A product and branding marketing company has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to cultivate a set of cannabis chemovars for a specific cannabinoid.
Today, Monrovia, California-based Sugarmade, Inc. announced its signing of a binding LOI with GennCann, Inc. for its tetrahydrocannabivarin-rich (THC-V) cultivars.
THC-V is a minor cannabinoid generally produced in smaller concentrations by the cannabis plant.
While tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can stimulate appetite, Sugarmade says THC-V can have the opposite effect.
Sugarmade says THC-V has exhibited hunger-reducing qualities and prompted studies that focus on its potential role in treating metabolic syndrome and obesity.
But while THC-V has shown that it can help reduce hunger, it has also exhibited other properties.
Sugarmade CEO Jimmy Chan says consuming THC-V through smoking or edibles is a different consumption experience than traditional cannabis.
“Where legacy cannabis strains often produce a sedating effect, consumption of THC-V rich products produces a pleasant and uplifting effect,” says Chan. “It’s a remarkable experience and we believe consumers will gravitate to it.”
Sugarmade says, under the terms of the LOI with GennCann, the company and its licensed cultivator partners will cultivate what it believes are the strains with the highest THC-V content.
Along with GenCann, Sugarmade says the plan is to begin clone production after signing the final agreement with a cultivation program starting in Lake County, California this spring.
Sugarmade says multiple United States patents protect the GennCann chemovars.
The patents include numbers PP33212 for the V1 plant, PP33211 for the V2 plant, and PP33210 for the V3 plant.
According to Sugarmade, all three chemovars yield abundant THC-V, with V1 being especially distinguished by producing more THC-V than THC by weight.
Sugarmade will use the V3 strain, also known as Skelator, as the predominant strain for spring cultivation because of its early finishing properties and higher THC-V content.
In addition to smokable flower, Sugarmade says it plans to use THC-V-rich biomass in products like gummies, distillate, and isolate.
While supplying the mainstream cannabis market with THC-V products, Sugarmade says it plans to seek pharmaceutical and nutraceutical partners for supply agreements.
According to Sugarmade, many such companies have already revealed intentions to conduct trials or produce products with rare cannabinoids.
Chan says that, even though some refer to THC-V as a rare cannabinoid, the company believes the term no longer applies to its planned cultivation effort, which utilizes GenCann’s Chemovars.
“The test results from certified California laboratories of these chemovars are certainly impressive, with THC-V yields in flower of up to 8%,” says Chan. “We think the GenCann Chemovars are a game-changer in the cannabinoids space. Sugarmade plans to make a substantial commitment to bring products based on THC-V to the California market and perhaps to other states in the future. Stay tuned for our upcoming product plan announcements.”
Sugarmade says cultivated THC-V cannabinoids from GenCann chemovars vary significantly from THC-V products currently available in the marketplace.
According to Sugarmade, in addition to being expensive, current THC-V is converted from hemp-based isolates through a chemical process.
Sugarmade says current THC-V sells for approximately $50 per gram and does not typically undergo testing at certified laboratories.
Sugarmade says cannabinoids made by GenCann’s chemovars also differ from other companies’ planned offerings that utilize genetically modified organisms (GMO) like bacteria or yeast to produce cannabinoids outside the cannabis plant.
According to Sugarmade, all cannabinoids generated through its cultivation of GenCann’s chemovars will come from actual cannabis plants grown outdoors.
Sugarmade and GenCann believe cultivating THC-V outdoors will yield higher desirable cannabinoid content because of optimal ultraviolet light levels in sunlight.
