Sometime in 2017, when Harshal Goel learned that Switzerland had been legalized cannabis low in THC (which contains lower psychoactive compounds), decided to visit the country and learn more about the plant and understand the legal infrastructure that had been created to manage the decision.
Inspired by the innovation that surrounds the plant and its use in products such as chocolates, creams, jelly beans, etc., the student at City University, London, decided tor launch your own brand to try to join the coexistence.
The first product he launched in Switzerland was herbal medicinal cigarettes, and they soon became a success. Three months after the launch, the young businessman ran out of stock and saw that pre-orders were starting to arrive for the next batch.
But Harshal first went to the hemp market in India, still in its infancy in many ways, and, realizing the growing demand for natural and plant products in the country, decided to return home and launch here are his hemp cigarettes.
Its startup, The Trost – German for “consolation” – sells hemp-based products such as hemp hearts, hemp oil and hemp seed oil, as well as CBD oils for sleep, stress relief and relief the pain. But the most popular and unique product is hemp cigarettes, called ‘rollens’, which so far have two flavors.
(Image source: The Trost’s Instagram page)
Released on September 2021, After two years of research and jumping through regulatory hoops, New Delhi-based Trost has seen strong demand for its tobacco-free hemp rolls as well as its CBD oil.
Harshal says from 60 to 70 percent of its manufacturing inventory is sold in a month through the startup’s website,
The D2C startup has raised a round of friends and family, and is looking for Series A financing in the next two months.
Rooted in Ayurveda
Although CBD oils and hemp seeds and heart-based products have been around in India for quite some time, hemp cigarettes are a relatively new concept.
Harshal says Trost hemp cigarettes, priced at 420 rupees for a pack of five sticks, are good substitutes for tobacco-based cigarettes and follow the principles of ‘dhuma yoga’, an Ayurvedic formulation that combines five herbs including cannabis. The herbs are burned and the smoke is inhaled by the user through the mouth and nose.
“Yoga Dhuma says the fastest and most powerful way to deliver the benefits of these herbs is through smoke inhalation therapy. Our rollens not only help people fight their nicotine addictions, but also they also help treat stress, sleep and respiratory problems, ”says Harshal.
He claims, citing Western research and Ayurvedic texts, that the burning of these herbs and the inhalation of smoke produced by their burning do not cause any harm.
The rolling paper in which the herbs are packaged and their filter tips are imported from Poland and it does not produce any toxic gas when burned, making Trost hemp cigarettes a much better alternative to tobacco cigarettes, Harshal adds.
“We were asked to provide extensive toxicity reports to AYUSH to obtain permits for our hemp cigarettes, and they also agreed with our findings.”
Those who want to buy these rollens, or any of the products of The Trost, for this case, must first complete a consultation with one of the startups. internal ayurvedic doctors, who will then prescribe the right products to treat their health problems.
Trost is looking for a release CBD jelly beans, a popular product in the US and other western countries as well as expanding its range of existing offerings.
Its competitors include PermissionBohecoPermission, wild hemp leaf, SATLIVA, , , , Health Horizons and Cure by Design, among others that sell products such as CBD oils, hemp flour, seeds and hearts.
With hemp and the cannabis plant gaining traction and followers worldwide, the size of the global industrial hemp market is expected to reach $ 18,810 million in 2025, from $ 3.53 billion in 2019, growing to a CAGR of 32.17 percent, stated a Valuates Reports.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to have most of this market, the report adds
“Our ultimate goal is break the taboo around cannabis, although it has been widely used around the world for decades. Because it is seldom of ethical origin, we aspire to change that perception and create a platform that takes advantage of the benefits of cannabis. easily accessible for everyone, ”says Harshal.
Edited by Teja Lele Desai
