Scientific Library of Cannabis Effects

Publication CUSIC-1
Use of Cognalyzer® neurotechnology and other research tools in characterizing the non-therapeutic effects of the Blood Orange, Yuzu & Vanilla Sparkling Juice within the CUSIC™ Observational study framework.

Summary - Product Effect Overview

Summary - Product Effect Overview

Blood Orange, Yuzu & Vanilla Sparkling Juice by Collective Project
Figure #1

Overview

In the Spring of 2022, as part of Zentrela’s large Observational study of the non-therapeutic effects of cannabis, data for a report on 30 participants who consumed Collective Project’s Blood Orange, Yuzu & Vanilla Sparkling Juice was compiled and analyzed. All participants were experienced cannabis consumers and ~80% reported that they used cannabis at least once per month.  The results of this are presented in this publication named: CUSIC™ Study Publication #1 (CUSIC-1).

At Zentrela our priority is helping consumers better understand the non-therapeutic experience that legal cannabis products may create. This CUSIC-1 study publication begins by presenting a high-level overview (Figure #1 displayed above) of the characterized cannabis effects created by this product in a way that is quick and easy for everyone to understand. In the following sections we will then detail how we used Cognalyzer® neurotechnology, other research tools and the CUSIC™ research methodology to produce these CUSIC-1 study results in an unbiased, scientific, and objective way. Our goal is to become a source of trusted consumer information in a sea of misinformation about cannabis effects.

See below a quick explanation/description of each cannabis effect insight displayed in the product effect overview (Figure #1):

CONSUMPTION INFORMATION: The average time it took the research participants to finish consuming the product.  All participants in our study chose to consume the full can.

ONSET TIME:  The onset time number is an estimate of when your brain may start experiencing the psychoactive effects of this product, expressed in minutes after you have finished consuming the product. Using our Cognalyzer® neurotechnology which measures the instantaneous level of cannabis effects by detecting and quantifying the intensity of the psychoactive effects on  your brain, we define the onset time as the time when the intensity level rises above 1.0 on our scale of 0-10.  Our methods calculate an estimate of this time as a  range – it is eighty percent (80%) likely that you will start experiencing the psychoactive effects of this product sometime within this time range. Go to the Psychoactive Effect Analysis section to understand how Cognalyzer® neurotechnology was used to determine this based on brainwave analysis.

MAX INTENSITY: Cognalyzer® neurotechnology measures the instantaneous level of cannabis effects by detecting and quantifying the intensity of the psychoactive effects on  your brain.  Psychoactive effect intensity is calculated by measuring the amount of time that your brainwaves are showing patterns of changes associated with acute cannabis intake over a short 2 minute test.  The max intensity value is an estimate of the highest intensity that the average participant will encounter over the course of a complete cannabis experience.  This value is shown as a range – this tells you the potential range of levels of cannabis psychoactive effect  that you might encounter during the peak intensity level of the complete cannabis experience.  Our calculations indicate that you are 80% likely to experience a ‘peak’ level that falls within this range.  Up to 20% of consumers may experience a max intensity either below or above this range.  You can find the scientific explanation in the section  “Psychoactive Effect Analysis”.

MAX INTENSITY TIME (WHEN): This measure is also calculated using the instantaneous level of cannabis effects from the  Cognalyzer®  neurotechnology measurements.  By determining the Max Intensity (above), we are also able to determine the time that this peak intensity occurs.  This is expressed in minutes after consumption is finished.  The scientific explanation for this measurement can also be found in the section  “Psychoactive Effect Analysis”. 

MAX INTENSITY DURATION:  After the maximum intensity is reached, the psychoactive effects typically fade away gradually.  By measuring how long it takes for the instantaneous level of cannabis effects from the  Cognalyzer®  neurotechnology measurements to drop by >1.0 points on our 0-10 scale from the MAX INTENSITY level,  we determine the MAX INTENSITY DURATION , which is an estimate of the amount of time after you have reached the MAX INTENSITY level that you will experience relatively intense effects. Go to the next section to understand how Cognalyzer® neurotechnology was used to determine this based on brainwave analysis.

CHANGES IN MOOD: This section will provide a list of the three most dominant mood changes characterized after consuming a cannabis product. Please go to the section  “Mood Effect Analysis” to learn more detailed information about mood effects.

RELAXATION: With 90% confidence, this study suggests that after consuming their cannabis product, participants felt 56% more relaxed (less energized) across the 5 hour experience compared to their baseline mood levels reported before consuming it. 

SERENE: With 90% confidence, this study suggests that around 5 hrs after consuming their cannabis product, participants felt 47% more serene (less tense) compared to their baseline mood levels reported before consuming it. 

PEACEFUL: With 90% confidence, this study suggests that around 5 hrs after consuming their cannabis product, participants felt 40% more peaceful (less angry) compared to their baseline mood levels reported before consuming it.

General Note: This product’s cannabis effect profile was characterized based on the responses of thirty consumers of this product who participated in our research. Human factors may create variability in these values (e.g. a new cannabis consumer may experience more intense psychoactive effects outside the range of max intensity characterized here). The product effects described here apply exclusively to this product.  Product effects depend on many factors including THC content, content of other cannabinoids, and product formulation factors such as emulsification techniques or non-cannabis ingredients.  Products with similar THC levels can produce different effects and will have different onset times, PEL levels, mood effects, etc.

If you have any questions about this study results or any additional questions about this product, please go to “Feedback is Welcome” to share your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you.

Psychoactive Effect Analysis

CUSIC™ Psychoactive Effect Profile

Figure #2

Methodology

Figure 2 shows the characterization of the psychoactive effect profile of the Blood Orange, Yuzu, Vanilla Sparkling juice based on novel brainwave analysis powered by Cognalyzer® neurotechnology. It also includes psychoactive effects reported by participants at each of the KEY three points: onset, peak and at 5 hours after consumption to provide additional context on the experience created by this product.

A novel EEG-based method developed by Zentrela Inc. for quantifying cannabis psychoactive effect levels (PEL) called the Cognalyzer® Test was used to gather objective consumer PEL data for this report. Instead of measuring levels of THC in oral fluid, urine, blood, or breath, the Cognalyzer® quantifies the cannabis psychoactive effect level by detecting the presence and consistency of THC-linked alterations in brainwaves. It is an objective solution for quantification of cannabis effects.

Results

Psychoactivity Time Profile:  Cognalyzer® measurements of the cannabis psychoactive effect level are taken every 5 minutes for the first hour after finishing consumption of the product, and then every hour after that for a total of 5 hours.  These measurements taken on the 30 participants in our study are combined and analyzed to produce the graph in Figure #2.  The middle (dotted) line shows the average response of the participants in the general consumer group.  The solid lines above and below this show the range of psychoactive effect level responses that 80% of consumers can expect to experience.

Onset Time:  In the general consumer group, participants experienced a mean onset time of 17.8 minutes after finishing consuming the product.  The onset time is an estimate of when your brain may start experiencing the psychoactive effects of this product.  Using our Cognalyzer® neurotechnology which measures the instantaneous level of cannabis effects by detecting and quantifying the intensity of the psychoactive effects on  your brain, we define the ONSET TIME as the time when the intensity level rises above 1.0 on our scale of 0-10.  Our statistical modeling methods calculate an estimate of this time as a  range – it is eighty percent (80%) likely that you will start experiencing the psychoactive effects of this product sometime within the range of 14-21 minutes.

Peak PEL:  In the general consumer group, participants experienced a mean peak PEL of 4.6 on our scale of 0-10. Based on our statistical modeling, a consumer is 80% likely to experience a peak PEL in the range of 3.8-5.5.  This peak occurred at the 120-minute mark after finishing consumption of the product.  This relatively high intensity lasted 75 minutes before dropping below 3.6 (a 1.0 drop).

PEL @5hr: In the general consumer group, participants experienced a mean peak PEL of 2.7 at 5 hours after consumption, with an 80% range of 2.2-3.3

The objective, Cognalyzer-characterized psychoactive effect profile is enriched with subjective psychoactive effects reported by the participants in this study. We list the top three reported effects and how many times they are reported (e.g. 15 times out of 30 participations). 

  • At the onset, 43% felt a body high, 27% felt their senses were more perceptive, and 23% felt time slowed down. 
  • At the peak, 67% felt a body high, 53% felt their mind wanders, 43% felt their senses were more perceptive. 
  • At 5 hours after consumption, 50% felt their mind wanders, 40% felt a body high, 37% felt they were thinking deeper.

If you have any questions that we do not address, please go to “Feedback is Welcome” to share your thoughts. We’d love to learn what additional information about this product you may be interested in learning.

Mood Effect Analysis

CUSIC™ Mood Effect Profile

Figure #3

Methodology

Figure #3 provides additional context about the mood experience created by the Blood Orange, Yuzu, Vanilla Sparkling Juice for participants in the general consumer group. The Zentrela consumer experience profile includes a mood assessment that occurs once just before cannabis intake, and then at hourly intervals for 5 hours after intake. 

The mood of the participant is assessed by completion of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS; Terry et al., 1999, 2003).  This 24-item questionnaire of simple mood descriptors such as angry, nervous, unhappy, and refreshed is answered by “selecting which option best describes how you feel right now”, in response to 24 items such as “panicky” with the options being “not at all”, “a little”, “moderately”, “quite a lot” or “extremely” which is in turn quantified as a rating on a scale of 0-5.   The items are scored on six subscales: anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigour. Subdividing moods into these 6 subscales has been an accepted procedure in the psychological literature for more than 20 years.  For ease of understanding we have characterized the endpoints of these subscales according to the following descriptors:

Anxiety — Serenity (tension) 

Confused — Lucid (confusion) 

Angry — Peaceful (anger) 

Unhappiness — Happiness (depression) 

Alert — Relaxed (vigour)

Fatigued — Refreshed (fatigue)

After measuring the initial mood profile of a participant before consuming the product, we use this information as a baseline and then calculate mood changes that occur from this baseline, in either a positive or negative direction, over the course of the cannabis consumption experience.  The data from all the participants are combined into one measure of mood change on each of the 6 scales, ranging from 0-100% in either direction.  In this figure we present the mood changes at 2 separate times – at the peak (120 minutes) and at the 5 hour point after consumption.  We only show the mood effects that are backed with strong statistical power (90% level of confidence), which means that we are reasonably certain that most of the research participants actually experienced such mood changes:

Results

At the peak, which occurred 120 minutes after consumption,  participants experienced an increase of 22% in serenity, an increase of 40% in relaxation, and an increase of 34% in happiness.

At 5 hours after consumption, participants experienced an increase of 47% in serenity, an increase of 72% in relaxation, an increase of 36% in happiness, and an increase of 40% in peacefulness.

If you have any questions that we do not address, please go to “Feedback is Welcome” to share your thoughts. We’d love to learn what additional information about this product you may be interested in learning.

Other Reported Effects

CUSIC™ Effects Profile

Figure #4

Methodology

Figure #4 provides one additional perspective about the cannabis experience created by this product for participants in the general consumer group. This information was generated from a subjective cannabis effect questionnaire that allowed participants to select from a comprehensive list of potential positive and negative effects that they experienced. For each reported effect we specified how many times it was reported. e.g., “Sleepy“ was reported by 15 out of the 30 participants at peak.

Study participants answer subjective survey questions 6 times in the first 30 minutes after product consumption, then once every 15 minutes until 1 hour after product consumption. After the first hour, these questions are answered once every 30 minutes until 2 hours after product consumption. From then on, these questions are answered once at every hour until 5 hours after consumption

Results

For general consumers of Collective Project’s Blood Orange, Yuzu & Vanilla Sparkling Juice, the following effects were reported (top three only are listed).

At the onset, (28/30) felt calm/unconcerned/ease/relaxed, (12/30) felt focused/thoughtful, and (11/30) felt relief/joy/comfort/healthy. At the peak, (26/30) felt calm/unconcerned/ease/relaxed, (15/30) felt sleepy, and (13/30) felt anxious. At 5 hours after consumption, (27/30) felt calm/unconcerned/ease/relaxed, (19/30) felt sleepy, and (12/30) felt anxious.

If you have any questions that we do not address, please go to “Feedback is Welcome” to share your thoughts. We’d love to learn what additional information about this product you may be interested in learning.

About the CUSIC™ Scientific Research Framework

CUSIC™ Study Publication #1 - Scientific Research Information

About the CUSIC™ Scientific Research Framework

Research Organization and Sponsor: Zentrela Inc.
Scientific Research Model:
CUSIC™ non-therapeutic cannabis effect research
Health Canada’s Research Framework:
Observational Study approved by an independent ethics research board (IRB)
Independent Ethics Research Board (IRB):
Advarra Inc.
Consumer Attestation:
Full informed consent form reviewed and approved by the IRB.
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Dan Bosnyak
ERB-approved Research Protocol ID:
Z-CUSIC-02
Product GTIN#:
00813862000022
Cannabis Administration:
The participants in our study brought their own cannabis products and freely consumed them under our observation. Additionally, Zentrela validated that the participants obtained the products from the legally regulated Canadian market.
Study Participation Duration:
6 hrs
Study Group Size:
30 research participants
Research Tools:
Portable non-invasive Cognalyzer® neurotechnology, BRUMS, cannabis effect questionnaires.
Zentrela’s CUSIC Research Facility Location:
CL1 231 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8P 1J4, CANADA.

Feedback Welcome!

We are big believers that consumers deserve access to objective, scientific data to help inform their decisions about cannabis consumption and purchase.

We welcome any feedback on how we can improve the presentation of our scientific data. Were there any terms you did not understand, did we provide you with the data you wanted? Take a moment to provide your thoughts, we want your feedback!

Partner With Us

We are committed to collaborating with other members of the cannabis industry to improve consumer education.

If you are a retailer or cannabis brand we can help you build objective, scientific educational programs that will help your consumers understand the unique effects created by your products.

If you are a cannabis technology provider contact us to learn how we can help you enhance the core functionality of your solution by integrating our cannabis effect data.

Similarly, if you are a non-commercial social advocacy, regulatory or governmental organization, we can partner with you to provide data to educate cannabis consumers and advance your organization’s objectives.

Contact us to explore how we could partner with your organization!

Where Can I Buy?

The following retailers in the Hamilton ON region have received the training and scientific data to educate consumers on the effects created by Collective Project’s Blood Orange, Yuzu & Vanilla Sparkling Juice. 

The Gym Cannabis

The Niagara Herbalist

Queen George Cannabis

 

Participate In Our Research

CUSIC™ observational studies are designed to generate a scientific database of consumer experiences created by the consumption of recreational cannabis products. 

Our research protocols are designed in strict accordance with Health Canada guidelines for observational studies and they are subjected for review by an independent research ethics board. More details about Health Canada guidelines for observational studies can be found online

We are always looking for new research participants to expand our research. Participation consists of bringing your preferred cannabis product and consuming it at our consumer research facility in Hamilton, ON. We will use our neurotechnology and other scientific tests to document the experiences created by your recreational product. The time commitment is 6 hours and we are offering a $120 –  $140 honorarium (plus snacks to alleviate the munchies)! 

We are currently looking for cannabis consumers between the age of 19 and 45 that live in the Hamilton, ON region to participate in our next observational study. 

If you are interested in participating in this study, please register below and share your contact information. A Zentrela research lead will reach out soon.

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