The conversation around cannabis is starting to change from focusing on “strains” to “effects.” Although people still talk about sativa, hybrids, and indica, many are now asking budtenders for help with energy, focus, relaxation, and sleep. People also have preferences for how they consume cannabis and are looking for effects-based solutions in form factors they’re comfortable with. That means cannabis is no longer a one-size-fits-most experience. The ability to create targeted effects by precisely combining highly functional cannabinoids unlocks the door to countless possibilities.
So what’s meant by “effects”? The compounds THC and CBD—also known as cannabinoids—interact with cell receptors in your brain, body, and central nervous system. Scientists have recognized that cannabis can be a versatile therapeutic substance because of how it acts via cannabinoid receptors and other pathways existing throughout the brain and body. In fact, two-and-a-half decades of research into these interactions and receptors led to uncovering the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) – named after the plant that pointed the way to its discovery.
Until now, THC and CBD have dominated the conversation, because they are the best known and most researched of all the cannabinoids, but they are truly just the tip the iceberg or—for a more fitting visual—the base of a pyramid. A wealth of other cannabinoids beyond THC and CBD occur in trace amounts in the cannabis plant. Researchers now know there are over 100 different cannabinoids, and each can provide different effects and benefits. Scientists have identified 65, and are only beginning to research and understand them.
These emergent cannabinoids are sometimes referred to as “minor,” “secondary,” “novel,” or even “rare”, because they only occur in small amounts. But as innovations in the extraction process make them more accessible, we are learning they may contain a myriad of potential wellness benefits.
In their “2021 Cannabis Industry Review,” the leading cannabis market intelligence company Brightfield Group highlighted three of the most prevalent minor cannabinoids: CBN, CBG, and Delta-8 THC, as well as THCv, Delta-10 THC, and CBC. Their findings report cannabis consumers expressing a willingness to try these emergent cannabinoids. The market is seeing a diversification of products, and the reasons to use them are also evolving.
Cannabis no longer needs to be a one-size-fits-most experience. The ability to mix and match these emerging cannabinoids creates countless possibilities for more tailored, effects-based cannabis experiences.
And no one is more excited about or primed for this than LEVEL.
From the beginning, LEVEL’s scientists have been focused on cannabinoids and their ratios, learning how to isolate and formulate with them and studying how they affect one another. They have also recognized the need for more standardized products, new form factors, and new ways of thinking about cannabinoids and the impact they can have on people, as well as on the future of human health.
Knowing it went way beyond the effects that basic compounds like sativa, indica, or CBD have on their own, the LEVEL lab began to test a thesis on effects-based cannabis by identifying targeted effects from emergent cannabinoid formulations that were not accessible from only the plant. The goal was to ensure experiences match expectations, and to standardize and replicate the quality and experience each time across multiple forms of delivery.
Focusing on this pioneering thesis about effects-based cannabis has shaped LEVEL’s philosophy, and it has become LEVEL’s mission. It also resulted in the release of the PROTAB+ line.
Want Energy?
• BOOST: Focus and energy (THC + THCv + CBG)
Want Sleep?
• LIGHTS OUT: Maximum relaxation and sleep (THC + CBN + CBG)
The science team at LEVEL continues to be at the forefront of innovation by learning more every day about the benefits of these powerful emergent cannabinoids, and we are looking forward to the innovations and discoveries to come.
LEVEL provides the effect. You create the experience.
