No market catalysts in the world of fungi have been touted more than the forward-looking ones regarding the clinical treatment of an umbrella of health conditions using psilocybin. From depression to drug addiction, anxiety, obesity, and more.
Because these intended business models take time to undergo approval and pass a series of clinical trials, companies are often left feeding their eager investors with carefully constructed news releases to ensure them that things are underway. We all know how short the retail investor’s attention span can be. That being said, one month without hearing the slightest bit of progress or news can be enough for anyone to hit the sell button.
These muted periods happen in many industries, though R&D in a highly regulated and uncertain environment means they’re more common than not.
So, how is NeonMind dealing with this waiting period?
Coffee. That’s How.
NeonMind has completed production of 4 of its superfood mushroom coffee blends. These drip coffee-like mixtures utilize the several mental and physical health benefits of non-psychoactive mushrooms such as Reishi and Lion’s Mane, blended with turmeric and ashwagandha to create a holistic, premium coffee mix.
Packed with antioxidants, nutrients and immune boosting properties, NeonMind’s immediate revenue–producing products are currently selling direct-to-consumer on their ecommerce platform. Influencer marketing takes a front seat in expanding the reach and understanding of these “super coffee” blends. As this generation is paying closer attention to mental health than any before it, consumables that stimulate mental clarity, focus, rest, and energy grow increasingly popular. Synthetic, big-pharma products that put a band-aid on common millennial disorders such as A.D.H.D. and Anxiety seem to be losing torque as they tend to create a “new dependence” rather than solve the underlying problem. This line of products lands right on trend, for all the right reasons: Infusing positive change into people’s lives through physical and mental nourishment.
Claiming your product as a “natural health product” is no simple feat. It requires scrutinous observance from Health Canada and has an extensive application process. It only makes sense, then, that the company filed four applications on February 2, 2021 to Health Canada’s Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate (NNHPD), with the intention to obtain product licenses for its 100% plant-based extracts to be able to make these related health claims. Should these be accepted, NeonMind is set for some serious growth in their retail division.
How Does this Relate to the Psychedelic Mission?
NeonMind’s founding team was created using a few ingredients: two parts scientific research, a hearty scoop of public markets expertise, and a dash of consumer brand building, launching, and scaling experience.
While clinical research is an asymmetrical bet to make (as you’re hoping that one or more of the patents will transform the company), most research-based companies are constantly relying on new financing to keep their operations alive.
While coffee itself is an appetite suppressant, we think of NeonMind’s consumer division as a dilution suppressant, allowing them to continue their mission without as much of a cash strain on the company.
By plugging a revenue-generating arm into the company from the start, NeonMind can decrease (and eventually eliminate) the need for additional financing, even before any clinical discoveries are made. Plus, imagine microdosing psychedelic mushrooms by simply drinking your morning coffee… that’s a distant dream, but one that we like to have.
While many people benefit from an enhancement of brain and mood function, some problems are more serious. More than just a simple deficiency, obesity remains one of the top killers in North America. With just over 40% of the U.S. population suffering from obesity, it remains NeonMind’s central focus, with pre-clinical trials led by Dr. Laird Birmingham currently underway.
Birmingham is currently developing protocols for the direction of the NeonMind’s trials. Psilocybin has the ability to “rework” cognitive function by altering neural pathways. These pathways are generally paved by one’s own human experience, factoring in past traumas and other significant events that shape how one’s mind presently functions. Eating disorders, including obesity, are heavily influenced by psychological factors, rather than simply being a “habit of overeating.”
Disorders and addictions tend to have a root cause of unsolved trauma and distress; psilocybin’s potential to help “rewire’ thought patterns has caused a surge of research and development amongst many companies in this sector. NeonMind’s particularly unique approach to tackling obesity has room for major headway in the world of new-age health, as other conditions such as depression and addiction have been (respectfully) taking up most of the center stage.
We’re excited to see what comes out next in this brand-new frontier of psychological research.
Disclaimer: NeonMind Biosciences is a communications client of Edge Investments, and we own shares in the company.