A bit over a week ago, Polkadot, a psychedelic chocolate brand based out of Oakland, California posted an "authenticity" check on its Instagram account.
Ironically, "knock off" PolkaDot bars have been the bane of our psychedelic existence reflecting a larger structural challenge of transitioning illicit markets to adopt transparency standards. Cannabis is significantly more mature in terms of transition towards regulated legal market place than psilocybin. At the same time, we must jump through countless hoops to post an ad on Facebook for CBD while Peter Thiel pushes ketamine delivered directly into the comfort of your own home.
Returning to the issue of PolkaDot, I was well aware of the "authenticity" issue prior to their post, and found it incredibly frustrating because I want to avoid authentic PolkaDot bars and understand what's used in the "knock offs". Deconstructing the italicized, I avoid PolkaDot because they use synthetic psilocybin like another Peter Thiel company, compass. Rumor has it that the synthetic psilocybin breathes blue through the authentic PolkaDot which indicates oxidization and synthetic psilocybin concentration makes it difficult to ensure proper distribution across the chocolate. That said, I have personally consumed probably a dozen of the same PolkaDot knock off which uses penis envy mushrooms from a trusted and reliable source, and they were my preferred form of consuming psychedelics (I've since matured into tea and capsules for most part). It's frustrating the producer utilizes PolkaDot packaging without any effort to highlight the distinguishing qualities of their product.
Unfortunately, lack of clear labeling standards is an all too familiar topic in the hemp derived cannabis product space regardless of whether it's Delta-8, THCp, Delta-9, or CBD. The absence of regulatory standard has resulted in gas station supplement level descriptive ambiguity or outright deception. The role of the brand becomes increasingly paramount in consumer adoption while assurances of authenticity are entirely benign. Direct to consumer brands like DankeSuper exist in the hemp derived market, but are faced with significant limitations in both how they communicate with the consumer. Authorized retail networks offer a tool for consumers to verify the product they are buying is authentic. These are practically non-existent in nascent recreational markets like New York, but will develop (likely in a volatile fashion) over the upcoming years.
In these markets, the consumer is beholden to the quality of their local (licensed or gray market) weed shop, bud tender, and naming convention that is often misleading at best.
