Red Mesa Science & Refining spots promising CBD alternatives in cannabinoids

31 Jul 2024 --- Despite cannabinoids’ ambiguous legal status in the US, Red Mesa Science & Refining highlights an increased demand for CBD and its alternatives. The hemp processor and large-scale refiner of cannabinoids offers a range of isolates, distillates and botanically refined compounds, aiming to make the products “affordable and accessible to all.” 

Nutrition Insight meets with Jeff Applegate, the company’s president, to examine alternatives within the hemp-derived cannabinoid market and how they compare to CBD. 

Applegate points to CBG (cannabigerol) and CBN (cannabinol) as popular alternatives to CBD since they appear to possess similar therapeutic properties. “All three interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, anecdotally offering pain relief, anti-inflammatory properties, neuroprotective effects, anxiety and stress reduction, sleep improvement and skin care benefits, among others.”

“Extensive research, clinical studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that CBD has broader therapeutic applications than CBG and CBN. Still, given CBD’s wide acceptance, the ongoing research on CBG and CBN (while limited) has grabbed the attention of product developers by uncovering unique properties worth exploring.”

Comparing alternatives 
Applegate points to several drivers of CBG demand growth, including its potential to enhance focus and concentration, stimulate appetite and reduce intraocular eye pressure in Glaucoma patients, “not to mention its anti-tumor properties in some carcinomas and antibacterial properties against strains such as MRSA.”

“CBN, recognized for its sedative properties, is a highly desired ingredient for sleep aids. However, unlike CBD and CBG, CBN can be psychoactive when taken in large doses, which may make it unattractive to consumers seeking non-psychoactive alternatives.”

In addition, he asserts that THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) and hemp-derived D9 (Delta-9) are other alternative cannabinoids “quickly gaining market share” in the therapeutic and leisure-use sector. Hemp-derived D-9 is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) that comes from hemp instead of cannabis plants.

Quality control of CBD, CBG and CBN distillates at the company’s in-house lab.“Hemp-derived D9-THC is considered less intoxicating than its marijuana counterpart due to being extracted from Cannabis sativa plants with less than 0.3% THC,” adds Applegate. “D9 has shown potential therapeutic benefits, such as pain relief, anti-nausea effects and appetite stimulation. Unlike CBD, THCA and hemp-derived D9 contain psychoactive properties, meaning they can produce a ‘high,’ but less so than marijuana-derived D9.”

“From a formulation perspective, THCA and hemp-derived D9’s increasing demand creates a tremendous opportunity to produce low-dose CBD blended products. Still, it limits reach by those dismissing them as intoxicating.” 

CBD benefits 
According to Applegate, CBD is the “more economical choice” compared to relatively low concentration and difficult-to-extract CBG and CBN. It is also valued for its comprehensive wellness potential. 

He explains: “Formulators seeking to address specific conditions can formulate with pure isolated forms of CBD, CBG or CBN at 95–99% purity.” 

“For a more holistic wellness approach, a broad or full-spectrum distillate CBD combined with other cannabinoids (such as CBG and CBN) can synergistically boost the efficacy of each cannabinoid individually while also benefiting from additional properties due to the entourage effect theory.”

This theory posits that the interaction of the full spectrum of the cannabis plant modulates the plant’s overall psychoactive efforts. 

A clinical trial by the company MDBio found that it’s sleep supplement combining cannabinoids, herbs and botanicals significantly improved sleep quality, anxiety, stress and well-being compared to a placebo group. The supplement contains CBD, CBN, THC, valerian, chamomile, hops, gamma-aminobutyric acid and L-theanine, synergistically supporting sleep. 

Meanwhile, clinical research published earlier this year found that products high in CBD can address anxiety better than those containing THC without the potential side effects. The researchers linked CBD products to acute tension reduction, which could translate to longer-term decreases in anxiety symptoms. 

Liquid chromatography operation at Red Mesa Science & Refining for hemp-derived CBN and CBG.Upgrading refinement facilities 
Applegate highlights that Red Mesa Science & Refining has developed large-scale botanical refinement of CBN in response to consumer demand for natural products and regulatory action by some states to restrict cannabinoid chemical conversions or synthetic processing. 

He notes that CBN is the leading mainstream cannabinoid for relaxation and sleep products but has a rare natural occurrence of less than 1% concentration in industrial hemp. “Commercial-scale CBN is almost entirely produced utilizing chemical conversions to meet demand.”

The company uses sophisticated chromatographic refinement and purification techniques to produce CBN, which also allows it to simultaneously introduce botanically refined rare cannabinoids, CBL (cannabicyclol) and CBT (cannabicitran), which fulfill the desire for botanical inputs and surge in new product development interest. 

Applegate notes that Red Mesa Science & Refining, in its fourth year of business, aims to continuously advance “hemp-derived cannabinoid processing at scale through science, research, innovation and operational excellence.” 

To meet the stringent standards required to work in the global CBD supply chain, the company is ISO 9001:2025 certified across all business processes, certified as a cGMP operation and registered with the FDA as a food ingredient manufacturer.

By Jolanda van Hal