International
Brazil: Brands explore cannabis marketing in cannabis-free products
The non-medicinal cannabis market is increasingly reinventing itself in Brazil. Some companies are making success with cosmetics, others sell protein supplements for athletes and the latest trend is sweets in the shape of flowers. cannabis. All this would be wonderful if the products actually had cannabis in them, but both the moisturizer and the protein and the bonbons just exploit the plant's marketing: the products do not contain anything derived from cannabis.
Brazil's health surveillance agency, Anvisa, only allows the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes and only through importation. Growing cannabis is theoretically not allowed in Brazil either. Furthermore, cannabis for cosmetic, food or textile purposes is not provided for by law. The legislation, however, does not reflect a scenario of the boiling of these products all over the world. Not to miss this wave, Entrepreneurs use their creativity to take advantage of the boom in the cannabis sector and all the appeal that the theme generates in the cause's activists.
That's what pharmacist and biochemist Rafael Borges did, who joined businessman Bohumil Bartonicek to found Cannabingredients, whose main product is Hemp Protein. The company processes hemp grown in China to produce protein powder. The product is aimed at the dietary supplementation of athletes.
“Despite not having hemp, the product has HEMP in the name and the packaging is illustrated with cannabis leaves”.
“When we started to identify that hemp foods are very common outside Brazil and that here they were in a legal limbo, we said 'that's it, that's what we want', because there are no people exploring it and our goal is popularize cannabis, not only in terms of medicine, but also food. So that's why we chose the food with the macro nutritional part which is the protein”, explained Bohumil.
According to Rafael Borges, the athlete guarantees an improvement in the protein load and recovers the muscle much faster with the hemp protein than with the whey protein and in a much healthier way. However, Brazilians cannot sell the product in their home country. Today, Hemp Protein is available in the US, Canada, Ecuador and Uruguay. In Brazil, the solution was to market “Like Hemp Protein”, which is the basis of pea, rice and broad bean proteins.
Like Hemp Protein, protein supplement with 'hemp' name and leaves, but without the 'hemp'
“I started researching the health benefits of hemp in depth. But attention was drawn to the amount of BCA, which are three essential amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine. And hemp has a very relevant property of these BCAs. We tested more than 10 proteins to arrive at a product that had the same concentration and proportion of BCAs”, guarantees the scientist. Despite not having hemp, the product has HEMP in the name and the packaging is illustrated with cannabis leaves.
More audacious were the entrepreneurs of Croc Buds, a brand of bonbons that imitate the shape of a cannabis flower. The product is also free of any plant derivatives. The closest thing candy has to cannabis is terpenes, like Diesel or the lime kush, but from other plants. Despite not containing cannabis, the product promises experiences that are relaxing, invigorating or that promote creativity. But, not to be so far from the cannabis universe, Croc Buds also sells items for adult use, such as cigarette holders.
Looking for alternatives to the ban
In addition to its edible use, cannabis is also being explored around the world as a cosmetic product, either for its calming, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, or for its fragrant aroma. And in Brazil, the fourth largest market for cosmetic products in the world, companies are looking at it with great interest.
In addition to the cannabinoids themselves, such as CBD and THC, which are common in medicinal products, hemp seed oil also has beneficial properties for the skin.
But in a scenario of prohibition, companies have been looking for alternatives for the Brazilian market. In this sense, Beraca, a company specialized in the development of technologies and raw materials for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry, has launched what they call “a legal alternative to cannabidiol”, the Beracare Cannabinoid Active System (CBA).
According to the company, the compound is a mixture of Amazonian oils and, like cannabidiol, would be a phytocannabinoid responsible for the production of beta-endorphins that promote a feeling of well-being, reduce inflammation and improve skin healing.
Croc Buds, chocolate candies in the shape of cannabis, but without any cannabis
“We are happy to maintain our pioneering spirit with the launch of a 100% natural, Brazilian and legal product. Although the name refers to Cannabidiol, Beracare CBA does not have any component specifically linked to cannabis sativa in its formula”, says Marianna Cyrillo, Communication and Marketing manager at Beraca.
However, according to pharmacist and biochemist Luzia Sampaio, postdoctoral fellow in Physiology with an emphasis on medicinal cannabis, CBD is basically composed of beta-caryophyllene, a terpene that is quite present in cannabis and other plants, but cannot be called a “phytocannabinoid”. ”.
“They use copaiba oil, which is rich in beta-caryophyllene, but they don't even measure the levels of this substance. Beta-caryophyllene is a terpene that does have cannabi-mimetic activity, but when administered in high doses. It is not a cannabinoid and cannot be treated as if it were”, he ponders.
This scenario may change, still in 2022, when Brazilian parliamentarians vote on a bill that legalizes the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes, which includes use in food and cosmetics. The proposal has already passed a committee.
The political moment in Brazil, however, is not favorable to the approval of this issue, since President Jair Bolsonaro is a radical opponent of cannabis. The deputies who support the project believe that only in 2023, in a possible victory of the opposition candidate, Lula da Silva, the project may have a chance to be approved and finally cannabis to be legalized in Brazil.
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This article was originally published in issue #6 of Cannadouro Magazine
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[Disclaimer: Please note that this text was originally written in Portuguese and is translated into English and other languages using an automatic translator. Some words may differ from the original and typos or errors may occur in other languages.]____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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