Innovation in the cannabis market is advancing at such a rapid pace that it can be hard for dispensaries to keep up, especially when many of these innovative products are only legal in certain states.
Still, if you can find these up-and-coming products, they’re definitely worth a try. Why settle for the same boring pre-rolls and brownies when you can get high in a totally new and original way? Consider just a few examples of the innovations that are changing the game.
Solventless Extracts (Rosin)
For dabbing and vaping, cannabis consumers will be familiar with concentrates like crumble and wax. However, rosin is more of a newcomer to the scene. It offers a clean, solvent-free experience and is easy to make at home using dry flower or hash. Experience all the potency of wax with none of the butane.
Cannabis Capsules
While some tokers are looking to get high, others simply want to ease their symptoms without too much fuss. Mostly confined to the medicinal market and offered extensively by online vendors, cannabis capsules generally offer combinations of CBD, CBN, CBG, and other cannabinoids for wellness. For those who still want to get high in a discreet way, THC-heavy capsules are also available.
Cannabis Topicals
If you love your cannabis, why not bathe in it? Now, you can — with cannabis bath bombs, muscle salves, lip balm, and hydrating face masks. The cannabis beauty industry is booming in online stores with products made from CBD, hemp, and marijuana. Hopefully, we’ll see more topical products available at dispensaries soon.
Cannabis Desserts
If cannabis lip balm didn’t get your mouth watering, the range of cannabis candies available certainly should. In states where recreational weed is legal, we’re seeing innovations like cannabis chocolate bars (complete with THC) and cake pops in addition to the usual range of gummies, brownies, and pot cookies.
Cannabis Drinks
Cannabis beverages have previously been a challenge due to the non-soluble nature of various cannabinoids. However, new nanoemulsion techniques are opening the door to new innovations. You’ve probably heard of CBD coffee, CBD kombucha, and CBD protein shakes, but now you can also find cannabis beer, cocktails, energy drinks, and colas.
Cannabis Chewing Gum
As many connoisseurs know, cannabis is more quickly absorbed through saliva than it is when taken purely as an edible. Making the most of this fact, a few niche companies have started to produce cannabis chewing gum — offering a sublingual-like absorption pathway along with a sweet, dessert-like experience.
CBD Pet Products
Pets shouldn’t ingest THC because they’re especially sensitive to this recreational compound. However, many pet owners are starting to explore CBD tinctures and pet chews for their pets. While research is still in its infancy, anecdotal reports indicate that CBD may help with pet osteoarthritis, seizures, irritability, and bowel cancer.
Where to Find New Cannabis Products
If you can’t find the products at your local dispensary, it’s usually because they’re not legal in your state, they fall outside the dispensary’s niche, or they’re only available through selected channels.
Medicinal products like capsules and pet chews are readily available from online vendors, and rosin can be produced at home. As for beverages, edibles, and desserts, you might just need to wait for laws to change or indulge in a short vacation to Colorado or California.
