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