“Start low, go slow” could soon be a cannabis slogan of the past, thanks to a new partnership that combines rapid-onset dosing with one of the most popular cannabis edibles brands nationwide. Leading edibles company Wana Brands has entered into a multiyear agreement to license rapid-onset infusion technology from New York City-based CBD-sugar maker Azuca. The partnership comes amid rising demand from consumers for products that hit fast and fade fast — and that won't get consumers scary high.

“We have been carefully ー some might say obsessively ー tracking the space for two years, and we have tried every product that we can get our hands on in the marketplace,” said Wana Brands co-founder and CEO Nancy Whiteman. “We didn’t personally find that most of them were very effective in terms of delivering quick onset, so we were really looking for a better solution … We found it in Azuca.”

Wana Brands wouldn’t disclosed exactly what types of products the company intends to create with Azuca’s proprietary process and resulting infused sugars, simple syrups, and stevia drops, but Whiteman said consumers should expect the offerings to go past the sublingual oils and sprays consumers have come to expect of rapid onset products. Wana’s products will fall into the still developing Wana Quick product line dedicated specifically to fast-acting cannabis ー the company's response to a gap Whiteman saw in the market for rapid-onset edibles that actually work.

“There are a lot of situations where people would really enjoy the effects of an edible, but they are not in a spot where they can devote four to six hours to that experience,” Whiteman said. “I think the quick-onset product opens up the category, if you will, to a lot more situations and a lot more people.”

Wana Brands CEO and co-founder Nancy Whiteman stands with infused gummies. / Photo Credit: Wana Brands

Whiteman is hardly alone in her thinking. Rapid onset products have arisen in response to new types of consumers searching for a wider diversity of products as cannabis enters the mainstream. The new product line will address edible products’ well-earned reputation for getting consumers way too high in the 60 to 90 minutes it takes them to kick in.

Enter Azuca.

Azuca founder Ron Silver, a chef and owner of Bubby’s restaurants in New York, is credited with developing the process to produce products that hit within four to 15 minutes. Called TiME (Thermodynamic individual Molecular Encapsulation) , the infusion process breaks cannabinoids down to the molecular level to make them water-friendly so they are more quickly absorbed and processed by the body. The result, Azuca says, is a more abbreviated experience that is easily to replicate from dose to dose. And since the technology was chef-formulated, it tastes good too.

“We are really excited to work with Wana, in particular, because we are very committed to being true to our culinary roots. We are culinary first. The flavor profile and quality of the edible is very important to us, and Wana is also very committed to quality product and flavor profile," Kim Rael, CEO and president of Azuca, said.

Wana Brands, which is well known for its popular THC-infused gummies, had been on the search for rapid onset technology for the better part of two years, until, that is, Whiteman found Rael. The two met, as so many in cannabis do, at MJBizCon in Las Vegas almost exactly a year ago. The two were immediately taken with each others' companies and teams, as well as with a sense of shared mission.

“It really was originally one of those chance meetings, but as it evolved I think what Nancy and I have found, as well as our teams, is that we’ve developed a strong sense of trust. Business relationships are all about the people,” Rael said. “And I think we have a very aligned commitment to innovation and to really helping the cannabis consumer have the experience they are seeking and to do that in a safe and predictable way.”

Azuca's hemp-infused sugars. / Photo Credit: @ladiesofparadise, @muh_riah, and @sunnny.daze (Instagram)

Of course, partnerships like this one with Wana Brands are par for the course for Azuca. The company does create its own, proprietary products, but at the moment only works with CBD and hemp. Any THC-infused Azuca products are created via licensing agreements, like with Wana and Mayflower Medicinals, a medical cannabis dispensary owned by iAnthus Capital in Massachusetts. Per terms of the agreement, partners infuse their own THC into Azuca ingredients using the company’s technology. The product is then co-branded, meaning partners declare Azuca has been used in the product, kind of like "Diet Coke sweetened with Splenda."

Rael said the company has additional partnerships in the works, and is gearing up to offer new Azuca hemp and CBD products directly to consumers in the coming weeks.

As for Wana Brands, Whiteman said the next year is all about growth and rapid-onset technology. Within the next year, the company hopes to expand from seven to 12 states.

"Quick-onset will be a big area of focus for us in the coming year. So we've got a pretty robust product development line that we will be rolling out," she said.