Exclusive: Wana Brands and Azuca in Deal to Make Fast-Acting, Tasty Cannabis Edibles
“Start low, go slow” could soon be a cannabis slogan of the past, thanks to a new partnership that combines rapid-onset dosing with one of the most popular cannabis edibles brands nationwide. Leading edibles company Wana Brands has entered into a multiyear agreement to license rapid-onset infusion technology from New York City-based CBD-sugar maker Azuca. The partnership comes amid rising demand from consumers for products that hit fast and fade fast — and that won’t get consumers scary high.
Wana Brands wouldn’t disclosed exactly what types of products the company intends to create with Azuca’s proprietary process and resulting infused sugars, simple syrups, and stevia drops, but Whiteman said consumers should expect the offerings to go past the sublingual oils and sprays consumers have come to expect of rapid onset products. Wana’s products will fall into the still developing Wana Quick product line dedicated specifically to fast-acting cannabis ー the company’s response to a gap Whiteman saw in the market for rapid-onset edibles that actually work.
“There are a lot of situations where people would really enjoy the effects of an edible, but they are not in a spot where they can devote four to six hours to that experience,” Whiteman said. “I think the quick-onset product opens up the category, if you will, to a lot more situations and a lot more people.”
Wana Brands CEO and co-founder Nancy Whiteman stands with infused gummies. / Photo Credit: Wana Brands
Whiteman is hardly alone in her thinking. Rapid onset products have arisen in response to new types of consumers searching for a wider diversity of products as cannabis enters the mainstream. The new product line will address edible products’ well-earned reputation for getting consumers way too high in the 60 to 90 minutes it takes them to kick in.
“We are really excited to work with Wana, in particular, because we are very committed to being true to our culinary roots. We are culinary first. The flavor profile and quality of the edible is very important to us, and Wana is also very committed to quality product and flavor profile,” Kim Rael, CEO and president of Azuca, said.
