The Future Of Cannabis

As cannabis legalization draws nearer and nearer to being a reality for Canadians, it’s easy to get to dreaming about the future of cannabis. With big money entering the game, and with millions of previously abstinent consumers contributing their business to the market, cannabis is sure to evolve far beyond the confines of a simple, lovable plant.

What will be developed for the health-conscious? What about the hardcores looking for a serious buzz? What about the soccer moms who want to try getting high, but don’t want to smell like smoke, or do anything that feels even remotely like “doing drugs?”

It’s difficult to predict where any product will go, let alone such a varied commodity as cannabis, about to be let loose for the first time. However, there are some products already out there which may give us some hints.

NON-TRADITIONAL TOPICALS

People from all walks of life are turning to cannabis in order to treat a wide variety of physical and psychological symptoms, from muscle spasms to stress. One family of cannabis products may be particularly helpful in this regard: topicals.

Topicals can be contrasted with combustibles and edibles in that whereas the latter two describe products that are smoked or eaten, topicals refer to a class of products that are applied directly to the skin. This topical application is interesting for two particular reasons: firstly, the medical properties of cannabis can be applied to specific areas of the body for more localized relief; second, rubbing something on your skin is a very discrete method of cannabis consumption. The second point in particular makes topicals very likely to become popular with a certain type of consumer looking for discrete relief.

Topicals are nothing new. There is evidence of the topical use of cannabis in ancient Chinese medicine and, much more recently, topical use of cannabis was popularized by an inventive Canadian named Rick Simpson, the father of Rick Simpson oil, or Phoenix Tears.

What is new is convenience and style—just look at OMNI Unwind. This product makes the medical effects of cannabis more convenient than ever before. Whereas Rick Simpson oil has the distinct appearance of cannabis oil, Unwind mixes premium THC distillate with a soothing and fragrant blend of myrtle, chamomile, and lavender. The result is a product that compounds the relaxing properties of cannabis with those of other natural ingredients, and also uses those ingredients to take the edge off, as it were.

Topicals like OMNI Unwind will likely revolutionize what we think of when we think about “getting high.”

OUT-THERE EDIBLES

Everyone and their grandmother has a story about the first time they ate a weed brownie and they got way too high and such and such happened. Clearly, edibles are not a new invention. As a matter of fact, the Khmer people have used cannabis as a traditional part of food preparation for millennia.

When it comes to edibles, “new” typically refers to a product’s adapting to dietary restrictions, or more interestingly, integrating cannabis into a fresh and exciting food item.

Look at Baked Edibles Sunshower Gummies: fun, discrete, and convenient. Baked Edibles turned away from the classic baked goods which any stoner could make in their own kitchen and instead infused gummies with THC goodness. This is a product that you can pop into your mouth virtually anywhere, and nobody would be any the wiser.

For another idea of where edibles are going, Fleurs Organic CBD Tea is really breaking the mold of what we think of when we are thinking about edibles. This isn’t a sugary treat—it’s a soothing cup of tea. And it doesn’t get you incredibly stoned—it simply conveys the amazing benefits of CBD. Instead of focusing entirely on a kind of sucker-punch cannabinoid content, Fleurs blends CBD with other soothing and beneficial ingredients, making for an all-around enriching product.

Take these examples along with the abundance of edibles out there now that are gluten-free or vegan, and it’s clear that the edible game is developing a new branch of convenient, wholesome products in order to attract a broader audience.

CRAZY CONCENTRATES

Of course, producers aren’t going to forget about their bread and butter: the lifelong, diehard stoners that are looking for products that can keep pace with their ever-higher tolerance. As much as we are seeing tamer and more discrete products, there is certainly no lack of crazy-potent concentrates.

Shatter took the cannabis world by storm over the past decade, and its influence shows no sign of slowing. New shatter products are popping up all over the place (particularly in British Columbia) with every company aiming for the purest, strongest, and most beautiful product.

Our legendary, exclusive grower The Hippie has even thrown his hat in the ring. This guy is known for growing some of the strongest and most all-around amazing bud in the West, and you know that his shatter is going to be something serious. With THC contents reaching 85%, it’s plain to see that Hippie Shatter is at the forefront of heavy-hitting concentrates.

And maybe even the veterans are looking for something in the form of discretion and convenience. Discrete pen vaporizers, like those offered by Toko and Flyte, are offering a way to enjoy premium potent concentrates on-the-go, and with style to boot.

There’s no way that cannabis culture will advance to only benefit the occasional users and newcomers, and there are some crazy concentrates out there to assure veteran stoners that they have not been forgotten amongst the new money.

THE NEW FRONTIER

Whether it’s topicals, edibles, or concentrates, there are no shortage of products usurping the throne long held by the humble joint. And there’s no telling where it will all go.

Just take a look at OMNI Orgasm Oil. This product is case in point. It’s a personal lubricant that also gets you stoned . . . Enough said. Products like this send a clear message: there’s no limits to how cannabis can be consumed. Lungs, liver, skin, reproductive organs . . . It’s all fair game for the new wave of cannabis products.