ENTOURAGE EFFECT
The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of its Parts
One plus one equals two right? Are there any situations that you can think of where one plus one can equal more than two? Certainly not in mathematics, but when you are talking about plant chemistry and the effects of various compounds working in conjunction in your body, it is not only possible but something that is relied upon to accurately target and predict outcomes. In short: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
The Entourage Effect is the idea that various plant compounds found in the cannabis species, when present in your body simultaneously, can have unique or amplified effects that may or may not be felt or greatly diminished without those compounds being present at the same time (See: Bioavailability). It is the Entourage effect that gives us the ability to target the experiences of our products with a great deal of precision and efficacy. It also lies at the heart of the Resonate System.
Another interesting little historical tidbit is that the concept of the “Entourage Effect” has been around for thousands of years. It is well known that different strains of cannabis affect people in different yet predictable ways. The traditional cannabis categories of “sativas”, “indicas” and “hybrids” (more “stimulative”, “sedative”, and some combination of the two respectively) are a result genetic expression of a cannabis strain’s concentrations of terpenes and cannabinoids.
A good example of the Entourage Effect is a very commonly found terpene in cannabis called Beta-Myrcene. Beta-Myrcene in isolation is known to be on the slightly sedative side. Delta-9 THC by itself is also slightly sedative in nature (among other attributes like euphoric). However, when you combine both Beta-Myrcene and Delta-9 THC, that combination produces an even greater level of sedation than either of those two things separately (holding all other things constant). Many individuals that have used products with high levels of Beta-Myrcene and D9THC know this “combined effect” very intimately and it is colloquially known as “couchlock”.
That is just one example of a known effect from just two plant compounds; one terpene with one cannabinoid. The best known complimentary cannabinoid pairing is THC and CBD which work cooperatively to reduce inflammation and pain. With every additional compound added to a formulation or found in a cannabis strain/chemovar, the interaction between the compounds becomes increasingly complex. That complexity means that actions between different terpenes and cannabinoids are still being discovered. It also means that with a well thought out KOAN formulation there is a huge amount of possibilities in terms of precision targeting.
In summary, it is through the exploration and further development of Entourage Effect itself that allows KOAN developers to predict the kinds of experiences that you can have when choosing an experiential target on the Resonate System. We can tune up the desirable characteristics of a product and diminish or even eliminate the undesirable effects that can occur with “muddy” interactions between various plant compounds. As you can imagine, the complexity of formulation in service of experience targeting becomes even more challenging as you manage the impact of how the compounds are delivered such as converting naturally ‘hydrophobic” oils into a water compatible state and adding other plant adaptogens.
Our effective understanding and crafting around the Entourage Effect is why so many of the people who have used our blends consistently comment on how clean they are. Frequently, users of cannabis products complain about not knowing how strong the experience is going to be or why the experience can be so “muddy.” Precision crafting, testing and an obsessive commitment to a deeper understanding of cannabis components helps us create precise, well calibrated products that are effective, predictable and beneficial. We are mastering the art of experience, but the choice of the experience is yours. Therefore, the active ingredient really is you.
