Faster Isn’t Enough: TerrAscend on the Tradeoffs Behind Cannabis Edibles

Burn After Reading The 30-second intel for operators and investors ⏱ 0:30

TerrAscend's CMO BJ Carretta says faster onset alone does not make a cannabis edible succeed. Nanoemulsification and higher doses can add bitterness, and any new formulation must still pass taste, shelf-life, cost and capacity tests.

• Operators: Treat onset as one variable among many. TerrAscend's move from gelatin to pectin took about a quarter to develop, and it tested before buying equipment. Launch decisions vary by state, and sales data can trigger flavor replacements.
• Investors: Carretta calls edibles a high-margin category for TerrAscend and tracks R&D return by units sold and revenue. New processes bring training, validation and capacity costs, so a performance gain must still justify its expense.
• Do now: Audit one fast-acting edible in your line for bitterness, shelf stability and production cost, and compare each against the sales or pricing lift its faster onset would need to deliver.

Short on time? You’re done. Want the numbers?Keep reading ↓

From bitter aftertastes and nanoemulsification to vegan gummies and production costs, BJ Carretta, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at TerrAscend, explains why faster onset alone isn’t enough to make a cannabis edible commercially successful.

For cannabis edibles manufacturers, faster onset is an attractive selling point. But delivering it without compromising taste, texture, consistency, or price is a considerably more complicated proposition.

Changing how cannabinoids are delivered can alter the formulation itself. Higher doses can introduce bitterness. A different gelling agent can require new production procedures, and even a promising prototype must survive consumer testing, shelf-life requirements, and a financial analysis before reaching dispensary shelves.

For TerrAscend, these decisions begin with consumer demand rather than a particular technology.

“The biggest gap for us is trying to deliver faster, more predictable effects while maintaining taste and texture and obviously pricing and affordability,” Carretta told IgniteIt in an interview.

Getting those characteristics right across production batches, facilities, and a product’s shelf life is the challenge, he explained.

The Bitter Side of Faster-Acting Edibles

One of the complications of developing fast-acting gummies is that the ingredients and processing methods used to change cannabinoid delivery can also change the eating experience.

Carretta said TerrAscend encountered bitterness while testing faster-acting formulations involving nanoemulsification, a technique used to disperse cannabinoids into very small droplets within a formulation.

“The milligram levels obviously affect the taste of it. The nanoemulsification affects the taste of it,” he said.

Early test batches required further adjustments after tasting panels identified unpleasant bitterness. The research and development team returned to the formulation, modifying flavor profiles and testing additional samples.

The challenge also varies by customer.

Some experienced cannabis consumers may tolerate or even expect a noticeable cannabis flavor. Others want a strawberry or pineapple gummy that tastes like conventional confectionery.

Increasing the THC dose can further complicate flavor development, requiring another round of adjustments to mask bitterness without undermining the intended product experience.

This makes faster onset more than a question of cannabinoid particle size. Manufacturers must balance the delivery system with the other ingredients, desired potency, sensory characteristics, and production requirements.

Asked about the importance of nanoemulsification, Carretta described it as one component of a broader formulation rather than a standalone solution. This means that a delivery system can improve one characteristic while creating new problems elsewhere in the product.

From Gelatin to Pectin: A Quarter of Development

TerrAscend’s transition from gelatin-based gummies to pectin illustrates how even a seemingly straightforward ingredient change can affect manufacturing.

Pectin, a plant-derived gelling agent, allows manufacturers to produce vegan gummies. But switching gelling systems also changes formulation and processing requirements.

Consider replacing gelatin with pectin in a bakery’s fruit filling. Gelatin sets as it cools, while pectin generally requires a specific balance of sugar, acidity, and heat to form a stable gel. Simply swapping one ingredient for the other can produce a filling that’s too runny, too firm, or unstable during storage. In cannabis gummies, those same variables affect texture, cooking conditions, shelf stability, and the consistency of the finished product.

Carretta said TerrAscend moved its gummies to pectin for several reasons, including consumer preferences and production considerations.

The company tested the new formulation before investing in equipment needed to reproduce it at commercial scale.

“We wanted to make sure we tested them first because we wanted to make sure we were nailing the formulation on it before we made any level of an investment into tools and machines,” he said.

The development process took approximately one quarter, according to Carretta.

That timeline illustrates a recurring problem in cannabis product development: a reformulation may offer consumer benefits, but it must also justify the expense of implementing it.

TerrAscend has also expanded into live-resin edibles under its Kind Tree brand, reflecting the range of formulations operators must evaluate as consumer preferences evolve.

Manufacturers have several ways to pursue faster or more predictable effects, including emulsification techniques, changes to cannabinoid formulations, and lipid-based delivery systems.

Alianza’s DynaLipid technology uses lipid science to improve cannabinoid delivery while addressing formulation challenges such as flavor, texture, and consistency. The company says differences in distillate quality, cannabinoid combinations, and ingredient interactions require manufacturers to evaluate each formulation individually.

In a 14-participant crossover consumer evaluation comparing two 5 mg THC gummies, Alianza reported a mean perceived onset of approximately 11 minutes with DynaLipid versus 52 minutes for the control. The company also reported higher flavor-liking scores for the DynaLipid formulation. For manufacturers, faster onset must still be balanced against sensory performance and production costs.

How TerrAscend Decides What to Launch

Carretta said TerrAscend starts product development by examining purchasing trends, consumer preferences, and market data.

The company then evaluates formulations, flavors, texture, onset, and dosage through multiple iterations and testing panels.

Importantly, the commercial calculation varies by state.

Before launching a product, TerrAscend analyzes expected demand through its own dispensaries and wholesale distribution, estimates production costs at different volumes, and evaluates whether the necessary manufacturing infrastructure exists.

That analysis can produce different decisions in Pennsylvania, Maryland, or New Jersey, even for similar products.

Once a product reaches the market, the testing continues.

Carretta described a hypothetical launch involving five flavors of a 10-milligram fast-acting edible. After 30 to 60 days, sales data might show that three flavors are performing while two are not.

The company can then retain the successful products and develop replacements for the weaker sellers.

In other words, formulation development does not end with commercialization. Retail performance becomes another source of evidence about which product characteristics consumers actually value.

The Financial Test: Units, Revenue and Capacity

When asked how TerrAscend measures the return on research and development, Carretta identified two primary indicators: units sold and revenue generated.

He described edibles as a high-margin category for TerrAscend, making successful product development particularly valuable when the company can manufacture and distribute products efficiently.

But the financial calculation must account for more than ingredient costs.

Introducing a new process or machine can require revised standard operating procedures, employee training, cleaning protocols, and validation that the equipment can perform reliably at commercial scale.

Carretta said TerrAscend also evaluates how changes affect the overall capacity of a manufacturing facility.

“It’s not like a one-for-one module swap,” he explained.

The company considers the full investment, including labor and the time needed to implement changes, before comparing those costs with projected increases in output and revenue. Even when an ingredient offers a measurable performance advantage, its commercial value depends on whether the improvement generates additional sales, supports pricing, or strengthens customer demand enough to justify the expense.

The Next Edible Has to Earn Its Place

Carretta believes cannabis edibles remain an early-stage category, with considerable room for development beyond conventional gummies.

TerrAscend has explored different formulations, product formats, and potency levels to address distinct consumer segments. But the company’s approach also shows why innovation is unlikely to follow a single technological path.

Faster onset can be valuable. So can improved flavor, vegan ingredients, more predictable dosing, or a formulation designed for a particular customer preference.

The challenge is combining those characteristics in a product that consumers want, manufacturers can reproduce, and retailers can sell profitably.

Disclosure: This article is part of an IgniteIt editorial series supported by Alianza.

The economics of product innovation, consumer demand, and manufacturing efficiency will be part of the broader industry conversation at IgniteIt’s Capital & Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., on November 18. Join cannabis executives, investors, and policymakers to examine the financial and regulatory decisions shaping the industry’s next phase.