Boulder Valley companies cooperate on edible to curb appetite

BOULDER and BROOMFIELD — Wana Brands debuted Wana Optimals Fit Gummies, an edible product meant to curb appetite, a press release said. Its active ingredient comes from ECS Brands Ltd. in Broomfield.

“We understand the transformative power of the endocannabinoid system and the essential role it plays in regulating our body” to maintain balance, Wana vice president of innovation Mike Hennesy said. “We are addressing one of the underlying conditions causing weight gain — unhealthy eating habits.”

The release said the product’s active ingredient tetrahydrocannabivarin or THCV can “enhance focus, lift energy and actually curb appetite.” The more widely known THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is said to boost appetite. The gummies “contain a trace amount of THC” of about 0.1 mg.

Wana gets the THCV from Broomfield-based hemp ingredients maker ECS Brands’ varin oil. An ECS press release in July said the oil cut hunger, food cravings and anxiety in a study it conducted.

The study was funded by a National Institutes of Health grant and CBD products distributor SunFlora Inc. in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“The results far exceeded our expectations,” ECS Brands CEO Arthur Jaffee said in Wana’s press release.

The gummies are second in a “Wana Optimals” line. The first was a sleep product launched in September.

Wana Brands is a trade name of Mountain High Products LLC, which was founded in 2010.

It was on the 2021 Inc. 5000 list with three-year growth of 204%.

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