Mera Cannabis Corp has just introduced a traditional RSO tincture to the Canadian market —a development that company executives are hailing as a milestone. They describe it as the first product of its kind on this country’s legal market and they expect it to make a big impact.
Ben Gottlieb, the company’s vice president of marketing and product development, notes that RSO has been popular on the legacy market since it was created by Canadian engineer Rick Simpson to treat his skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) in 2003.
Many cannabis users have long claimed that the full extract cannabis oil, which contains more THC than most oils, is an effective treatment for conditions ranging from inflammation to insomnia. Simpson gave away his oil for free until 2009 when he stopped for legal reasons.
Sold under the Ellevia brand, the new tincture contains 60-68% THC and less than 5% CBD. The terpenes are Caryophyllene, Farnesene-2, Humulene, Bisabolol. The product also features a Klik applicator, which utilizes a dial to ensure a precise amount of product (25 milligrams) is dispensed with each use.
“It’s not a pretty oil — it’s definitely on the darker side — and it doesn’t taste very good. But what it does offer is a full spectrum of benefits,” says Gottlieb.
In addition to being darker, RSO tinctures are more viscous and have a stronger flavour than other ‘full spectrum’ oils. Since the final product doesn’t use carrier oils like MCT, the texture is more like peanut butter.
The product, which is now being sold by the Ontario Cannabis Store, can be smoked, used topically or eaten because it’s decarboxylated. Gottlieb believes this versatility combined with an affordable price— an MSRP of $32.95—will help make it “incredibly attractive” to consumers.
He believes the launch of this product could be a game-changer. “I believe the introduction of this cannabis product and some others to the marketplace at relatively low price points signals that the legal market is not just competing with the legacy market but potentially undercutting it,” he says.
“I believe that when it comes to adult-use cannabis, the legal market is starting to catch up to the legacy market because it creates value for the cannabis consumer.”
“Our product is new to the legal market but RSO tincture has been around for years,” adds Gottlieb. “We realize that we’re standing on the shoulders of those who paved the way for us.”
