As the wellness benefits of cannabinoids become more popular among non-smokers, different ways of experiencing their effects proliferate. Among the latest, and certainly the most accessible for those with no taste for pre-rolls or edibles, are CBD-infused fragrances. While these products contain CBD and thus have the potential to achieve the same soothing effects as other consumption methods, they smell clean and fresh — nothing like what most folks associate with weed.
At Wellfounded Botanicals in Buellton, the newest product is an Eau de Parfum. Sitting outdoors on a breezy October afternoon with acres of mature cannabis plants in the background, Wellfounded CEO Sara Rotman describes the scent as “based on the terroir and the atmosphere of being here at this farm.” The fragrance combines notes of ocean air, coastal sage, eucalyptus, and ripe cannabis. It comes in an elegant black perfume spray bottle with squared-off corners, a magnetic cap, and Wellfounded’s sky-blue logo embossed on the lower left corner. The presentation easily equals that of any high-end fragrance from a fashion house. It sends a clear message that this product, which retails for $80 per 50ml (90mg CBD), belongs on the same display shelf in your dressing room as the Comme Des Garcons Stüssy Laguna Beach or the Maison Margiela.
The expression of terroir lies at the heart of Wellfounded’s program of cannabis products. Rotman speaks proudly of the “things that make California cannabis the best in the world,” naming “big swings between night and day temperatures” and the transverse airflow that she refers to as “the Buellton air conditioner,” among other factors that enhance the quality of the terpenes in her farm’s plants. Wellfounded uses cannabis grown outdoors under Central Coast sunshine to create capsules, tinctures, topicals, and fragrances imbued with the aesthetics and sensuality that Rotman feels best define cannabis products in the wellness category, a midway point between medicinal and recreational approaches.