majority of cannabinoids therefore never make it to the digestive tract, and the result is a high that only lasts for a couple hours.
When cannabis is eaten, it goes down to the stomach, through the digestive tract, and to the liver, where the THC binds with a glurononide compound to form 11-hydroxy-THC, a slightly altered metabolite of standard delta-9 THC. This form of THC is more water soluble, making it easier to pass the blood brain barrier. When eating edibles, the trip through the digestive tract takes time, and effects generally aren’t felt for 1-3 hours. Subsequent to that, however, the high can go on for 4-6 hours, or even longer. Edibles are known to cause more of a body high than a head high, although they can certainly do both.
Since the effects last longer, edibles are better for circumstances where a longer lasting substance is desirable. They also come with the caveat that they must be taken carefully. Since effects can take time to kick in, it’s very easy to consume too much, and then realize too late. This can lead to overconsumption of THC and a general feeling of being sick, which can last as long as the general effects. For this reason, users are instructed to go slow with edibles, giving them a couple hours before increasing doses.
What foods can be used for edibles?
For decades, the pot brownie was the prototypical way of doing cannabis edibles, though cookies and cakes were also popular. Since THC is fat soluble, and not water soluble, it was always important to use foods (like brownies) that involve a fat, as a way to leach out the THC into this fat substance. And so, until newer technology came out, the only real edibles game was to have them involved in something very fat-heavy.
With the advent of nanotechnology, and emulsions, this is no longer the case. Emulsions involve the ability to force two different kinds of liquids together, namely water-based and oil-based. Think of what usually happens when you try to mix oil and water, they repel each other, forming their own independent droplets. With emulsions, a consistent new mixture can be formed with these forced together particles, and this can happen on a big scale, or a small scale.
Emulsions done on bigger particles, are called macroemulsions or microemulsions. When they’re done on particles the size of 20-200 nm, they’re called nanoemulsion. Mico and macroemulsions are widely used in food products, and in the chemical industry for products like pesticides. Nanoemulsions are a newer invention, and can be seen more and more in pharmaceuticals, the cosmetics industry, and in biotech.
When it comes to applications of nanotechnology for cannabis edibles, this is the technology that allows non-fat foods to be infused with fat-based cannabinoids like CBD and THC. Instead of relying on brownies and cakes, cannabis edibles can now be made with nearly any food. This includes things like sodas, potato chips, chewing gum, and the current favorite – gummies!
So, what is CannaPowder, and how does it effect edibles?
CannaPowder is a company based out of Los Angeles, California, which doesn’t make edibles, but which created a technology to make cannabis powders, which it uses to “produce nanometric cannabis powders to meet the specific requirements of individual producers”. While these cannabis powders are growing in popularity, CannaPowder is certainly at the forefront, with some interesting technology behind its operation.
The company produces what it calls ‘nanometric powders’ using proprietary technology, which allows oil to be absorbed into these solid particles. According to the company, their formulation is comprised of: “a cannabinoid oil and other materials which are dispersed in water controlled by several repeatable parameters. The oil concentration can be increased or decreased in the process and can include permeation enhancers for increasing bioavailability. In addition, it can be formulated in various pharmaceutical delivery systems such as capsules, tablets, creams, and aqueous dispersions.”
As you can see, CannaPowder isn’t just about edibles, it’s about helping improve all kinds of delivery systems, by making a better, more absorbable product. How exactly is this done? Well, super exact information is private to the company, but it does explain that: “CannaPowder utilizes an ultra-high pressure nano-emulsifier, a unique composition of emulsifying agents, and a proprietary evaporation technique. Once vaporized, stable spheres of nano-drop particles are formed and then the liquids are evaporated to form micronized powders with particles ranging in size from 100-150 nanometers.”
The company stipulates that this “transformation is a physical and not a chemical process”, meaning, “the unique properties of the cannabis oil are preserved, while the bioavailability is enhanced.” The company claims that these powders provide more absorption, faster starting times, and longer effects, with less required to reach said effects.
My experience with CannaPowder edibles
As mentioned, CannaPowder doesn’t create edibles, but rather the powders used in them. However, CannaPowder did provide me with sample edibles to test the effects of this powder technology. I was given several one-serving packets containing crackers, cookies, a tea bag, and seasonings for food (one a chili pepper powder, one a garlic powder). So far I have tested the crackers and cookies.
The first thing I’ll say is that the food tasted decent. Not amazing, but decent, and without an overly weedy flavor. It tasted like food meant to be in packaging for a long period, so the idea of freshness was never a part of it. However, unlike some edibles, there wasn’t a strong cannabis flavor.
Both the cookies and crackers came in packets with five pieces, each piece containing two milligrams of THC for a total of 10mg per package. I admit I was not told anything further like the strains used, or if I should expect indica or sativa effects. I took this into account when trying the products.
I started with just two crackers (as I did crackers the first day). I could actually feel the effects of the four milligrams pretty well, though obviously more intensely when I added in another cracker. It took me several hours by the time I got to all five, as I wanted to make sure I wasn’t consuming too much of something too strong.
As it turned out, though I could feel effects at smaller amounts, I was still perfectly fine to take the full 10mg. 10mg is technically a standard dose. I had not eaten before taking the edibles in either case, so it’s not shocking that I felt effects in less than an hour, although I did get the feeling that they started in as little as a half hour, maybe a few minutes less. This could be the result of my empty stomach.
In terms of intensity, I can’t say that I saw a real difference between these edibles, and standard dispensary edibles, although I can say I did feel something at a smaller dose. Even so, I didn’t get overly high taking the full serving. I also can’t say the high lasted longer than usual, but it certainly didn’t cut out early either, and very well might have gone on longer than a standard edible, but not by huge amounts. I’ll pay more attention in future testing.
It is quite possible that the idea of smaller doses could be more relevant to other products like vape fluid, or capsules. Regardless, the edibles I did eat provided a nice high, without anxiety or couch locking, while keeping me relatively clear-headed. I expect this technology can go much further with medical applications, or simply as a way to streamline the edibles-making process, for producers who want a consistent product, and a quicker and easier way to do it.
Conclusion
Cannabis powders are certainly growing in popularity, and CannaPowder and the edibles I sampled are a good indication that this technology can produce some pretty decent cannabis products. It will be interesting to see where this technology goes in the future, and all the cool stuff that comes out of it.
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Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.
