Building a winning cannabis brand comes down to flavour, according to Somai Pharmaceuticals founder, chairman and CEO Michael Sassano.
Extractors around the world are continuously innovating their product lines to better serve both consumers and patients. What I call the "golden triangle" — the core components any ambitious formulator needs to produce a successful product — consists of taste, effect and pricing (TEP).
While each producer may weight these factors differently, one truth remains constant when entering the market with new extract products: nobody wants to take something daily that tastes bad.
People link tastes to a wide range of emotions and feelings as part of a broader experience. Addressing consumer taste concerns through deliberate formulation is therefore essential.
Crude cannabis oil for oral applications
Starting with basic oral drops: the European market initially gravitated toward crude oil-extracted oral drops. This type of product not only tastes poor but also carries a range of non-essential elements — fats, chlorophyll and waxes — that contribute nothing to the effect.
Because of its simplicity, it tends to appeal only to consumers seeking the lowest price point.
Regardless of which direct extraction method is used, terpenes are not abundant in these products (typically at or below 1%), since they are drawn from dried flower.
Sativex is a clear example of this problem — it has struggled to gain broad adoption precisely because the top complaint among users is bad taste. Its spray format cannot fully mask the harsh, crude flavour profile, even with a substantial addition of peppermint oil.
Over time, this type of extract will likely phase out as a product category, since it meets clinical trial benchmarks for effect without addressing taste or affordability.
A better approach begins with producers extracting terpenes first, given how readily they degrade. Formulators then proceed with their preferred cannabis extraction method.
With terpenes already preserved separately, producers can purify the extract more thoroughly, stripping out the unpleasant non-essentials. As a final step, they reintroduce those originally extracted terpenes back into the final product.
This approach raises the terpene content (typically to around 2%) and yields a cleaner extract with an improved taste and stronger effect. The flavour profile shifts from pungent and crude to something closer to a standard cooking oil. The added cost over crude extraction is minimal.
For a further improvement to the taste experience, adding 2% peppermint flavonoids transforms the flavour profile considerably. Unlike Sativex, which requires 6% flavonoids to achieve a comparable effect, this method needs far less while delivering a far superior daily-use experience. Other natural flavour additions, such as pineapple, are also worth exploring.
Another widely used approach to improving taste involves boosting the extract with precise blends of natural terpenes, adding 6–10% more terpenes as flavouring agents.
This not only produces a stronger, more appealing flavour but also enhances the effect through the higher terpene concentration.
The cost remains comparable to the terpene reintroduction method outlined above, meaning it satisfies the TEP golden triangle while improving the overall consumer experience.
In a similar vein, flavonoids can be added to enrich the experience further, with options like mango or other popular fruits gaining traction.
Vape and edible formulations for consumer markets
Formulating vapes and edibles follows much the same path: extracting terpenes early, purifying the base extract, reintroducing and boosting terpenes, and layering in flavonoid enhancements. Every formulator faces the same challenge — delivering the best possible effect with great taste, all at a price that works for daily use.
Taste development for vapes and edibles has grown so competitive that dedicated flavour teams run continuous market trials around the clock, tracking performance across specialised taste profiles. These teams work to retain terpenes and minor cannabinoids in the cleanest way possible, avoiding contaminants that undermine the overall experience.
Even products like live resin and live rosin, which are already far richer in terpenes and flower character, still incorporate additives to refine their flavour. Manufacturers of live resin or rosin vapes and edibles regularly add flavonoids to amplify the flavour experience.
These products tend to carry a higher price tag due to their distinctive qualities and concentrated extract, which has led many consumers to view them as a premium tier within the vape and edible category. Despite the somewhat elevated cost, they have become a preferred choice on the strength of their enhanced effect.
Patients and consumers won't settle for poor-tasting products
When purchasing food, drinks, confectionery or anything else consumed, people make that choice for a range of reasons — and taste is always among them.
Cannabis-derived products and medicines have no inherent reason to taste bad — the highest quality options taste genuinely good.
Beyond that, producing these extracts with greater terpene content and improved flavonoids is a natural progression as markets mature.
The best formulators place significant weight on flavour once they have mastered the craft of producing an effective extract.
Preferences will always vary — some people favour mint, others watermelon — but the taste, effect and price golden triangle remains the clearest path to a brand that delivers a complete customer experience.
