Cannabis marketers can be just as creative with their branding as their counterparts in other industries. For example, would you ever buy a cannabis product from a brand known as Cookies? Creative brand names are effective marketing tools. But when it comes to the experience itself, cannabinoids and terpenes are what really matter – especially in the medical cannabis space.
Beehive Farmacy is a medical marijuana pharmacy in Utah with two locations, one in Salt Lake City and the other in Brigham City. Beehive sells Cookies brand cannabis. However, they reiterate the fact that brand name is less important than cannabinoid and terpene profiles. They say patients should focus on cannabinoids and terpenes first; branding and other considerations come after that.
More About Cannabinoids and Terpenes
Cannabinoids and terpenes are substances that naturally occur in cannabis plants. Many of us are familiar with THC and CBD, the two most plentiful cannabinoids in marijuana and hemp. But cannabis produces more than one hundred cannabinoids along with dozens of terpenes.
Plant cannabinoids are similar in nature to the naturally occurring cannabinoids in the human body. They influence most of the biological functions in the plants in which they are found. Likewise, the cannabinoids in our bodies influence nearly every physiological system to one degree or another.
As for terpenes, they are the substances that give plants their unique odors. Nature utilizes terpenes for a variety of functions including attracting pollinators and warding off pests. If you use essential oils, you already have experience with terpenes.
Both Impact the Human Body
As you might expect, both cannabinoids and terpenes impact the human body when ingested. Some cannabinoids have an intoxicating effect while others don’t. Some cannabinoids help with sleep. Others can reduce nausea while still others take the edge off pain. Interestingly, combining cannabinoids with different terpenes can influence their effects.
Thanks to a booming legal cannabis market, processors now have the ability to experiment with different cannabinoid and terpene profiles to create custom products designed to meet specific needs. This is good news for medical cannabis patients who might need more than just straight THC.
THC is commonly used to treat chronic pain. On the other hand, CBD is often recommended for people who have sleep issues. What if you have a chronic pain patient who also has trouble sleeping? Combining THC and CBD could be the ticket for that person.
Branding Is a Separate Thing
Cannabinoids and terpenes are what give medical cannabis its medical benefits. They are what matter most when a patient is shopping for their medicines. Branding is an entirely separate thing; it has little to do with product efficacy. Therefore, shopping for medical cannabis by brand alone does it make sense.
Cannabis companies choose brand names the same way companies in any other industry do. They look for names that are memorable and positive. They want product names that reflect whatever it is that makes them unique. Rarely do companies choose brand names based on ingredients. But in medical cannabis, it’s the ingredients that count.
Choosing ‘Cookies’ as a brand name was a stroke of brilliance. The word itself evokes positive reactions in most people. But the name says little about the medicinal effects a patient might experience when using Cookies products.
The name of the game in medical cannabis is cannabinoid and terpene profile. But even in the recreational market, cannabinoids and terpenes affect the overall experience. When consumers shop, they should be paying attention to the cannabinoids and terpenes a product contains. Brand names are a secondary concern.
