Oakland-based Chemistry launched its new line of full-spectrum vape cartridges, high CBD tinctures and THCa crystallines at The Emerald Cup this past weekend and placed third in the event's Distillate category.
The Emerald Cup is Northern California’s premiere cannabis gathering and awards show, taking place in early December at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa every year.
"We’re all beaming from our win at this year's Emerald Cup," says Chemistry cofounder Trevar Mazza. "We took home third at the Weed Olympics! Holy cow."
"We had so much fun launching our new brand," adds cofounder and chief chemist Paul Roethle. "It's really an amazing feeling to be recognized for our dedication to recreating the flower experience in the form of a vape cart."
Chemistry's mission is to Stay True to the Plant™, which they achieve by employing a proprietary extraction and refinement process developed by Roethle. Roethle received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from UC Berkeley and spent a good chunk of his career inside the biopharmaceutical industry working on major pharmaceutical medications.
Chemistry's methods are unique in an industry dominated by compressed flammable gas, CO2 and ethanol extraction feeding wiped film and short-path distillation. The company doesn't use any of those techniques.
As a team comprised of scientists, creatives and enthusiasts, Chemistry's staff is obsessed with preserving the molecular profile responsible for a strain’s entourage effect.
"Every business decision we make comes back to this: Are we staying true to the plant?" says Roethle.
And although Chemistry placed in the Distillate category, their full-spectrum oil is the antithesis of uber-refined, THC-dominant distillate.
“We’re not potency chasers. We take what the plant gives us,” says Mazza. “Our full-spectrum extracts retain the nuance of the flower we process, from flavor to effect.”
Chemistry’s extracts retain a more complete spectrum of the molecules responsible for a strain’s entourage effect. These include not only cannabinoids and terpenes, but also flavonoids and other minor molecules that work in harmony to produce a wide range of different end-user experiences.
Their oil, unlike clear distillate, also retains hue.
“We believe the color of our oil is due to flavonoid retention,” says Roethle. “The presence of these molecules is one reason our oil creates a flower-like lift.”
While Chemistry the brand just launched, Roethle and Mazza have been working on Peridot Labs, their other company, for about two years. Peridot Labs launched as a white label contract manufacturer for the cannabis industry, but the duo quickly realized their methods produce an extremely unique product unlike anything else available on the market.
"We were creating these incredible full-spectrum cannabis oils and crystallines with Peridot Labs and decided it would be super fun to build a brand around the technology we developed with that company," says Mazza. "The end result of that is Chemistry: Life in Color."
Science and a deep love for the plant are the foundations of what Roethle and Mazza are doing with Chemistry. Don't discount the playfulness of the brand, though. Chemistry is the coolest kid in class with its bright, modern aesthetic and colorful copy.
"Our intent with Chemistry is to be smart, human and playful," concludes Mazza. "We're the good vibes brand."
Be on the lookout for Chemistry’s entire sweet of full-spectrum extracts at a premier cannabis retailer near you.