Marijuana Business Magazine October 2018

the CBD in those products has been vetted and is safe for consumption. On the CBD-only side, there are no such regulations that I am aware of.That means the CBD in those products can be sourced from China or other markets with less rigorous standards. Testing has already shown that heavy metals and other contaminants are often present in imported CBD. Ironically, there is a real risk that people are taking a product for their health that may contain substances that are dangerous for their health. “So, for me, the action to take is more about educating regulators on the risks of allowing an unregulated CBD market and less about protecting THC companies.The studies that are available indicate there is a beneficial synergistic effect when there is some THC in the product, which can be at levels low enough to avoid psychoactiv- ity. So, I think the long-term issue is the efficacy and safety of the product. Let’s have both sides make the best and safest products they can, and may the best solution win.” – Nancy Whiteman, co-founder and co-owner, Wana Brands, Boulder, Colorado 4 Lower operating costs by using a membrane-based extraction system. “With the federal (marijuana) ban still loosely in place, the market is hot for pesticide-tested CBD. Isolate is worth more than THC extracts in many areas. Because CBD is relatively cheap to process, with hemp costing about $50 a pound, the profit margins are enormous. However, once CBD is legalized, we can expect a crash in the hemp-CBD market just like THC products experienced. “In expectation of a race to the bot- tom on CBD, Toucan Farms’ facility in Oregon will employ a new membrane- based extraction technology that can process hemp and cannabis for a tenth the cost of hydrocarbon or CO2 extrac- tion methods. Our process moves large volumes of plant material at scale at low cost and skips many of the costly steps to purification. Being on a 3,000-acre farm, we can grow what we need effi- ciently and process material with mini- mal transportation costs. – Steve Fuhr, owner, Toucan Farms, Shelton, Washington 5 Carry high-quality THC and CBD products. “Since all products with THC are only allowed to be sold through state-licensed dispensaries, and THC and CBD work well together, our philosophy at The Source is to carry the highest-quality CBD products alongside our full selection of marijuana products.” – Andrew Jolley, owner, Nevada Organic Remedies andThe Source, Las Vegas 6 Educate consumers about the benefits of using cannabis- derived CBD products that contain THC. “Personally, and as a shop, we are doing everything we can to educate customers about the difference between what we sell and what they can buy mail order. I believe that an educated customer is going to choose CBD from cannabis, with a small amount of THC, every time.There’s unfortunately a lot of quackery on the internet, and as part of the cannabis community, it’s important that we all do what we can to give people accurate, useful knowledge so they can make intelligent, informed decisions.” – Bob Ramstad, owner, OZ. Recreational Cannabis, Seattle Steve Fuhr. Photo courtesy of Toucan Farms Andrew Jolley. Photo courtesy of Nevada Organic Remedies Bob Ramstad. Photo courtesy of OZ. Recreational Cannabis Nancy Whiteman. Photo courtesy of Wana Brands 68 • Marijuana Business Magazine • October 2018