Sweet buzz: Dixie Botanicals launches watermelon flavored CBD gummies

08 Aug 2019 --- Dixie Botanicals, a subsidiary of Medical Marijuana, Inc. – the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the US and specialist in marijuana-derived nutraceutical products – has released new watermelon-flavored cannabidiol (CBD) gummies in response to a growing market demand for edible CBD products. Each CBD gummy is said to offer 10 mg of the brand’s hemp-derived CBD isolate. The product is marketed as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-free, making it non-psychoactive.

In addition, the gummies are branded as “minimally processed” and undergo a Triple Lab Tested process to verify they are free of contaminants and contain reliable levels of CBD. Dixie Botanicals products are created using CBD oil or isolate extracted from hemp plants.

“We seek to stay abreast of these types of innovative market trends and shifting consumer demands. These new gummies allow us to do just that,” says Stuart Titus, Ph.D., Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO. The company pegs CBD gummies as a highly sought-after CBD product and that, according to Google’s Annual Search Data Report, they were the third most searched food term in the US on Google last year.

Dixie Botanicals CBD Gummies come individually wrapped and do not require refrigeration for quick, pre-measured CBD on-the-go consumption. They are available for sale in 10-count packs and are available for purchase online and for wholesale retailers throughout the US.

Where pharma and food collide
CBD is backed by scientific proponents as being beneficial in relieving anxiety, migraines, epilepsy, aggression, cancer – and even as an enhancer of other medications. Despite patchy regulatory assertions, cannabis-derived products have proliferated across a broad range of applications in recent months. As pill-fatigued consumers increasingly seek edible formats, the line between pharmaceuticals and food applications continues to blur. The Hemp Business Journal estimates that the hemp CBD market totaled US$190 million in 2018 – an astounding rate of growth for a category that did not officially exist five years ago. 

“There has recently been a clear shift. I really think that having a food delivery form, even whether it is a gummy or gel pack or something else, is important for brands and ingredients,” says Jeff Hilton, CMO and co-founder of dietary supplements branding specialist Brandhive.

“I think that the pill taking behavior of Millennials and Gen X is not what it is for baby boomers. These generations are less likely to line up 30 supplements a day. When we do focus groups with younger consumers, they are all over stick packs and powder delivery and other forms that they can just consume with a food item during the day. I think that smart ingredient companies are making sure that they have Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status and able to have food as well as supplement applications,” Hilton further notes.

In April, the cannabis extract was infused in a line of sparkling water by Weller. First exhibited at Natural Products Expo West, US, the functional water line will be infused with 25 mg of CBD broad-spectrum hemp extract per can. The range taps into the blossoming CBD and hemp market, as well as functional hydration – a move that is proving popular among consumers.

By Benjamin Ferrer