You’re not imagining it. Cannabis edibles really do feel different from smoking or vaping. Not only do they take substantially longer to kick in, but they tend to produce a more intense experience than flower does – you may have heard it described as a “body high.” They also last a long time, anywhere from 4-6 hours for most people, which means taking one can be kind of an all-day affair.

Now, don’t get us wrong. We love traditional edibles... they’re kind of our thing. They’re also discreet, portable, lung-friendly, and (when made correctly) delicious! But not everybody enjoys that heavy “body high” sensation. Or, even if they do, sometimes they don’t have the time to commit to it for a full six hours.

But what if we told you we've created a line of products that combine all the benefits of an edible with the convenience and effects of smoking a joint? They're called Wana Quick Fast-Acting Gummies. And to explain how they work, we have to answer a few key questions:

Why Do Edibles And Smoking Feel So Different?
The answer is very sciencey, but not as complicated as you might think. When you inhale cannabis, you’re pulling what’s known as Delta-9-THC into your lungs. From there it passes directly into your bloodstream. This happens very quickly, so you feel effects almost immediately. What’s more, the effects of Delta-9 THC tend to be relatively light and cerebral (some people call it a “head high”) and to last for only 2-4 hours.

When you ingest edibles, on the other hand, they have to travel through your digestive tract and liver before you can feel them working. This obviously takes time – usually between 45 and 90 minutes. But just as importantly, it means they undergo a process called first pass metabolism, which converts those Delta-9-THC molecules into something called 11-Hydroxy-THC. 11-Hydroxy is believed to be much better than Delta-9 at crossing the blood-brain barrier (the layer of blood vessels that keeps harmful substances from reaching your brain). This explains why the effects you feel from edibles can be so much stronger and more body-focused – in fact, 2-3x more potent – than a Delta-9 inhalation high.

So Then... How Is It Possible an Edible Could Feel Like Smoking?
It all comes down to a pretty simple concept. We like to call it “the oil and water problem.”

You may not know that cannabinoids like THC and CBD are actually lipids, otherwise known as fats. Your body is made of something like 70% water. Fats (like oil) and water don’t mix well. So when you ingest cannabinoids, your body has to work really hard to absorb and metabolize them.

In the case of Wana Quick Gummies, we’ve tackled this problem by harnessing an innovative new technology known as Azuca’sTiME (Thermodynamic individual Molecular Encapsulation). TiME encapsulates each tiny THC molecule in a water-soluble layer. Think of this layer as a kind of disguise that tricks your water-based body into absorbing the fatty THC molecules.

This watery disguise means the THC in Wana Quick Gummies can enter your bloodstream before it undergoes first pass metabolism in your liver. This means it hits much faster than in traditional edibles – typically between 5 and 15 minutes. But it also means that the Delta-9-THC is never converted into those more intense, body-focused 11-Hydroxy molecules.

The result? A fast-acting edible that actually feels like smoking!

But What If I Like Traditional Edibles?
It’s pretty clear why Wana Quick Gummies are a great option for people who don’t like regular edibles: they provide the desired inhalation-like effects without harming your lungs or drawing unwanted attention with smoke and smells. But if you, like us, are a big fan of the traditional edibles experience, what can Wana Quick do for you?

Well, here’s a start:

Their less intense, more cerebral effects make them ideal for socializing. (Some people prefer to experience traditional edibles in a subdued or solo setting.)
Their 2-4 hour duration means you can enjoy them without feeling impaired for the rest of the day. It’s especially great for events with a limited time frame, like a party, movie, or concert.
Their 5-15 minute onset means minimal waiting to feel effects! This is, again, great for social situations, but it can also be useful if you’re using them to help you sleep or relieve some kind of physical discomfort. 
It’s even possible to pair a Wana Quick Gummie with a Classic one for an experience that starts fast and lasts a long time. To be clear, though, we do not recommend this for new or low-tolerance consumers.
Bottom line: traditional edibles remain a classic for a reason, but Wana Quick Gummies can be an ideal option for fast fun with friends – so much so that we’ve started lovingly referring to them as “Happy Hour Edibles.” We’ve even given them tasty cocktail-inspired flavors like Peach Bellini, Pina Colada, Limoncello, and more.

And as with all our products, Wana Quick Gummies allow consumers to customize their experience, because they’re available in three terpene-enhanced, class-specific blends including inspiring sativa, relaxing indica, and balanced hybrid (as well as a 1:1 CBD/THC ratio). They also come in both 5 and 10mg doses (availability varies by state).

So grab a bottle and give them a try! It will only take 5-15 minutes before you’re experiencing them for yourself.

A version of this blog post was first published on cannabisnow.com.

Finally! An Edible for People Who Don’t Like Edibles

You’ve heard of THC, the active ingredient in many cannabis products. You’ve heard of CBD, its non-intoxicating cousin. You may think they fall on opposite ends of the cannabis spectrum. But when the world’s two most popular cannabinoids join forces, they make each other even better.

Let’s talk about how.

How Cannabinoids Affect Your Body
THC and CBD affect you because of your body’s endocannabinoid system, or ECS – a complex network of transmitters and receptors that helps to regulate functions like sleep, stress management, appetite, and more.

Molecules called cannabinoids, typically either produced by your body (endocannabinoids) or derived from the cannabis plant (phytocannabinoids), interact with various receptors to send “signals” to your brain... signals like these:

“Hey, we’re not in danger right now, you don’t need to feel so stressed out.”
“Gosh, it’s getting pretty late, maybe you should go to bed."
“Hmm... don’t you think it’s time for a snack?”
Team Work / Dream Work
Understanding the ECS matters because different cannabinoids interact with different receptors in different ways.

Say you’re feeling a little stiff and achey after your workout. THC might stimulate a part of your ECS called the CB1 receptor, helping to relax your muscles. Meanwhile, CBD interacts with another group of receptors (known as CB2), which are believed to regulate inflammation. So you’re attacking two sides of the problem at once.

CBD can also modulate the effects of THC by binding to different parts of the CB1 receptor. This changes the signal the ECS system sends, in much the same way that pressing a guitar fret changes the sound you get when plucking a string. This can be especially helpful if you become easily overwhelmed or anxious when using THC alone.

This synergistic phenomenon is known as the entourage effect. And it’s not just CBD and THC that work together. Other cannabinoids, flavonoids, and even terpenes (the chemical compounds that give most plants their distinct taste, smell, and effects) can also be part of the team.

Long Story Short:

A little bit of THC – it doesn't even have to be enough to get you high – can boost the effects of your CBD.
A touch of soothing CBD can help to smooth out the intoxicating effects of THC.
What Ratio is Right for You?
This is really a personal choice that may require a certain amount of experimentation. As a rule of thumb, products with a higher THC content will have a more intense psychoactive effect (i.e. they’ll get you more high). A product with a lot more CBD than THC, on the other hand, tends to produce therapeutic benefits with less intoxication (though this can depend on factors like metabolism, height and weight, age, and experience with cannabis). So your THC tolerance and reasons for consuming should both factor into your choice.

Luckily, Wana Gummies come in 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, 10:1 and even 20:1 ratios,* so you can write your own perfect love story with our favorite cannabinoid couple!

An earlier version of this blog was first posted on wanabrands.com

The Perfect Ratio of CBD and THC

If you’ve spent much time in dispensaries – or with a particularly bud-savvy friend – you may have encountered a term that’s recently been generating a lot of buzz in the cannabis industry: terpenes.

What are terpenes? Simply put, they’re the chemical compounds that give all plants – not just cannabis – their distinct taste, smell, and effects. They’re responsible for scents like pine and lavender (and are even used to make essential oils), as well as the bitter taste of the hops in your favorite IPA. And when it comes to cannabis, terpenes are a big part of the reason some strains make you feel sleepy or subdued, while others might set your mind racing with inspiration.

In other words, terpenes play a really important role in determining the kind of effects your chosen cannabis product is going to produce. Yet they’re still not as well understood as they could be. So let’s take a look at some of the most commonly accepted beliefs about terpenes... and see if we can separate the misconceptions from the truth.

Belief #1: Terpenes Don’t Really Work in Edibles
Some people don’t believe terpenes have any effect at all when ingested rather than inhaled. We won’t exactly call this belief a myth, because the science (at least as it relates to cannabis) isn’t totally conclusive. And it’s certainly true that, when you isolate THC from the rest of the cannabis plant to create the distillate found in most edibles, you do leave behind terpenes and other beneficial compounds.

What many people don’t realize, however, is that it’s possible to reintroduce these terpenes at a later stage of the cooking process, as long as temperatures remain below the terps’ boiling point. And there are a number of studies (involving plants other than cannabis) which have detected terpenes in the subjects’ blood following ingestion – including this one and this one. At Wana, we’ve found this evidence compelling enough to invest a ton of time and research in reintroducing terpenes to our edibles’ formula.

Here’s how Wana has approached the terpenes-in-edibles conundrum: we’ve partnered with Abstrax, an industry leader in terpene research, to analyze the terpene profiles of leading cannabis strains. We’ve used that information to create three class-specific terpene blends – a relaxing one based on the terp profiles of popular indica strains, a more motivating one based on top sativas, and a balanced one based on hybrid strains. These curated blends allow you to choose which Wana products you want based on the experience you’re hoping to have... and if our customers’ feedback is any indication, they’ve been well worth the effort.

Belief #2: Cannabis-Derived Terpenes Are Better than Botanically Derived
Some folks believe that the terpenes used in edibles should only come from one place: cannabis. But this simply doesn’t make sense. On a molecular level, terpenes are the same no matter where they come from – for example, the compound linalool produces the same effects whether you extract it from a lavender plant or a field of Kush. The origin of the terpenes won’t make a difference as far as how the edibles make you feel.

And actually, there’s a pretty big disadvantage that comes with using terpenes derived only from cannabis. For one thing, they’re harder to come by, which can cause supply issues. For another, cannabis strains evolve slightly from harvest to harvest – meaning that the terpene profile of even one specific strain might change over time. So to use only the terpenes extracted from that strain might produce different effects with each new batch of edibles.

At Wana, we want to offer our customers consistent results every time. While our terpene blends do mirror the combinations found in cannabis strains, we derive the terps themselves from botanical sources like fruit. Unlike a cannabis crop, botanical sources provide us with an unlimited supply of the terpenes we need. They also allow us to recreate the same precise combinations – and, by extension, their effects – over and over again.

Belief #3: Some Terpenes Are More Important than Others
Many companies feel it’s sufficient to work with only five or six of the most commonly occurring terpenes. At Wana, on the other hand, we believe nature is a subtle and miraculous thing – and there are no unimportant pieces of the puzzle. That’s why we infuse our products with more than 30 unique terpenes, bringing us as close as possible to the nuanced effects of the cannabis plant itself.

Wana know exactly which terpenes are in each blend? Check out Part 2 of this blog post for more terpene truths.

In Conclusion...

Now that you’ve got the basics, we’ll leave it to you to try our products and draw your own conclusions. But suffice it to say: we at Wana are true terpene believers!

A version of this blog post was first published on cannabisnow.com.


The Truth About Terpenes (And How They Enhance Your High)

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Finally! An Edible for People Who Don’t Like Edibles

The Perfect Ratio of CBD and THC

The Truth About Terpenes (And How They Enhance Your High)