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V O L . X X I I I N O. I I I F E B R UA R Y 6 , 2 0 1 7 18 G R E AT E R P O R T L A N D F O C U S "In the extraction process, you get fats and waxes from the plants," Niesen says. "We look to use pure compounds and isolates." Currently those test results are strictly for WCM's use, as to print any of the results on its packaging would require use of a third-party laboratory, and current laws don't allow such exter- nal laboratories to legally test marijuana, Rosi adds. "We're doing self-imposed safety measures," she says. It's not just about smoking "People think we are a bunch of stoners that smoke just one kind of marijuana and are couch plants," Rosi says. Cannabis can be taken in a num- ber of ways, and there are a couple thousand varieties in two large fami- lies: indica and sativa, each with their own characteristics. Indica plants are small, stubby and used for pain, sleep and mellowing out, she says. Sativa plants are tall and skinny and activate metabolism and the digestive system in cancer patients, for example. ere also are a number of hybrid plants. Cannabis is taken in fi ve primary methods: smoking, vaporizing inhala- tion, sublingual (lozenges and tinctures), ingested (edibles) and transdermal (patch or salve). e activation and duration of its eff ects vary depending on the method and dose. Smoking has a quicker eff ect but it dissipates faster than eating cannabis, which takes lon- ger to act but lasts longer. WCM uses both the fl ower buds that are dried from the plants and an extensive extraction process to use small bud trimmings, leafs that fall off and extracts from fats and waxes, so it uses as much of the plant as possible. e extraction process produces oils and concentrates that are becoming a preferred delivery method, Rosi says, with up to 40% of sales in states like Colorado now composed of concen- trates. Such processing allows for more precise dosing, and it doesn't leave odors on clothing, so patients can work with- out co-workers knowing they are using. Rosi says companies need more robust procedures to identify if an employee is impaired or not, and many times patients can work fi ne on the dosage they take. "People think that because you are using you're abusing," she says, "which isn't the case." ere's a general lack of informa- tion on marijuana itself and how it works. Drug companies typically study mechanisms of drug delivery and how and why a particular compound works, and whether it is safe, before it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for sale. e same is not true with marijuana because of its federal illegal status, Niesen says. ere are more than 2,000 diff erent strains of cannabis, 30 of which WCM processes for medical purposes. Each has diff erent levels of compounds, including tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, which causes the psychological high; cannabidiol, also known as CBD (and there are at least 113 diff erent ones identifi ed in canna- bis), which has more of a therapeutic benefi t; and tarpenes, which create fl avors in medical marijuana that are thought to have a therapeutic eff ect. Rosi notes that 85 other chemical compounds can be identifi ed in each cannabis plant. Depending on their concentration in the plant, they can create diff erent eff ects for patients. " is is an industry coming from the basement," says Rosi. " ere is no sharing of information or intellectual property." She is concerned about the delays to clear procedures for licensing and other issues related to recreational marijuana. " e problem I have is that the longer they delay the process of rec- reational marijuana, the more it will enable an explosion in the black mar- ket," she says, adding that there were moratoria initially in Oregon, but the state put in some stopgap measures to squelch black market activity. Asked about whether she thinks there may be a change in policy at the federal level, she doesn't think the new administration will try to interfere with states that have approved marijuana use. "[President Donald] Trump is a businessman who likes to make money," she says. " is is an over $20 billion market by 2020." 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Portland's Choice for Business Banking www.KatahdinTrust.com 144 US ROUTE ONE | 207-510-7017 SCARBOROUGH People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a People think we are a bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that bunch of stoners that smoke just one kind of marijuana and are couch plants. People think that because you are using you're abusing, which isn't the case. — Patricia Rosi CEO of Wellness Connection of Maine

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