Zachary Cartwright [00:00:08]:
Are you tired of waiting forever for your edible to kick in? And are you craving a faster acting option that also packs a punch of functional benefits? Welcome to the drip, where we keep your mind hydrated with some science, music, and a mantra. I'm your host, Zachary Cartwright, lead food scientist at AQUALAB by Addium. In today's episode, we will be discussing the innovation of nano emulsified technology within the cannabis space with Breanna Neff, certified food scientist, founder of brelixi, and functional cannabis Enthusiast. Hi, Breanna. So, can you tell us what exactly is an edible and what forms do they come in?

Breanna Neff [00:00:50]:
Edibles are basically cannabinoid or cannabis infused food or beverages. Anything that you consume, that you basically digest the cannabis cannabinoid into your body, and that is how you experience those different THC or CBD or other cannabinoid effects. So they're basically food and beverages that are infused with cannabis.

Zachary Cartwright [00:01:09]:
And what does it mean for an edible to be nano infused?

Breanna Neff [00:01:13]:
Nano infused is basically referring to the nano emulsified technology that has now entered the cannabis space. You have seen it before in traditional dietary supplement in the nutraceutical world, but now it's getting more innovative into the cannabis space, which has been really amazing to unlock different onset times. So simply said, nano emulsified technology, when it comes to cannabis, is simply the cannabinoid particle. Whether that's CBD, THC, CBG, CDN, all these other, you know, cannabinoids that are, you know, available on the cannabis plant itself. You can take that cannabinoid and process it in a very small way to make the particle size nanoparticles that are able to then immediately be absorbed into your bloodstream, mostly sublingually, but definitely much faster, with incredible speeds versus or compared to traditional edibles. So that means that it's increased bioavailability of these cannabinoids, the plant compounds, and how you can feel and enjoy cannabis benefits. And you get an onset time of five to 15 minutes, traditionally, versus a 45 minutes to an hour onset time that you see in normal edibles in the market.

Zachary Cartwright [00:02:25]:
And usually, when we think about edibles, of course, we're talking about THC and CBD. Does this nanotechnology, does this now bring attention to maybe some other natural compounds in cannabis plants that maybe we weren't paying as much attention to?

Breanna Neff [00:02:40]:
Yes. Well, I wouldn't say it's primarily the nanotech. I would say it's more so the destigmatization and the open mindedness people in the industry now have with cannabis. So there's more research going into cannabis itself. I can name the NFL doing cannabis research right now for a million dollars actually studying specifically the therapeutic benefits of CBD and THC on concussions and the CTE symptoms and the like. So that being said, there's just more attention into the cannabis plant itself and the natural benefit that it has. So naturally, more cannabinoids other than THC and CBD have been looked into and now having more accessibility into consumables itself. So I would say the most prominent ones outside of CBD and THC are CBG.

Breanna Neff [00:03:27]:
This is a cannabinoid that is most associated with helping pain and anxiety. It's similar to CBD in the scent, but apparently it has even greater effect than CBD. And also CBN is another cannabinoid that is really popular for sleep and just all around mood body relaxation.

Zachary Cartwright [00:03:44]:
And these compounds, how are they derived? What are the different methods, or maybe the different sources even that are used to get these compounds?

Breanna Neff [00:03:53]:
Yeah, that's a great question. So when it comes to the cannabis plant, there are two different types that are industrially produced for these types of cultivation. So number one is hemp plant, and then the number two is the marijuana plant. Now, marijuana is most typically used for THC production. The difference between these two plants, hemp and marijuana, is that marijuana naturally has more THC on the plant. Thus that's why people are associating that with THC production. But what most of the masses does not know is that hemp also has THC in it. You can derive, you know, naturally derived THC is found on the hemp plant just as CBD, CBG, all these other cannabinoids.

Breanna Neff [00:04:35]:
So you can also basically upcycle and extract THC from the hemp plant, just as you do from marijuana. It's just a much lower concentration. So that's how you can have hemp derived THC versus a marijuana derived THC. You just see more marijuana THC on the market just because it has more volume of that cannabinoid.

Zachary Cartwright [00:04:56]:
And when it comes to your company, what types of products are you infusing right now?

Breanna Neff [00:05:00]:
So berlixi is a functional wellness and fast acting cannabis company. I intentionally crafted it to be a convenient day of your part of your everyday ritual. So we have instant drink mixes, so stick packs that you put in 8oz of the water creates your own infused elixir as well as flavorless supplement fast acting powders. So it comes in a tub, a 30 serving tub, and you can just scoop in a fast acting water soluble powder that has fast acting cannabis as well as functionals. So we have two different types of cannabis options to choose from. We have our THC line and we have our CBD line. I was very intentional to do that because they have different consumer types and I want it to be very inclusive of all.

Zachary Cartwright [00:05:44]:
And is this a Breanna elixir? Is that where the name comes from? Or is this from something else?

Breanna Neff [00:05:49]:
Yeah, yeah, you're spot on. We tried a bunch of different names and through market testing in our, you know, obviously our really early days, we found that you can personify the brand and bring in closer the founder story. People really take a liking to that and really grow stronger as a community. So we decided to kind of melt the founder in with the name.

Zachary Cartwright [00:06:10]:
I love it. That's awesome. I just kind of put it together as I was listening to you. And who is your target market? Who are you trying to bring these products to now?

Breanna Neff [00:06:18]:
So the THC consumer is very specific. They are health conscious and they're the ones who want to have an alternative way of consuming THC. So they want to take a smoke break. They want to be a little bit more mindful to their lung health. A lot of people are just not drinking alcohol or smoking for these reasons. So we're utilized as like a healthier way to consume THC as well as an alcohol alternative. Right. You feel some type of social buzz, but you don't get the same hangover or like alcohol effects, as well as the fact that it's riddled with better for you ingredients.

Breanna Neff [00:06:49]:
We have electrolyte, nootropics, adaptogens, antioxidants in there. It's a really great choice as an alcohol alternative. Now, I would say our CBD consumer is still the health conscious type, but it's more open to those who are just looking for stress and anxiety relief. So the CBD crowd is. Our product is non psychoactive. It does not get you high, but you do feel a mind and body sense of relief. So you get a lot of different people, whether that's, you know, it goes from Gen Z all the way to seniors. Those that really need some type of, you know, looking, always looking for holistic ways to manage their pain, just feel a little bit better.

Breanna Neff [00:07:25]:
Our CBD solutions definitely do that.

Zachary Cartwright [00:07:29]:
And earlier you mentioned some of the functional or the time differences between nano infused versus traditional. But I'm also curious about the flavor differences that you see between these types of products.

Breanna Neff [00:07:39]:
Yes, yes. So with our hero product, what we launched with last year, we have our drink mix sticks. So as I was saying before, they create your own fast acting elixir just in 8oz of water. So our CBD one is a elderberry hibiscus CBD lemonade, and then our THC is a Yuzu turmeric THC lemonade. And it was really fun to craft that as the food scientist because I was able to put really high quality fruit juice powders in there. A lot of them are fruit freeze dried and organic, so that you get the most, you know, botanical properties and micronutrients as possible.

Zachary Cartwright [00:08:13]:
And when you look at flavor differences, how are you quantifying them, or how do you come up with new flavors? Are you working with sensory panels? Are you just getting customer feedback? Are you doing gcms? What does that process look like?

Breanna Neff [00:08:27]:
So I would say as a product developer, that's an ongoing, forever process. So you're always trying to look both doing R and D research in the actual grocery store, seeing what's popular, also doing market research, whether that's like Mintel and Mackenzie and other reports to show you what are the most popular flavors out there, as well as just speaking with the people. So, um, because flavor is the most subjective thing in the world, you can never satisfy everyone. But my goal is to satisfy at least 80% of the population. There's a lot of polarizing ingredients out there, unfortunately. Which are my most favorite? Like Ginger and turmeric are polarizing flavors. Some people love them or they hate them. So I was really bold in putting turmeric in my Yuzu turmeric lemonade.

Breanna Neff [00:09:12]:
But again, I. I intentionally did that. I intentionally knew that it might be polarizing, but I also knew that it was a popular flavor. People really like ingredients that have huge health benefits. So everyone knows it's kind of now common knowledge that it's used for anti inflammatory reasons. And because of that, now people come to it because of the health inducing benefits of turmeric itself. So without me saying it's a healthy alternative or elixir, people already understand that with the ingredient in there, it's a lot of different ways you can approach it. But I would say my always, my go to is looking on the market, in the market itself.

Breanna Neff [00:09:45]:
Going to supermarkets, really cool beverage boutique. I have great access to that in New York City, thank God. That's why I love living here. And then doing online research to see what's popular, like who made the most money and what type of beverage category, and then what type of flavor. Who are those target audiences that match mine and then also understanding the polarizing ingredients or the innovative flavors that are up and coming as well.

Zachary Cartwright [00:10:08]:
And you mentioned earlier just briefly about some of the social stigma around edibles. How do you and how does your company deal with this and overcome it?

Breanna Neff [00:10:17]:
It is an ongoing challenge, especially as a small business with limited resources. It's just constant hurdles that we have to jump over when it comes to bank PoS systems, even invoicing and just normal business activity that we have so much stigma or just extra compliance check, let's say. But I would say how I overcome it is that I was really able to have a good network of other founders in the hemp cannabis space that I've already understood how to do it as well. We just celebrated our one year last week, actually. So being a new emerging brand in the space, I definitely wanted to learn who I could also get other resources from. And so having that type of network has naturally bonded me to these types of founders who we just love sharing resources because again, ever changing, like state by state, have different regulatory roles. And so it's really tricky to maintain by yourself or with limited resources. And so I find that reaching out to my network of other people who also are educators and love to share resources has really helped.

Zachary Cartwright [00:11:20]:
Congrats on your one year. That's a big deal. And if somebody listening today is interested in trying your products, are you able to ship them outside of New York? Can you do that with the CBD infused? What does that look like if somebody's listening and they want to try these elixirs we've been talking about?

Breanna Neff [00:11:36]:
Yes. So we are available on brelixi.com. We ship right to your door and we ship nationally. So because we're naturally extracted from hemp and not marijuana, and we're under a certain threshold per the federal farm bill, that means we're 100% legal and compliant to ship right to your door. So our THC products are regulated the same as the CBD products. So we are a hempen company products ship right to your door. So fearlicsi.com is the best option for that. You could also find our retailers on the sitemap there.

Breanna Neff [00:12:09]:
But if you sign up online and become an online subscriber, we have really good promotions and constant deals and bundles and things like that. So I definitely recommend checking out the.

Zachary Cartwright [00:12:19]:
Website and we'll make sure to add that link to the podcast description so it's there and easy to find. I noticed on your email signature you use the signature, stay hydrated or hydrated. And I just had to laugh because I use the same tagline at the end of this show. I say stay hydrated, and, you know, stay hydrated on some science, some music, some mantra. And so I just thought that was a funny coincidence. Where did that come from? Or what's really the meaning behind stay hydrated for you?

Breanna Neff [00:12:48]:
Stay hydrated is our first little brand, like Logan. We actually use it as, like, our first hashtag, like, last year. It sounds so feel so long ago. But, yeah, hashtag stayhydrated was our little go to hashtag, and it basically accompanies the cannabis and the functional ingredients. So our number one functional ingredient, besides the fast acting cannabis, is electrolytes. So our whole thing is getting extremely hydrated but also getting you elevated and high. Right. So, together, we found it to be a really funny little metaphor there.

Zachary Cartwright [00:13:19]:
Yeah, it's perfect. And what music recommendation did you bring with you today?

Breanna Neff [00:13:24]:
My go to is always gorillas feel good ink. It's just an old song for me, like middle school age, you know, it always has stuck with me, especially just the chorus. It's just an uplifting, positive song. So I always put that on. I always throw that on. It's something that I if I don't have anything, I put that on number one, so definitely something that stays with me.

Zachary Cartwright [00:13:45]:
Yeah. Such a classic. I just thinking of that song now. It's probably gonna be stuck in my head the rest of the day. And what mantra or what saying did you bring with you today? What is something that you use to bring some balance or some focus to your life?

Breanna Neff [00:13:58]:
That is a great question. I love that question because it definitely speaks to my spiritual practices, and I would say I'm a level two Reiki certified practitioner, and so I bring that into my everyday practice. I often self reiki myself and meditate, which has been really beneficial as an entrepreneur. And with that, there are the five Reiki principles, which are just really simple mantras that you can repeat every day that kind of bring more enlightenment into your energy field. So the five are just for today, I will not be mad just for today, I will not be sad just for today, I will give thanks to all of my blessing. Just for today, I will do my work with honor. And just for today, I respect the oneness of all consciousness. So saying these things out loud, expressing gratitude, is really, really powerful.

Breanna Neff [00:14:44]:
So starting your day like that really helps me. And I can notice an energy shift every time.

Zachary Cartwright [00:14:51]:
Yeah. Thank you so much for sharing that. I myself have been really working on a daily meditation, just waking up. Whether it's two minutes, ten minutes, 1 minute, it doesn't really matter. But I do really notice a mind shift and energy shift when I take the time to do that. And I really enjoy hearing these from you, and I can see how powerful they are to repeat to yourself. So thank you for sharing that. And Breanna, thank you for being here.

Zachary Cartwright [00:15:15]:
This is a kind of a different topic for us. We work a lot on the food science space and also in the cannabis space, and this is the perfect infusion of all of that coming together. And your background in food science and now starting this company is really interesting and motivating, and I'm excited to see where this goes down the so you make it to your 2-3-10 year anniversary, whatever that looks like. I'm excited to see where this goes for you. So thank you so much for being here with us.

Breanna Neff [00:15:43]:
Thank you so much. I really appreciate those words and this was fun. I love the efficiency, I love the questions and everything. So really appreciate this. Thank you.

Zachary Cartwright [00:15:54]:
Today's episode is sponsored by AQUALAB. In this episode, we discussed cannabis infused drink mixes. Did you know that in addition to helping prevent caking and clumping in all types of drink mixes, AQUALAB also has solutions for every step of the production process of edibles. This includes data driven cultivation methods to produce exceptional, reliable cannabis strains, using our arroya system, drying cannabis perfectly to prevent mold and optimize yields, and overcoming R and D challenges to bring new edibles to market faster. Links to learn more will be in the podcast description. This episode song is something that I've been working on this summer after taking a music production class. This song is called right now and is a fun, upbeat house track. Let's listen to the introduction and first drop together.

Breanna Neff [00:16:49]:
Right now, right now, right now, right now I'm going up right now I just about to rush right now I'm going up right now I can't fall in love right now, right now I'm going up right now I just felt the rush right now I'm going up right now I can't fall in love right now.

Zachary Cartwright [00:18:06]:
To round out this episode, I'll be offering my own mantra. This episode's mantra is I accept myself just as I am. I'm going to repeat this three times and maybe you can say it out loud with me. Here we go. I accept myself just as I am. I accept myself just as I am. I accept myself just as I am. As you keep this mantra in mind, I also challenge you to write down five positive affirmations about yourself today and then repeat these affirmations daily for one entire week.

Zachary Cartwright [00:18:52]:
Thank you so much for listening to this episode. My name is Zachary Cartwright, and this has been another episode of the drip brought to you by AQUALAB. Stay hydrated and see you next time.

Breanna Neff [00:19:15]:
Right now.