Understanding the endocannabinoid system
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that helps regulate bodily functions like learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, pain control, immune responses, and hunger. You've probably heard of one famous cannabinoid: THC, the active ingredient in cannabis . But cannabinoids don't just come from plants. Our bodies naturally produce tons of endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids for short). These molecules interact with receptors and enzymes to help the body maintain a balanced state called homeostasis. Exogenous cannabinoids like THC work by "hijacking" this natural system.
Endocannabinoids
Endocannabinoids are molecules that send signals to the body by binding with endocannabinoid receptors. The first known endocannabinoid was named anandamide after the Sanskrit word for bliss: ananda.
Receptors
Two types of receptors interpret endocannabinoid signals.
CB1 receptors are mostly found in the central nervous system.
CB2 receptors are mostly found in the peripheral nervous system.
THC works by activating both receptors.
Enzymes
Lastly, enzymes help accelerate biochemical reactions and break down endocannabinoids once they've carried out their signaling funtion.
Understanding the endocannabinoid system
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that helps regulate bodily functions like learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, pain control, immune responses, and hunger. You've probably heard of one famous cannabinoid: THC, the active ingredient in cannabis . But cannabinoids don't just come from plants. Our bodies naturally produce tons of endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids for short). These molecules interact with receptors and enzymes to help the body maintain a balanced state called homeostasis. Exogenous cannabinoids like THC work by "hijacking" this natural system.
Endocannabinoids
Endocannabinoids are molecules that send signals to the body by binding with endocannabinoid receptors. The first known endocannabinoid was named anandamide after the Sanskrit word for bliss: ananda.
Receptors
Two types of receptors interpret endocannabinoid signals.
CB1 receptors are mostly found in the central nervous system.
CB2 receptors are mostly found in the peripheral nervous system.
THC works by activating both receptors.
Enzymes
Lastly, enzymes help accelerate biochemical reactions and break down endocannabinoids once they've carried out their signaling funtion.
Meet Soft Landing's active ingredient: beta-caryophyllene
Beta-caryophyllene (BCP) is a type of cannabinoid molecule called a terpene. If you're a cannabis connoisseur, you may be familiar with terpenes. They occur naturally in cannabis and are sometimes added to strains to affect flavor or mood.
BCP also occurs naturally in herbs, spices and edible plants. It has been shown to counteract the psychoactive effects of THC by binding to the CB2 receptors to restore cognitive function, increase spatial awareness, and reduce anxiety. BCP has been used as a food additive for decades and is on the FDA's list of ingredients generally recognized as safe.
We have sourced the highest quality BCP from a variety of plant sources. During our R&D process, we tested different combinations of BCP sources to find the optimal synergistic effect for our Canna-Calm Mix™.
The evidence behind our active ingredient
At Soft Landing, nothing is more important to us than the effectiveness of our product. That's why we commissioned Dr. Oren Levy, a noted medical researcher and cannabinoid expert, to conduct a review of the peer-reviewed literature on BCP, spanning over 50 studies. His review found that BCP counteracts the psychoactive effects of THC, improves cognitive function and memory, alleviates anxiety, reduces neuroinflammation, and mitigates oxidative stress. A few examples from these studies are included below:
Cognitive function & memory
% of maze entries that were "novel"
One study used rats and mazes to study spatial recognition memory. Rats first had their memories impaired, and then some were given BCP to fix it. The latter performed twice as well in the maze as the impaired rats, even outperforming the control group.
Source: Youssef, D. A., El-Fayoumi, H. M., & Mahmoud, M. F. (2019). Beta-caryophyllene alleviates diet-induced neurobehavioral changes in rats: The role of CB2 and PPAR-γ receptors. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 110, 145–154.
Anxiety & paranoia
Time spend digging (seconds)
Another study analyzed digging in mice as an example of anxiety-induced behavior. Compared to a control group, mice treated with beta-caryophyllene reduced the amount of time they spent digging by 70% during the experiment.
Source: Bahi, A., Al Mansouri, S., Al Memari, E., Al Ameri, M., Nurulain, S. M., & Ojha, S. (2014). β-Caryophyllene, a CB2 receptor agonist produces multiple behavioral changes relevant to anxiety and depression in mice. Physiology & Behavior, 135, 119–124.
Oxidative stress
MDA (microns per mg protein)
A third study examined BCP's effect in reducing oxidative damage, a driver of neurodegenerative diseases. Mice received oxidative damage; some were then given BCP. Those given BCP saw a dramatic reduction in MDA, a biomarker for oxidative damage, with levels below the control .
Source: Ojha, S., Javed, H., Azimullah, S., & Haque, M. E. (2016). β-Caryophyllene, a phytocannabinoid attenuates oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, glial activation, and salvages dopaminergic neurons in a rat model of Parkinson disease. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 418(1–2), 59–70.
The evidence behind Soft Landing's formula
With our active ingredient identified, we set out to develop the optimal recipe to maximize its effects. We experimented, sampled and sourced the highest quality ingredients to develop our proprietary Canna-Calm™ mix. An independent cannabis nurse, Jessilyn Dolan, conducted a study of Soft Landing's effectiveness with a group of pilot testers.
~80% of study participants found Soft Landing effective in reducing their high
~40% average decrease in high intensity, self-reported on a scale of 1-10
~2 pieces of Soft Landing on average to return to comfortable levels
"I took a few puffs off my one hitter to calm some nausea, and got REALLY TOO HIGH. I was about to pass out when I remembered I had [Soft Landing] on the kitchen table. I ate one piece...five minutes later, I felt better."
- Jimmy Y
"The effectiveness was perfect... I consider myself a light weight since I’ve only been using THC for two years and having a product like this puts my mind at ease when I’ve had a bit too much."
- Prudence K
"I definitely became more functional when I needed to take the dogs out...I’d buy this just to have on hand in case I need to snap out of a high again."
- Trent C
"It worked for me and I would definitely recommend this to my patients."
- Evelyn E
"After the first two squares my psychoactive high went down dramatically...for me, it was effective immediately."
- Au C
"I don't know if the spicy tingles in my mouth brought me away from my high, but something in the chocolate for sure did."
- Hannah S
"20mg is more than I ever consume and I get paranoid high so I was nervous. I did feel that Soft Landing helped take that edge off and bring me down to a comfortable level."
- Lauren B
"It's like the flavor snapped my mind out of feeling high...it was so extremely cool how it felt like the Soft Landing chocolate was “tricking” my mind...Great product!"
- Kassandra B
Feedback from our pilot study
~80% of study participants found Soft Landing effective in reducing their high
~40% avg decrease in high intensity, self-reported on a scale of 1-10
~2 pieces of Soft Landing on average to return to comfortable levels
Soft Landing's active ingredient, beta-caryophyllene (BCP), counteracts the psychoactive effects of THC by blocking its activity at your brain's CB2 receptors. An independent study of Soft Landing's effectiveness, conducted by a cannabis nurse, confirms it really works.
The evidence behind Soft Landing's formula
"I took a few puffs off my one hitter to calm some nausea, and got REALLY TOO HIGH. I was about to pass out when I remembered I had [Soft Landing] on the kitchen table. I ate one piece...five minutes later, I felt better."
- Jimmy Y
"The effectiveness was perfect... I consider myself a light weight since I’ve only been using THC for two years and having a product like this puts my mind at ease when I’ve had a bit too much."
- Prudence K
"I definitely became more functional when I needed to take the dogs out...I’d buy this just to have on hand in case I need to snap out of a high again."
- Trent C
"It worked for me and I would definitely recommend this to my patients."
- Evelyn E
"After the first two squares my psychoactive high went down dramatically...for me, it was effective immediately."
- Au C
"I don't know if the spicy tingles in my mouth brought me away from my high, but something in the chocolate for sure did."
- Hannah S
"20mg is more than I ever consume and I get paranoid high so I was nervous. I did feel that Soft Landing helped take that edge off and bring me down to a comfortable level."
- Lauren B
"It's like the flavor snapped my mind out of feeling high...it was so extremely cool how it felt like the Soft Landing chocolate was “tricking” my mind...Great product!"
- Kassandra B
-- Feedback from our pilot study --
Meet our scientific consultants
Oren Levy, PhD, MBA
Oren Levy is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, studying inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Levy also spent three years as Vice President of R&D at Parallel, one of the largest cannabinoid therapeutics companies in the US. In this role, he led a research team focused on pre-clinical and clinical development of cannabinoid therapeutics for pain management and opioid use disorders. His research has yielded 5 patents, 27 invited lectures, 2 book chapters and 37 published manuscripts with over 4,000 citations in peer-reviewed journals.
Jessilyn Dolan, RN
Jessilyn Dolan is a registered nurse who specializes in helping patients through cannabis. She is the founder of the Vermont Cannabis Nurses Association and the wellness director at the Higher Standards education and consulting group. Previously, Jessilyn served as a Director for the American Cannabis Nurses Association and President of the Vermont chapter of the American Nurses Association. Jessilyn was instrumental in running Soft Landing's initial pilot study testing the effectiveness of our product with cannabis users.
Meet our scientific consultants
Oren Levy, PhD, MBA
Oren Levy is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology, studying inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Levy also spent three years as Vice President of R&D at Parallel, one of the largest cannabinoid therapeutics companies in the US. In this role, he led a research team focused on pre-clinical and clinical development of cannabinoid therapeutics for pain management and opioid use disorders. His research has yielded 5 patents, 27 invited lectures, 2 book chapters and 37 published manuscripts with over 4,000 citations in peer-reviewed journals.
Jessilyn Dolan, RN
Jessilyn Dolan is a registered nurse who specializes in helping patients through cannabis. She is the founder of the Vermont Cannabis Nurses Association and the wellness director at the Higher Standards education and consulting group. Previously, Jessilyn served as a Director for the American Cannabis Nurses Association and President of the Vermont chapter of the American Nurses Association. Jessilyn was instrumental in running Soft Landing's initial pilot study testing the effectiveness of our product with cannabis users.
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