Exclusive Interview: Lexaria CEO Discusses Progress & Plans at O’Cannabiz 2018

The O’Cannabiz Conference and Expo in Vancouver, Canada last month featured hundreds of cannabis companies from around the world this year—and CFN Media was there to film exclusive interviews with many of the leaders in the space.

Lexaria Biosciences Inc. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP), developer of drug delivery technologies for bioactive compounds, is one of the oldest companies in the cannabis industry. After developing DehydraTECH for the pharmaceutical industry, the company pivoted into the cannabis space about five years ago. The patented technology is now an integral part of numerous commercial products across the U.S. and Canada.

CFN Media caught up with CEO Chris Bunka at the conference to discuss the company’s progress over the past year and plans moving forward.

In this article, we will take a closer look at how Lexaria is helping cannabis companies, as well as explore some other opportunities for 2019 and beyond.

Lexaria Improves Cannabis Products

Lexaria’s patented drug delivery technology is designed to make cannabis products taste better, smell better, and quickly enter the bloodstream. Unlike many other drug delivery technologies, DehydraTECH uses only GRAS (generally recognized as safe) ingredients—eliminating the need for any extra labeling requirements—and costs less than a penny per serving to integrate in commercial cannabis products.

DehydraTECH masks the bitter taste and smell of cannabis by encapsulating cannabinoid compounds in a lipid molecule. In addition to these benefits, the approach also improves bioavailability by protecting the cannabinoid compounds from stomach and first-pass liver metabolism. Research has shown that the technology improves bioavailability by five to ten times, while producing a much more rapid onset than conventional edibles.

The company has already commercialized the platform in the U.S. and Canada. For example, Nuka Enterprises LLC licensed the DehydraTECH platform for its 1906 brand of cannabis chocolates and other edibles for the past two years. Since then, the company has grown from a small startup to Colorado’s third largest cannabis chocolate brand with products in over 150 locations—and it’s considered one of the most innovative brands in the space.

Multiple Potential Markets for Licensing

Lexaria’s initial focus has been on the cannabis industry given the significant challenges that edible-makers have faced with masking taste and smell. While the market has provided significant early revenue, the biggest opportunities are in much larger markets measured in the billions of dollars per year in revenue. In fact, the combined end markets for the innovative technology could be measured in the trillions of dollars.

The most near-term opportunities lies in the nicotine market, where it could be used in smoking cessation products. More than half of smokers have indicated that they would like to quit smoking, but nicotine’s addictiveness makes it difficult. Nicotine gum can be effective, but it’s not the best delivery method. DehydraTECH could lead to numerous nicotine products, as well as much more rapid onset—more like that of smoking than chewing.

Management also plans to develop inroads into the traditional pharmaceutical industry—including pain medications—and the wellness industry—such as vitamins. With greater bioavailability and faster onset, these are prime markets where DehydraTECH could make a meaningful difference at a fraction of the cost. These markets are also worth significantly more than the cannabis industry in terms of size.

Looking Ahead

Lexaria Biosciences Inc. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) represents a compelling investment opportunity within the cannabis industry. With over 50 patents pending and ten patents granted, the company is rapidly expanding its addressable market from cannabis to pharmaceuticals, wellness, and other areas. Investors may want to keep a close eye on the company as it continues to roll out in these areas.

For more information, visit the company’s website or download their investor presentation.

Disclaimer

The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

About Ryan Allway

Mr. Allway has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist. He has been actively involved in the cannabis industry since its inception, covering public and private companies.