Derek Hopkins, Manufacturer of PowerCap®, Aims to Solve It
In this exclusive interview, wespoke with Derek Hopkins, President of Liquid Health Labs, Inc. (LHL), and manufacturer of PowerCap® regarding howhe plans to solve the cannabis industry’s largest problem: dosing.
T&T: Dosing for THC and CBD is one of the industry’s biggest problems. How do you think your technology addresses proper dosing of CBD/THC products?
Derek: LHL has specialized in precise dosing and infusion technology for nearly 15 years. For commercialization, we strategically license our dosing cap technology and market proprietary brands. We developed and tested two CBD-infused products with 10 and 25 milligrams of water-soluble powder, and all-natural flavors, colors and sweeteners to prove the concept.Think of K-Cup®for coffee and tea.We offer asingle-serve pod product with a similar distribution model for health and wellness,PowerCap® Nutrition Pods™.
How does PowerCap®work, and what makes itunique?
Our unique differentiator is our Universal PowerCap®, a cap that fits on multiple threads. Put it in your pocket, put it in your purse; it’s a great, convenient way to transport any beverageon-the-go. You simply buy water in the store, or we have a BPA-free bottle you can use multiple times. Snap the Universal PowerCap® onto the bottle, push the top button down and the active ingredients release,infusing into your water. Our technology can deliver liquid concentrates and powders.
Most enhanced beverage manufacturers batch and hot-fill their productsat 185-192°F to prevent bacterial growth. Heat, light and liquid degrade most ingredients.So, what happens if you label 100% vitamin C in your CBD beverage? How do you compensate for the degradation of active ingredients during the hot-fill production,stability while moving through distribution, and while at retail in various storage and merchandising scenarios? It’s very difficult to maintain stability in a liquid. It’s a battle getting finished products correct during production at scale, as well as maintaining stability over the life of the product.Stability is one key solution addressed with PowerCap®.
Why does PowerCap® work with CBD/THC dosing?
Precise dosing for suppliers helps limit degradation and increase stability, limit cost of ingredient overages, distribute beverages without the cost of shipping liquids, offer ingredients not stable in liquids expanding product opportunities, and meet label claims. For patients and consumers, precise dosage is difficult to control with edibles, and this is also wherenegative effects override medication intent. Therefore, consuming precise dosages of THC and CBDcan help minimize what we define as “misconsumption” (intake varies for individual medical needs and tolerances). When consumers have confidence in the dosage ofingredients on the label, your products and brand gain valuable consumer credibility.
LHLengaged in a study with Ohio StateUniversity, Department of Food Science and Technology,comparing ingredient degradation using PowerCap®compared with hot-fill produced enhanced beverages. Results supported steep degradation with hot-fill and excellent chemical stability with PowerCap®Technology.Protecting the integrity of the ingredients and product offering is key to a sustainable business. PowerCap®is successful delivering liquids, water-soluble powders, and nanotechnology-based liquids.
Does PowerCap®rely on preservatives and fillers?
In the cannabis industry, all-natural and organic ingredients are boss. Liquids usually need preservatives and some natural ones are available. Powders within PowerCap® maintain stability without added preservatives.
How can medical suppliers take advantage of the PowerCap®?
For our medical cannabisstrategic partners, we’re exploring state-by-state, country-by-country licensing deals. Sharing our existing and future collective R&D helps expand product offerings. We see many of the same products from company-to-company and new delivery system innovations are a key differentiator.
PowerCap®is relevant to the medical side as an option for patients to drink a beverage that tastes good.Additionally, LHL works with a team of neurologists and cardiologists focused on opiate addiction, PTSD, and autonomic dysfunction, creating testing solutions and supplement formulations as alternatives to opioids.
Our cannabis offerings range from licensing our brands and technology to strategic partners where R&D and production is conducted at their facilities, to providing afull turn-key solution, providing a concept, development of the ingredients, manufacturing and finished product. We’ve developed 2 oz. shots to 20 oz. bottles. Our intellectual property ranges with many years in the consumer packaged goods industry sustained with industry know-how to our issued patents in North America, Europe, South Africa, and China with others pending.
Besides CBD/THC, have you experimented with terpenes?
We have! It can be challenging to mask earthier tastes (like terpenes and THC), but we’ve had good success with masking and learned through consumer testing that people are comfortable with that essence and its offering. We plan to continue testing using different terpenes.
Thanks so much for your time, Derek. Are there any takeaways you would like to share?
At the end of the day we are a delivery system. We deliver products that have label credibility. Put active ingredients in our PowerCaps®, drop them in water, and boom – you have stability, convenience, and a fun factor. Above all, we understand our role and goals of precision dosing in the cannabis industry.
For more information about Liquid Health Labs and PowerCap®Technologies, visit http://mypowercap.com/or email info@mypowercap.com.
