Introduction
Chow420 is a blockchain-powered cannabis ecosystem (smart marketplace + network of automated dispensaries) built to simplify and facilitate trade amongst all stakeholders in the Hemp and CBD industry (Federally Legal Cannabis Products) with an emphasis on trust, customer safety, compliance, and convenience.
Overview of Problem
Currently, there is no regulation of CBD beyond the legal definition of permitted THC content. Outside some isolated examples, in the medical sphere, there is no stringent monitoring of what is sold by vendors to end-users. A 2017 Penn Medicine study found out that over 70% of CBD products are mislabelled (Penn Study Shows Nearly 70 Percent of Cannabidiol Extracts Sold Online Are Mislabeled - Penn Medicine, 2017). According to a new investigative report from Ellipse Analytics and CBS Austin, 70% of the 240 top-selling hemp CBD products available online or in non-dispensary retailers tested positive for heavy metals like lead and arsenic, concentrated chemical pesticides, toxic mold, and other potentially dangerous impurities. (Merry Jane, 2019)
Consumer safety becomes an issue at this juncture. Given the trend of CBD consumption for the purposes of mitigating issues associated with pain relief, insomnia, and anxiety, mismatches in content can have serious consequences for consumers (Single Care, 2020). Product verification is also needed for casual consumption as usage rates among adults register a higher incidence.
Chow420 is an ecosystem for CBD products that is built on an unforgeable certification standard for cannabis and CBD products on the Binance blockchain network. Chow420's internal verification protocols ascertain the veracity of vendor COAs (certificates of analysis) against the databases of testing laboratories and communicate discrepancies to relevant parties. Successful outcomes are published on Chow420.com and embedded on the Binance network to reinforce customer trust, verify the source products and enforce the accuracy of product labels.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
1. Safety and Transparency
At Chow, we vet over 200 brands and 1000 products to maintain high quality at all times. We require retailers and brands to publicly display information and third-party lab test results and only about 25% of CBD products pass our rigorous vetting and verification process.
2. Automated Compliance
Compliance is our top priority. Most retailers online only care about making a sale, even when the customers' state laws do not allow those products, and some retailers do not have the time and resources to keep up with everchanging cannabis laws. At Chow, we automate your compliance with your state hemp laws and age requirements in real-time.
3. Convenience and Variety
Our goal is to always have a selection of trusted products for you to shop from. At Chow, you can shop and compare all your favorite CBD brands in one place and get free 3-day shipping on all Chow's Choice products.
