Over the past few years, the cannabinoid industry has absolutely exploded. Today, more people than ever are turning to alternative, holistic herbal sources to support their health and wellness. However, with this increase in popularity has also come a need for better, more unique product options and personalized therapeutic cannabinoids — and that’s exactly what Rare Cannabinoid Company aims to promote.
Rare Cannabinoid Co. is a brand that focuses specifically on, well, rare cannabinoids! These may be cannabinoids you’ve never heard of or ones you’ve heard of but never had the pleasure of trying.
Here, we sat down with one of the founders of Rare Cannabinoid Co., Jennifer Carlile, to learn more about how they started, the importance of rare compounds, and where the brand hopes to head in the next few years.
The Start of Rare Cannabinoid Co.
While Rare Cannabinoid Company started back in 2020, founders Jared Dalgamouni and Jennifer Carlile first started with their luxury, lifestyle CBD brand, Hawaiian Choice, in 2017.
Using homegrown Hawaiian hemp, real fruit infusions, and high-quality terpenes, the couple behind Hawaiian Choice quickly gained popularity on the island. But, at the time, the brand only offered CBD products, and it became apparent that consumers were interested in more than just cannabidiol’s support.
We looked into rare cannabinoids and saw a world of possibilities…to target specific needs.
“Our customers started to ask us about CBN, CBG, CBC, and other rare cannabinoids just as they started to emerge on the market,” Carlile explains. “We looked into rare cannabinoids and saw a world of possibilities. We saw how they could be used to target specific needs and realized that no one was offering the type of apothecary we envisioned. So we decided to start one ourselves.”
From there, the two decided they wanted to curate a more comprehensive, customizable approach to cannabinoids. And, while Hawaiian Choice continued to spread across the island and even into places like Japan, Rare Cannabinoid Company was slowly being built.
Finally, in 2020, Rare Cannabinoid Co. was ready to launch — and then the pandemic hit. “We had our first batch bottled, beautifully packaged, and our website set,” said Carlile. They were even about to promote both Hawaiian Choice and Rare Cannabinoid Co. at an exposition in Anaheim but canceled their trip less than 12 hours before going (and the expo shut down, too).
“The vast majority of our Hawaiian Choice business was in health food stores and high-end hotels and spas, even luxury department stores in Japan. Of course, all of these places closed, and Hawaii and Asia had some of the most strict lockdown rules.” Thus, the couple was forced to turn their attention solely to their online presence.
Thankfully, the excitement surrounding rare cannabinoids seemed to be enough to get the business up and running, despite the barriers that the pandemic brought.
Rare Cannabinoid Company ended up getting featured in various major publications, including Leafly, LA Weekly, and High Times, bringing significant attention to the support of cannabinoids beyond just CBD.
Why Rare Cannabinoids?
Now, we had to know: why rare cannabinoids? In a time where so many people were focused on CBD, it’s interesting to see a brand change course and try something completely new.
We believe in using full-spectrum CBD or THC products, but rare cannabinoids allow people to enhance specific properties they feel they need.
“The more we learned about rare cannabinoids and their potential unique benefits, the more we realized they could offer more personalized wellness options than CBD or THC alone,” says Carlile. And, as a brand that understands that not every person needs the same support, this was the perfect route to take.
“We believe in using full-spectrum CBD or THC products, but rare cannabinoids allow people to enhance specific properties they feel they need.” As the founders point out, “The combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes are almost endless,” and Rare Cannabinoid Company feels they do a great job at allowing everyday people to experiment with these combinations and routines.
From helping with energy and appetite to pain relief and sleep, Rare Cannabinoid Co. understands the importance of different compounds and that each compound has its own roles. Instead of relying solely on CBD or THC to get you through the day, the brand recommends personalizing your routines with the right cannabinoids, and their product line allows you to do just that.
With each rare cannabinoid offering something unique for health and wellness, the brand aims to provide consumers with a supportive experience that feels more catered to them, and not just to audiences as a whole. This kind of personalized support is truly something that makes Rare Cannabinoid Company stand out from the rest — and why they continue to be one of the most popular cannabinoid brands today.
The Impacts of an Always-Changing Industry
As a brand that’s been in the industry since 2017, the founders of Rare Cannabinoid Company have witnessed exponential change over the past few years regarding cannabinoids — both rare and common.
“When we first started Hawaiian Choice, CBD was relatively unknown,” Carlile explains. “By 2020, it was everywhere — but rare cannabinoids weren’t known. Now, there is a huge amount of interest in rare cannabinoids as well as CBD.”
However, while Rare Cannabinoid Co. is excited about the growth of these cannabinoids in particular, the always-changing industry also brings a bit of worry. As a brand that’s always been focused on safety and purity through organic ingredients, Carlile and Dalgamouni are concerned about the increase in intoxicating, synthesized compounds like delta-8 and THC-O.
“Many brands do not manufacture their products in clean, safe facilities or have them third-party lab tested… We’ve seen tinctures marketed as containing THCV, but the lab report shows only delta-8 THC. Some lab reports only show random ingredients but no finished product. You, therefore, have no idea what is or isn’t in the product.”
As Carlile points out, this can be incredibly dangerous for consumers, and she hopes there will be a crackdown on these types of products. “More and more synthetic cannabinoids are being created to skirt laws against selling cannabis THC, but there are way too many risks associated with them,” she says.
Because of this, Rare Cannabinoid Company believes that it can continue standing out as an example of a brand wholly focused on health and wellness. Simply put, Carlile explains, “We hope to bring safe, clean cannabinoids to the masses.”
Looking to the Future With Rare Cannabinoids
Even though the industry is undergoing extensive changes, Rare Cannabinoid Company is looking forward to the future and what it means for its brand.
Cannabinoids like THCV and CBDV are still slowly gaining popularity, and the founders of Rare Cannabinoid are excited to see more research being poured into these compounds. The brand is also happy to see CBD products — and cannabinoid products in general — become more accessible to the everyday public.
“When we started Hawaiian Choice, many of my ‘mom friends’ were worried that CBD was the same as marijuana,” says Carlile. “Now, they excitedly trade tips and combinations with each other, and we chat about them at swim meets, school functions, and even at church!”
Interestingly enough, the brand has also been looking into the potential of CBDV for those with autism, as the rare cannabinoid is showing a lot of promise for neurodivergence. But, Rare Cannabinoid Co. wants to make it clear that they are in no way making health claims: “Our goal is to make clean, safe, lab-tested products that contain the exact cannabinoid or cannabinoids in the quantities we say they do,” Carlile explains. “That way, if people would like to try a cannabinoid or cannabinoids they can do so easily. We hope that our products help people lead happier, healthier lives.” It’s as simple as that.
This normalization of non-intoxicating, organic compounds has helped make products like Rare Cannabinoids’ more accessible and more appealing than ever before. But, the couple behind the company do think there’s still a lot of work to do in the future.
“We hope the FDA will give its full rules around CBD and cannabinoids soon. That would make it much easier for us to know what we can and cannot say,” Carlile went on to explain, “We are excited for more research into cannabinoids. We want to know what works and also what doesn’t. We believe that there are likely to be many breakthroughs in the future, and we can’t wait to see them.”
The brand understands that there is still a lot more to learn, but they’re willing to do the work. Rare Cannabinoid Company always wants to provide accurate, up-to-date information about their cannabinoids, providing third-party results, studies, and other educational resources to anyone who needs it. And that’s something that you simply cannot say about most cannabinoid brands.
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Experiencing New Support With Rare Cannabinoids’ Products
At the end of the day, Rare Cannabinoid Company is dedicated to providing a new, more personalized cannabis experience than most. The brand aims to not only expand its product line, but also provide cannabinoid education in stores, naturopathic doctor’s offices, and more in the near future.
Take notes, cannabinoid brands! Rare Cannabinoid Co. is a wonderful example of a high-quality, all-encompassing health and wellness brand that truly puts its customers — and their wellbeing — first.