Interview: Nicole from Cosmic View
I haven't interacted with brands much through Pot Luck, because I want to keep my reviews unbiased and only pick products that I'm interested in. However, I've become a pretty un-subtle fangirl of Cosmic View so it was an unexpected delight to get to connect with the co-founder Nicole, nerd out about cannabis, and learn more about her products. I hope you enjoy the interview!!
Hannah Amundson:
Hi Nicole! Can you tell us a little bit about your company, Cosmic View, your background, and what you see as your “mission” in the products that you are bringing to the California cannabis market?
Nicole Skibola, co-founder of Cosmic View:
Cosmic View is a company that came from a very personal place. When I was 32, I was diagnosed with a rare endometrial cancer. It was devastating and unexpected and my scientist mom fell into a rabbit hole of cannabis and plant medicine research that later inspired Cosmic View. As someone who makes and loves art and grew up in a family that grew our own vegetables and fruit and makes our own olive oil, I knew I wanted to work with small, legacy farmers. I guess I’d say our mission is running a values-driven company with an ethical supply chain. My mission as a brand and a human is to prove that we can do business differently and support a “regenerative” supply chain. Obviously that’s all a work in progress, but it’s what drives and inspires me.
HA: Cosmic View makes topical, edible, and tincture products that require extracting cannabinoids from the cannabis plant. I know you care a lot about maintaining the integrity of these compounds to deliver the best quality plant medicine - can you tell us a bit about why your products (or production methods) are different from just a random CBD tincture on the internet, and how you communicate that quality difference to your customers?
NS: Oh, where do I begin?? First of all, our farmers are incredible partners and they are uniformly devoted to regenerating the ecosystems in which they operate. Our cannabis is full sun and minimally processed to retain all of the beautiful compounds found in our source strains. We use a couple of different extraction methods — namely a crude CO2 and flower rosin that we press in-house. We never, ever use distillate because so much of the plant is stripped out of the end product via often harsh and solvent laden processes.
In terms of communicating that — man, that’s the hard part. I’d like to think that our authenticity comes through but the truth is that we have to do a TON of education. We regularly train dispensary staff and design lots of beautiful packaging and paper collateral that tell this story as well. We also love connecting with people like you who appreciate what we’re doing!
HA: Can you also explain why you use a combinations of cannabinoids vs. single-cannabinoids (isolates) in your tinctures?
NS: My mother was a researcher at UC Berkeley and she studied seaweed for a bit. Her team found that as soon as they tried to isolate compounds to make a drug, the efficacy of the entire plant just went away. We now have a little more research that supports "whole plant” medicine, but the problem these days is that even that term is now so abused. “Whole plant” to us means no winterization. That means that fats, lipids and waxes are intact. That also means that we are able to retain terpenes and a number of minor cannabinoids. We are still learning about the virtues of all of these elements but we know from our own research that the most effective medicine — both from a health perspective and a “great high” perspective — happens when we keep plants as intact as possible.
HA: I enjoyed reading your article for Cornerstone Wellness’s blog recently about the science behind cannabinoid acids and uses for women’s health. Can you explain the differences in THCA vs THC and CBDA vs CBD for people who are unfamiliar with the acid forms of these cannabinoids and what the potential benefits are?
NS: In a nutshell, THCA and CBDA are the precursors to THC and CBD. That means when you heat or age cannabis (natural plants mainly have acidic forms), the a (for “acid”) drops off the molecule. Acids are really awesome and pretty under-researched so far. We did have some initial research in a rat model that showed CBDA to be particularly helpful with menstrual pain so we knew we wanted to use that in a women’s health formula. The acids are very helpful with pain and inflammation in general.
The other thing that is really great about them is that they are non-psychoactive. So THCA does not get you high in the same way that THC does. Our goal with the product was to make something that could be taken everyday like a vitamin and many women do not want psychoactivity when they are going through their day. Me and my mom suffered from endometriosis for years and this formula is a direct result of our experiences. So far, we’ve gotten incredible feedback!
HA: Can you provide some insight as to why someone might use a tincture or topical, as opposed to smoking pure cannabis flower to get the full-spectrum plant benefits?
NS: Yes! There are a couple big ones. First of all, topicals do not get you high and they target pain in a more localized way than consuming cannabis via flower or edible form. So if you have a sore knee, you can rub Deep Down (our bestselling pain topical) directly on your knee and it offers instant relief. There are also some benefits for other external conditions like autoimmune skin disorders — cannabis helps soothe and heal skin plagues and other icky skin conditions.
Tinctures are sublingual and are dropped under the tongue. Because they are not passing through the liver they enter the blood stream more rapidly (within 20-30 minutes) and offer a slightly different high. They are also in my opinion the healthiest way to consume cannabis because there is no combustion or inflammation caused in any way, nor is there any sugar. Plus, dosing is way easier — our droppers have graduated lines for example, so you can measure exactly how much you are taking. All that being said, smoking or vaping flower are a wonderful way for fast relief, and something like an edible that has a long onset can be helpful for sleep. One of my favorite things about cannabis is the myriad of ways that different forms can be layered together.
HA: I recently read The Cannabis Manifesto by Steve DeAngelo and he argues that there is no such thing as recreational cannabis use, that all use is medicinal (health or wellness focused). As a company that has established itself as one of the few that has a doctor at the helm, I’d be curious to hear your take on medicinal vs. recreational use and mindful consumption.
NS: This is always an interesting question because I think that I diverge from general cannabis thought here. I think that it really depends on the intention and how cannabis fits into your life. It also depends on your definition of “medicine.”
For example, I don’t consider heavy use medicinal if someone is masking pain and not dealing with root issues of physical and emotional pain. I have the tendency to fall into the rabbit hole of self-medicating anxiety or depression, and I have to keep that in check. Cannabis is an incredible tool for introspection and joy, but it is only one tool. For me personally, being a healthy human in mind and body means using all of my tools in balance.
We make traditional “wellness” products — tinctures and topicals. And I always get irked when people scoff at flower or other “recreational” uses because they absolutely have a place in many peoples lives (I happen to love smoking and vaping flower). A variety of uses are medicinal outside of the wellness sector because they are helping someone deal with some sort of issue like sleep, pain, anxiety etc. Again, I think it really depends on the intent and sense of mindfulness behind cannabis consumption rather than the type of products that are being consumed.
HA: Can you tell us about a couple of your favorite Cosmic View products and what their best-use application is?
NS: My #1 can’t live without product is Viva la V! If you can believe that. I was thrown into menopause at a very young age after my diagnosis, and that was a tough transition. Lots of dryness and discomfort and Viva literally is a game changer in terms of support and tissue health. I also really love our edibles. I had a couple of Suns on a river trip recently, and they were like the perfect microdose for daytime activities. Finally, I am hooked on our CBD tincture — I take 2 dropperfuls when I am feeling stressed and it really helps my nervous system chill out.
HA: Are there any other resources or information you’d like to share with consumers who are new to cannabis?
NS: I always tell ALL consumers and especially new ones to learn about where their cannabis comes from. If you saw the farm that grew your weed, I promise you’d have way more (or less) appreciation for it. A great resource for regenerative cannabis is the Sun + Earth site, the Regenerative Farming site, and the Origins Council website is really great too.
