If there was one immutable truth about the cannabis industry, it would be this: innovation is a part of the game. Despite its earliest days in the shadows, this industry has evolved into one of the fastest-growing in the world. Every day, the marketplace gets more and more competitive and it behooves companies to find ways to make themselves distinct and stand out from the crowd.
One of the ways to accomplish this is to develop strains of marijuana that have new / better / more interesting properties that appeal to the consumer. Synthetic strains are one type of this kind of innovation, such as THC-O Acetate. While the latter isn’t technically new, it has been innovated by the Honest Marijuana Company to address a couple of serious issues that many consumers have: anxiety and insomnia.
A Few Steps Back: What is THC-O Acetate?
Like THC and CBD, THC-O is a cannabinoid, but it is a much stronger variant of the traditional models. The high that consumers can obtain, which can be up to three times more potent than standard THC, has been reported as being relaxing, calming, and effective in managing anxiety. Consumers who suffer from insomnia, which tends to go hand in hand with anxiety, have reported that THC-O helps them to a restful sleep. So on the level of what THC-O Acetate can do for the average person with anxiety and insomnia, the innovation is valuable.
As a synthetic, THC-O Acetate isn’t a chemical compound that grows naturally. It requires a decent level of intervention at the chemical level to create. As stated earlier, it’s not a new compound either but creating it in a lab in the past has always required several other fairly dangerous chemicals. The latest iterations however are being developed with safe chemicals, though the processes are similar. An interesting side effect of this method of chemical creation is that all other compounds are removed from the final product. Elements such as flavonoids, for example. But there’s innovation plus in that too: THC-O Acetate is easy to add to an edible, creating a wider variety of options for the consumer.
What must be understood to see why the latest innovations are so interesting is that THC-O Acetate is a prodrug—a delivery system—of THC. This means that the drug needs enzymes produced in the human body to metabolize the compound and convert it to produce psychoactive effects. With a standard edible, it can take up to half an hour for the body to do this, which is a long wait if what the consumer is seeking is relief from issues like anxiety. Result? The delivery method for THC-O Acetate is where the latest innovations come about.
Innovations in delivery methods for THC-O Acetate
THC-O Acetate breaks down like other fat-soluble molecules in the human body and the result is that less of it gets into the bloodstream, where it has the maximum impact. It would need to be water-soluble to have a direct effect. There is an alternative, however, and that is to combine THC-O Acetate with the latest delivery technology: Nanobidiol™ Technology (patented by Honest Marijuana Company).
Nanobidiol™ reduces THC-O oil to a nano-sized particle. It is so minuscule that it can easily be combined into lotions, patches, edibles, and so on. So while standard nanotechnology isn’t new either, making things smaller isn’t the only issue. There is also the fact that THC isn’t water-soluble. Since humans are made up of 80% water, the body will naturally reject substances that don’t mix well with water, like oil. Nanoencapsulation allows the body to accept the active ingredients, creating the cleanest and most efficient way to consume cannabis. It’s a little like sneaking the drug in without a body noticing until the THC is metabolized and released.
An example of an edible that has been produced this way is as a mint. These fast-absorbing pills are easy to connect to the bloodstream via the mouth, and in particular under the tongue. The transference of the active ingredients is therefore much faster than with a standard edible and it tastes good, in the bargain!
THC-O Acetate is an excellent way to provide relief for anxiety, insomnia, and stress. All the while avoiding the more invasive methods of consuming cannabis, such as smoking, but with all the same effectiveness and speed of delivery. As a synthetic, it may not be high on the list of things to try for cannabis purists, but for effective delivery with excellent effects and clean consumption, it’s an innovation that should not be ignored.
