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The Endocannabinoid System

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The Endocannabinoid System

An appropriately titled 2013 survey, “Ignorance Is Not Bliss,” revealed that only 13 percent of U.S. medical schools teach the endocannabinoid system to future doctors. With more and more patients are turning to it for relief, there’s certainly a need to be familiar with the endocannabinoid system.

The human endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a naturally-occurring network of receptors that is spread throughout the entire body. This system controls some of our most vital life functions, including our immune system, memory, appetite, sleep pattern, mood, and pain sensation.

The three main components of the endocannabinoid system are as follows:

  • Cannabinoid Receptors – found on the surface of cells
  • Endocannabinoids – small molecules that activate cannabinoid receptors
  • Metabolic Enzymes – break down endocannabinoids after they are used

There are currently two known major cannabinoid receptors; CB1 and CB2. Though they’re certainly not the only cannabinoid receptors, they were the first discovered and therefore remain the most-studied.

Unlike THC, endocannabinoids are naturally produced by cells within the human body. Like the plant cannabinoid THC, they are molecules that bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors.

The final piece of the endocannabinoid puzzle is comprised of the metabolic enzymes that quickly destroy endocannabinoids as soon as they are used. The enzymes responsible for this rapid breakdown are FAAH and MAGL. Their work ensures that endocannabinoids are used efficiently. This differentiates endocannabinoids from other molecular signals (such as hormones or classical neurotransmitters) which can persist for several seconds or minutes, or be stored for later use.

Of course, this is only a high-level overview of the human endocannabinoid system. Unfortunately, cannabis research is extremely limited – due to its federally illegal status – which prohibits government institutions (like the FDA) from conducting clinical studies. However, cannabis research is growing like a weed (pun intended) and each year, studies reveal even more about this intricate network within our bodies.

New Trending Topics in Cannabis: Summer 2017

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Cannabis culture is always in flux. With a community that spans nearly every possible consumer demographic, it can be hard to nail down trends, but a glut of new products on the west coast has shed some light on the cannabis industry’s not-so-distant future.  

Read on for our favorite new trends – ones we believe will continue growing well into next year. 

Microdosing

We have talked before about the trend of super tiny doses that is picking up steam all across America. The euphoric high of THC doesn’t appeal to everyone, after all, so it’s only natural that low-dosage mints, candies, baked goods and beverages are beginning to fly off the shelves in every market. 

No matter who your brand appeals to, it’s possible for you to embrace the microdosing trend in some way. Offering a more diverse product line will only strengthen your longevity as a cannabis company, as you’ll be accessible to a new demographic. 

Customization

Modern cannabis consumers don’t want to be sold to. They want to create their own routine with useful cannabis infused products. That being said, a high dosage of THC won’t always be enough to woo patients and recreational users, who are continuing to learn more about minor cannabinoids. Custom ratios of cannabinoids, for example, a 1:1 THC:CBD strain or tincture, are appealing more and more to discerning buyers with healthy and active lifestyles.

If your company isn’t all over the latest cannabinoid science, and coming up with ways to utilize this new knowledge, you’re going to miss out. 

Discretion

As the rest of the world is finally beginning to recognize slick vape pens and edibles for what they are, the most discreet cannabis consumers are looking to go incognito. However, they also want their products to work just as well as if they had smoked a big joint.

Some of the most popular up-and-coming medical marijuana product types are water bottles, mints and transdermal patches worn under the clothes. These are branded to look like everyday objects we use all the time, making them ideal for travel or workplace use.

Set your product up for success in the evolving marketplace – contact our team to schedule a cannabis industry marketing consultation. 

How to Elevate the Cannabis Buying Experience

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When we talk about an “elevated experience” in the cannabis industry, we’re not just talking about getting high. It’s a phrase that embodies the community’s mission to eliminate negative stereotypes through responsible consumption and education.

Think of it as brand strategy with the consumer in mind; you always want patients to feel comfortable, confident and informed when they’re considering buying your product to take home. Start giving back today with these tips.

Provide Facts

A full ingredient list and laboratory test are just the bare minimum of what should be included on your product’s packaging and your website, too. This would be a good start, but the truth is that patients typically want to know a lot more than simply what’s inside.

They want to know, as much as possible, what the onset time will be and how they will feel after using the product. Should it be used morning, night or all day long? How long should they wait before re-dosing? Think of an answer to every possible question a new cannabis consumer might have, and make it an integral part of your branding. 

Care About Details

High-end aesthetics and practicality are extremely important. This is true with both product and packaging design! Cannabis consumers really do care about the little things. They want to feel confident when they leave a dispensary that the product in their bag will work as advertised and provide a pleasant experience. If the consumer can’t gain that confidence simply by picking up the package, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board. 

Some specific small details that matter to connoisseurs and newer consumers alike:

  • Beautiful packaging which provides a clear product description, and a sense of the intended mood or effect. 
  • Clearly marked dosage meters or perforations on edible and drinkable products. 
  • Air-tight sealed packaging for cannabis flower, with appropriate humidity control. 
  • Proper labeling and lids on topical containers so they can be handled.
  • Current lab test labels on the outside of every package.

Promote Responsibility

Always do your best to inform the consumer – directly on the package – of everything they’ll need to know. After all, you or your sales reps will not be in the store with them when they are checking out your product. Don’t rely on dispensary staff to educate patients about safe and effective ways to use your particular product. The burden is on manufacturers to make that information part of their packaging, labeling and overall branding process. 

Elevate your brand to the next level with consulting, integrated campaigns and real, proven results with Social Media Unicorn, based in the thriving legal cannabis market of Las Vegas. 

An Introduction to Common Cannabis Advertising Regulations

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One cannot enter this space without being bombarded with information about laws, policies and cannabis advertising regulations. It’s undoubtedly the world’s most strictly regulated industry as it emerges from nearly a century of social and political banishment.

That being said, advertising and marketing cannabis stores and products is still an issue. Sometimes because advertising outlets still take a stigmatizing approach to working with cannabis businesses. Take Facebook, for example, which considers cannabis ads as promoting drug use and blocks paid campaigns on the platform. Other times, it’s due to local laws and limitations. Fortunately, it’s easy to adapt to new regulations as they’re released by state and municipality.

Advertising and marketing regulations will vary in each market. But, you can expect some variations of the following basic types of policies to apply in every legal state: 

Dispensaries

Most states or cities that allow medical or adult use cannabis dispensaries will set rules on how the outside of the shop can look. Regulations will dictate the zone of town your store can be in, and the signage on the outside. Dispensaries are also limited in where they can advertise their services – making it easy for the big dispensary listing websites to charge a pretty penny. 

Product

As the industry becomes more mainstream, it’s commonplace for regulators to control the inner and outer appearance of the cannabis infused products on your dispensary’s shelves. Legal cannabis markets do not allow edibles that look like any commercially marketed candy or food, to avoid confusion and copyright infringement that seems to run rampant in the space. There are other labeling requirements in place, and the dosage of edibles is almost always controlled. Companies will adapt to rules like these, or fade into irrelevancy. 

Airwaves

For now, cannabis advertising regulations affect the radio and TV due to federal regulations, though local networks have been known to run tasteful ads in several legal states. If you want to get your spot on the air, you have to do it with subtlety and professionalism. Don’t use degrading or stereotypical, cliche’d language in your ad – you’ll only ruin it for the rest of us who want to be taken seriously.

Want to work with serious pros who are up to speed on all the latest in digital marketing tactics and cannabis advertising regulations? Hire your own Social Media Unicorn today.

Marijuana Legalization Affects Real Estate: Here’s How

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Industry publications cannot stop talking about marijuana legalization and its impact on the real estate market. And when we say that we don’t just mean marijuana news outlets.

The mainstream business and investing communities have really taken notice of legalization, and the conversation is building as new policies form nationwide. Experts and investors now believe they can project what will happen to the real estate market once a state passes a medical or adult-use legalization measure. 

Here’s what we know so far about what happens to real estate values in emerging legal cannabis markets. 

Heavy Competition

If you know about the licensing process for cannabis companies, then you probably know there are a ton of zoning regulations involved. These can vary by state and even by city, but they usually limit dispensaries and manufacturers to extremely limited areas of town. The jist of the rules is that policymakers don’t want cannabis to be cultivated, processed or sold near schools and parks, residential zones and other sensitive areas. 

That being said, finding an appropriate operations site can be stiff competition for license applicants. This allows property owners in industrial and other ideal zones to ask a premium price or rent for their cannabis-friendly real estate, which in turn bumps up prices close by.

Exodus

Something else to consider about new legal cannabis markets is that many people from out-of-state will soon be clamoring to move there. Be they “medical refugees” who can’t access cannabis in their home state, budding entrepreneurs and job seekers following the opportunity, or enthusiasts who would simply rather enjoy their hobby in peace, they’re all looking to find a place to live. 

More demand for real estate always drives prices up. The cannabis movement just happens to be one of the strongest uniting movements driving visibly huge demand for real estate.

Increasing the value of real estate is only one of hundreds of ways that cannabis legalization stimulates our economy. Regulated cannabis markets create jobs and livelihoods for thousands of people, provide affordable and effective medicine to our most vulnerable and provide a healthier way for people of legal age to recreate and enjoy their lives.

Ready to position yourself as a serious player in this industry? Call our genius team of marketers at Social Media Unicorn today. 

Cannabis In Canada: Becoming A Global Leader

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The legalization of cannabis, either as a medicine or for recreational consumption, isn’t just a hot topic in the US. Other countries are facing the same demands from their populations: to legitimize and decriminalize cannabis. What has been interesting is the different approaches countries have taken in tackling this issue. Here in the US, the marijuana movement has been predominantly at a State level, but is there a better way to do this? Let’s take a glance at what our friendly northern neighbors are up to with cannabis in Canada.

The Federal Approach

The biggest difference in how Canada is handling cannabis is that they chosen to start at the top and then work downwards. Canada tackled the issue of cannabis as a country first, working towards providing structure and guidance to each province to round out their marijuana programs to best fit their own populace and economic needs. While the first attempt at regulating marijuana came into being in 2001, there have been many changes since then in regards to fine tuning the program to keep making it better. The latest news is that Canada is on track to make cannabis legal across Canada for adult use by July of 2018, putting it on track to be the second country in the world opting for complete legalization.

Federal Licensing

Because legalization is working from the top down, federal agencies are involved from the very beginning. Health Canada (sort of like the US’s FDA) issues the licenses for growers and distributors. This doesn’t mean that they won’t need business licenses in their home provinces, but the fact that the rules are the same across the country puts every ganjapreneur on relatively even footing. Their agricultural department is involved, supporting and helping the government to put together beneficial guidelines to help improve the industry. Local law enforcement is receiving guidance from national agencies, uniting local agents and providing valuable input on  how to regulate such a system.

Business Benefits

One of the biggest problems here in the US is that while some states are embracing cannabis, the country has not, despite a recent Gallup poll suggesting 60% of Americans support legalization. This means that because marijuana is still federally illegal, cannabis businesses are extremely limited. Federal banks cannot deal with them, large ad agencies don’t want to touch them, and most landowners won’t work with them. Marijuana as an industry has grown exponentially despite these serious limitations. What we are seeing in Canada is that because it is supported on a national level, these cannabis companies are able to play on the same business fields as other industries. They can work with national banks for loans and services and are also able to be publicly traded. Their potential for growth is much less inhibited than their US counterparts.

While the legalization of cannabis is not a new issue, it has been interesting to see how each country around the world has gone about tackling it. Countries such as Uruguay, where cannabis is legal, and soon-to-be legal Canada will be leaders in this global trend. Whether they intended to be or not, countries like Canada will be looked upon as an example of cannabis legalization.

Tell us what you think about cannabis legalization both here in America and around the world.

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The Best Cannabis Documentaries On Netflix Right Now

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In the past, documentaries were those things you may see broadcasted on PBS or in an obscure ‘artsy’ local theater. Even then, a cannabis documentary likely wouldn’t have made it very far. With the advent of platforms like Netflix, we now have access to media that we traditionally would not be exposed to. Netflix has done an excellent job of offering a selection of powerful documentaries on a variety of topics, but in our case we are going to explore some of the documentaries that hit on a fiery topic – cannabis.

The Culture High

This cannabis documentary is a sequel to the award winning “The Union: The Business Behind Getting High” which was released back in 2007. This newer documentary, released in 2014, has an updated take on the war on marijuana in the USA and what is has cost us. Following the war on marijuana begins on the frontline with the DEA, other enforcement agencies, and the prison system under scrutiny. Following up the chain of government, the true cost of marijuana prohibition and what is has cost us, both fiscally and socially, are examined. Several marijuana activists, including Snoop Dogg and Berner, speak candidly along with many prominent scientists, enforcement officers, and policy makers. A well done film, you will appreciate this take on the current culture of cannabis in our country. Watch the trailer here.

Super High Me

Our favorite comedian stoner, Doug Benson, takes us on a before and after adventure into the lifestyle of a frequent marijuana user akin to the documentary Super Size Me. Basically, Benson spends one month completely free of cannabis in preparation for his time as a frequent user. His next 30 days is spent consuming large amounts of cannabis and we are taken on a journey with him to various doctors appointments and tests to determine the effects that cannabis has on his body. As hilarious as this canabis documentary is, it addresses many stigmas about the effects of cannabis consumption on not only the human body but the human lifestyle. Watch the trailer here.

Inside: Medical Marijuana

This documentary, released in 2011 by the folks at National Geographic, focuses on medical marijuana as a business and how this industry is finding legitimacy not only in the USA, but in other countries as well. With a focus on the medicinal benefits along with an examination of the economics of this industry, this cannabis documentary tackles how this industry has begun to take shape and gain ground amidst a number of political and cultural obstacles. Follow ganjapreneurs on their quest for an economically viable business while navigating the waters of legality, ethics, and social stigmas. No trailer for your viewing pleasure, but there are some tidbits located here.

While Netflix has a host of fictional cannabis stories to tell, it’s important that these documentaries also make it into your binge rotation. Productions like these help spread news and education to those seeking to understand the current climate of cannabis not only in America, but in the rest of the world as well. Check these titles out and be sure to write a review!

Want to get into the cannabis business but aren’t sure how? for all your cannabis business needs, we’re here to help!