Jessie welcomes Dr. Harold Han, President, and Chief Science Officer of Vertosa, to share his insight into the world of cannabis formulations. Dr. Harold shares his transition from seven years at Bio-Rad to co-founder of Vertosa and becoming a cannabis advocate, and they discuss the remarkable progress made in the last decade. Dr. Harold discusses the innovation in formulating familiar cannabis products like beverages, edibles, and gummies. At the end of the episode, Dr. Harold and Jessie look into the potential of cannabis-infused beverages and the future of formulations in the next decade and highlight the potential for exciting innovations.

**The information, opinions, and views expressed in this podcast are those of Mr. Kater and his guests only and may not reflect the views of Curaleaf or its employees. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. Curaleaf does not endorse or recommend any particular product or service discussed, including products containing cannabinoids. Products discussed in this podcast may not be available to all listeners depending upon the residence state of the listener, the listener’s age, etc. Any products discussed in this podcast are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. 

Topics of Discussion:

[1:47] Harold talks about his time at Bio-Rad and how he made his way to co-founding Vertosa. 

[2:24] Vertosa’s main focus is the beverage sector. 

[2:50] More about Vertosa’s products and customers. 

[4:34] What were some problems with the original state of edibles and their formulation technologies? 

[8:11] What are we doing to cannabis to make it water soluble and to make the onset faster? 

[12:14] Harold walks us through why the bioavailability is much higher with the use of emulsions. 

[14:04] The difference between a nano emulsified cannabinoid vs. a traditionally consumed cannabinoid. 

[18:53] The spider web concept of the four segments: the flavors, stability, manufacturability and effect. 

[22:47] Different technologies will be used depending on the type of formulation. For example, a tincture, beverage, etc. 

[25:36] wWhat are pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics? 

[36:41] Cannabis bitterness and flavor enhancement.

[45:23] What type of things may be possible in the next 5 years? Innovation vs. regulation. 

[50:07] Harold’s go right now - adding emulsion into his cup of tea. Also makes a great party drink!  

Want to Learn More?

Cannabis Unraveled: Instagram

Vertosa 

Dr. Harold Han 

Quotes:

• “I think the goal is to make the whole experience enjoyable and repeatable, and to be consistent.” [5:10] Harold 
• “It’s an interesting comparison between alcohol beverages and cannabis beverages to say the least.” [16:32] Harold 
• “I hope using this spiderweb concept can help a company like Vertosa to have a deeper understanding of how innovation will change the way it tastes for our ingredients.”  [19:29] Harold 

Host Jessie Kater welcomes Alex Kwon, Co-Founder and CEO of Advanced Vapor Devices (AVD). Together, they discuss the ever expanding and developing world of cannabis vapor hardware. Alex talks about the journey that led AVD from a concept to a company working alongside hundreds of major brands in the cannabis space. Alex touches on AVD's dedication to staying on the cutting edge of innovation and how their approach to cannabis hardware stands out.

During their conversation, they go deeper into the significance of the plant and the importance of understanding the nuances of cannabis extracts. This comprehensive knowledge of the supply chain shapes the way AVD has been able to deliver hardware that enhances the cannabis experience with a primary focus on reliability and trust. At the end of the episode, Alex and Jessie share some of their favorite products.

**The information, opinions, and views expressed in this podcast are those of Mr. Kater and his guests only and may not reflect the views of Curaleaf or its employees. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. Curaleaf does not endorse or recommend any particular product or service discussed, including products containing cannabinoids. Products discussed in this podcast may not be available to all listeners depending upon the residence state of the listener, the listener’s age, etc. Any products discussed in this podcast are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.    

Topics of Discussion:

[1:55] Alex’s history and how he formed AVD. 

[7:15] Alex’s interest in cannabis. 

[8:20] The plant chooses its stewards. 

[12:18] A student and the teacher. 

[13:50] Some of the things Alex saw in the supply chain.

[17:03] The key components of a vape cart and the differences between cannabis and nicotine hardware. 

[22:37] How hardware evolved to meet the needs of a wide range of oils.

[34:39] Ceramic core vs. traditional wick heating systems.

[40:26] Building a team and expanding partners.

[43:28] What does sustainability and green initiatives mean to AVD?

[47:52] The future of vape hardware. 

[49:47] Favorite products; Select Briq.

Want to Learn More?

Cannabis Unraveled: Instagram

AVD 

Alex Kwon | LinkedIn

Quotes:

• “One thing led to another, and it got bigger and bigger, and it just took off like a rocketship. But it was really informed by our knowledge of understanding what’s going on with the plants and obviously working with the hardware.” - [6:33] Alex
• “It always comes back to reliability for the client.” - [25:12] Alex
• “We’re there to serve the client more than anything, and add value in that regard so they trust that.” [27:12] Alex 
• “It doesn’t mean that we’re not looking at everything and developing our own way to disrupt what we think is the standard norm today. But until we find that and substantiate it, protect it, and then obviously, eventually commercialize it, which is a whole different animal, it’s an important part to understand where we are in this stage and age of the industry.” [36:36] Alex 
• “It’s how you marry those types of things: running a business, providing value to your clients, and being conscious of the earth and the next stages that need to happen. But again, that’s not going to happen overnight.” [46:56] Alex 
• “At the end of the day, our customers and clients know that we as a partner are going to be not only innovating, but we’re going to make sure that those things are reliable and trustworthy for them.” [49:22] Alex 

In this episode, we shine a spotlight on the fascinating world of cannabis genetics. We’re joined by expert guests Ralph Risch, CEO of Phylos, and Jared Reynbery, Senior Director of Breeding of Phylos, a company with a rich history in cannabis genetics. Additionally, we’re joined by Dr. Matthew Indest, Technical Director of Agronomy and Plant Improvement at Curaleaf. 

In this conversation, we'll explore how Phylos found their footing in the cannabis industry, and gain insights into the evolution of cannabis genetics. We will also discuss the elements and tools that are integral to a successful breeding pipeline, and the exciting technological developments that are currently underway. 

**The information, opinions, and views expressed in this podcast are those of Mr. Kater and his guests only and may not reflect the views of Curaleaf or its employees. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. Curaleaf does not endorse or recommend any particular product or service discussed, including products containing cannabinoids. Products discussed in this podcast may not be available to all listeners depending upon the residence state of the listener, the listener’s age, etc. Any products discussed in this podcast are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.   

Topics of Discussion:

[1:08] Phylos’ start in 2014 as one of the first science companies in the cannabis industry. 

[1:53] What is the “Phylos Galaxy”? 

[3:38] How Phylos built a tool set that would enable them to rapidly breed. 

[5:14] F1 Hybrid Seeds. 

[7:04] What is a genetic marker? 

[9:17] How cannabis compares to finding genetic markers compared to other industries? 

[10:53] Are we able to establish the actual authenticity of a strain or genetics through these biomarkers? Example: Sour Diesel from dispensaries on the West Coast. 

[14:43] While the genetic distinction between indica and sativa is unclear, the terms are still useful for describing how the plant grows or affects consumption.

[17:04] Are consumers making the right choice when they're just buying Indica and Sativa, or is there a better way to approach this? 

[17:01] A lot of previously held assumptions aren’t true, and this is why Phylos is excited for this Cannabis 3.0 effects based approach. 

[19:19] The tools and approaches used to have cannabis strains producing higher concentrations of a highly beneficial cannabinoid. 

[21:02] The use of markers to accelerate the breeding. 

[24:32] Breeding with intent. 

[29:02] Have we reached or approached the upper limit of the potency we physiologically put onto the plant? 

[32:15] The approach towards bringing out the incredible and diverse flavors and tastes that cannabis can now produce, including a…cheddar cheese / mango hybrid? 

[43:07] What is Hop Latent Viroid (HLVd), and how do you test for it and potentially mitigate against it? 

[49:05] The group shares their predictions on the big breakthroughs of cannabis and where we may be from a technological standpoint 10 years from now. 

Want to Learn More?

Cannabis Unraveled: Instagram

Phylos

Ralph Risch | LinkedIn

Jared Reynbery | LinkedIn

Matthew Indest | LinkedIn

Dr. Selina Wang, UC Davis 

Quotes:

• “Phylos was designed to really bring the cannabis plant into the modern era, and bring those traits to cannabis and also create F1 hybrid seeds lines, which are something we think ultimately enable the lowest cost production.” – Ralph [3:00]
• “The key next step for us was not just genotyping the plants, but phenotyping them. So gathering data on all of the interesting traits and then marrying up that data with the genotype data.” – Ralph [12:08]
• “The more that we have worked with the rare cannabinoids and not just on the cultivation, but now extraction, post processing, formulation and efficacy testing, the more we realized that a lot of the previously held assumptions are just not true.” – Ralph [17:01]
• “I think we're now in a place where you can do the science, the research, you can have subjects consuming, and you can find out what effects they're really feeling. So, it should be a lot less subjective than it used to be.” – Ralph [18:01]