Entrepreneurs Patrick Potter and Alex Mateo met in early 2020 while attending the Congressional Cigar Dinner that was held at Churchill’s, located at Brown Palace in Denver, Colorado. Potter was the owner of Trifecta cigars, which was on display during the dinner. Mateo, who is also a cigar enthusiast, is a scientist that owns many patents in the cannabinoid space. It didn’t take long for these two entrepreneurs to begin discussing the possibility of combining their professions with their love of cigar.
Potter asked Mateo many questions about the cannabinoid category, including what cannabis molecules lack the ability to get the user high. Mateo spent hours explaining the molecular design and use of 150 cannabinoids found in cannabis and how these molecules can help with issues related to inflammation, obesity, anxiety and cancer. Potter’s next question was what led to the development of a new product, a cigar infused with these powerful cannabinoid molecules.
While he wasn’t sure how, Mateo did believe it would be possible to create a cigar that bridged these two worlds. He obtained small samples of various power-based molecules to test. It took several failed attempts before the two figured out how to create this special cigar. Once they figured it out, they quickly filed a patent to protect this new and unique methodology and technology.
In 2021, Potter was approached by someone else within the cannabinoid community that wanted him to blend a cigar. While he initially entertained the idea, too many unanswered questions came up that ultimately forced Potter to decline the opportunity. With product liability being something both Potter and Mateo took seriously, they turned to a third party ISO that was certified in testing to examine how fermented tobacco containing cannabinoids would really impact smokers. A market test for 150 people was developed and the results surprised both Potter and Mateo.
In this test, 50 placebo cigars were given and 50 responses of “no effects” were documented. The other 100 test subjected reported that they all felt an effect of some sort. Some were more profound than others while some were less. Regardless, all had what was called a neurotropic experience. At this point, both knew that they were on to something. With documentation in hand, Potter and Mateo worked together to delineate the final combination of cannabinoids and a cigar blend that paired perfectly with it.
This final blend was called Limitless (patent pending). Limitless is a formulation containing 170 milligrams per cigar of CBG and CBN. CBG gives users a similar effect to hyperactivity psychotropic drugs like Adderall or Ritalin, but without any pharma or amphetamine-like feeling. Users of CBN may experience more focus, concentration and clarity. CBN, on the other hand, is similar benzodiazepine (Xanax andValium). It contributes tot he reduction of anxiety without a feeling of slowness or of having been drugged. These two cannabinoids brought together in the formulation developed by Mateo and Potter makes the possibilities of each smoker “limitless.”
