The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Starburst candy has delighted snackers since the 1960s. Fast forward several decades and now you can eat similar-looking Delta-8 THC fruit chews, a new product launched by San Diego-based Vida Optima.

Coming in a variety of tropical flavors, including mango, pineapple and black cherry, each chew comes with 25-milligrams (mg) of premium Delta-8 THC oil to get your taste buds buzzing. Eating 1 of these a day yields a calm, comfortable high in a simple chewy treat, the company says.

Elev8 Product Line Focusing on Delta-8

The new fruit chews are part of the Vida Optima Elev8 product collection that uses cutting-edge technology to convert cannabidiol (CBD) to Delta-8 THC for what the company calls a “gentle lift for body and mind.” It also has a creamy caramel candy line with both 10-mg and 50-mg dosing.

Delta-8 THC, which is naturally found in small quantities in the cannabis plant, is seen by many as an increasingly controversial product that is facing opposition in some U.S. states and has not yet been regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It has been manufactured recently by CBD producers in more concentrated amounts for use in products designed to give more of the psychoactive effects associated with THC in marijuana, but at lower intensity.

Vida Optima confirms that its Delta-8 THC products are extensively lab tested as is the original raw hemp from which the products are derived. It also has a comprehensive area on its website devoted to questions and answers about Delta-8 THC and a Cannabis Encyclopedia section designed to educate the consumer.

The company is confident that what it sees as skyrocketing demand for the new Delta-8 THC products is matched equally by extensive product safety.

Testing, Testing, Testing

The company’s hemp flower is U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified and grown according to compliant manufacturing processes approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, the company tests all its raw hemp material to comply with its rigorous standards.

“Before production, raw hemp material is carefully tested for potency and purity to ensure that only premium quality, clean hemp material is used in every Vida Optima product,” the company said.

Also, all its end products are tested by third party laboratories to further ensure consumer protection.

Company Focus on Entourage Effect

The company's focus with many of its products is on the so-called entourage effect where benefits are said to be more likely using a combination of cannabinoids rather than an isolated product. For example, the company’s Dream Collection product line uses a CBD and cannabinol (CBN) combination it says helps promote better sleep.

The new fruit chews and other Vida Optima products also emphasize the wide range of delivery styles the company wants to offer, from original gummy forms to lollipops and hemp flower.

Crowded Space?

Vida Optima could be entering a crowded space, but still stands out among the crowd. Major hemp companies such as Colorado-based Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc (TSX: CWEBB) are long established, and many of the big marijuana companies also have extensive hemp product lines. Canadian giant Canopy Growth Corp (NASDAQ: CGC) (TSX: WEED), for example, has a relationship with television personality Martha Stewart and her hemp-derived products, although those are only CBD isolates.

The CBD market remains a saturated one and, aside from the current trend of Delta-8 THC, increasing focus is being trained on alternative cannabinoids such as the cannabigerol (CBG) and CBN products Vida Optima is now selling.

The cannabis plant is believed to contain more than 100 cannabinoids, most of which remain under-researched and whose potential for human wellbeing may not yet have been realized.

Get Yours Today

If you’re interested in trying out Vida Optima’s new Delta 8 THC Fruit Chews, make sure to check out Vida Optima today with code BENZINGA15 for 15% off.

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.

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