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Judd Asoyuf

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Edison Sonics: Redefining the Edibles Category Through Clinically Proven Performance

Validating a Global Innovation Partnership, Bringing Science-Backed Fast-Acting Edibles to Market, and Redefining Governance for Breakthrough Product Development

Validating a Global Innovation Partnership, Bringing Science-Backed Fast-Acting Edibles to Market, and Redefining Governance for Breakthrough Product Development

Case Study: Edison Sonics - Nano-Emulsion Gummy

Challenge

Organigram’s partnership with British American Tobacco created unprecedented expectations. The first product released from the Product Development Collaboration (PDC) had to prove the value of BAT’s investment, validate the scientific collaboration model, and demonstrate that innovation rigor could translate into commercial success.

The product chosen to carry that weight was Edison Sonics, a nano-emulsion gummy supported by one of the largest pharmacokinetic studies in cannabis. It represented multiple firsts:

  • First collaboration product between Organigram and BAT

  • First nano-emulsion edible manufactured at Organigram’s Winnipeg facility

  • First Canadian cannabis product with clinically validated performance claims

  • First attempt to scientifically redefine “fast-acting” expectations in the gummy category

The risks were significant:

  • Scientific credibility risk if PK data failed to demonstrate superiority

  • Operational complexity with specialized nano-tech equipment, storage constraints, and new QA protocols

  • Governance risk due to SLT scrutiny and cross-company collaboration

  • Strategic credibility risk impacting BAT trust, investor confidence, and innovation leadership positioning

Failure would not have just impacted one product. It would have damaged:

  • BAT partnership 

  • Investor confidence in the collaboration

  • Organigram’s reputation as an innovation leader

  • Future PDC commercialization confidence

And all of this had to be achieved before the end of Fiscal 2024, under jointly agreed timelines with BAT.

Action

To deliver a scientifically validated, commercially successful product under intense scrutiny, I led work that fundamentally redefined how innovation was governed, validated, and launched inside the business.

Building a Governance Model for Breakthrough Innovation

  • Established a new innovation governance cadence with structured SLT involvement while preventing decision paralysis

  • Introduced road-mapped innovation planning, sequencing future doses, flavors, emulsions, and potential extensions to ensure the science created a platform, not a one-off launch

  • Navigated a slow, multi-layer approval ecosystem where decisions moved “up the org, across to BAT, and back down,” ensuring momentum without compromising rigor

Turning Sensory Science Into Disciplined Decision Making

Rather than relying on opinion or “launch enthusiasm,” we embedded structured consumer and sensory rigor:

  • Ran multiple controlled iterations of flavor, color, format, and dose

  • Centralized feedback, analyzed data, and converted results into firm decisions through weekly commercialization governance meetings

  • Adjusted formulations based on validated input rather than assumptions or internal preference

Turning Pharmacokinetics From “Science Theater” Into Commercial Advantage

Many cannabis companies claim “fast acting.” Few can prove it. We operationalized the science so it became a market weapon:

  • Leveraged one of the industry’s largest pharmacokinetic studies

  • Demonstrated 2× peak cannabinoid delivery

  • Delivered effects ~50% faster than traditional edibles

  • Ensured Health Canada-approved language allowed meaningful marketing claims

  • Embedded the science into brand messaging and go-to-market execution, not just whitepapers

Execution Discipline

  • Agile delivery combined with gated governance

  • DMAIC applied to scale-up challenges to stabilize throughput and quality

  • Specialized manufacturing requirements implemented successfully in Winnipeg

  • New QA and storage protocols built into manufacturing readiness

Impact at a Glance

Commercial Success

While Organigram does not break out SKU-level revenue, performance signals are clear:

  • Contributed meaningfully to Organigram’s record $259M+ FY2025 revenue

  • Helped drive Organigram to #1 national recreational market share (11.9%)

  • Supported Organigram achieving Top-3 national edible market share

  • All top three Edison SKUs became Sonics gummies, signaling dominant consumer pull

  • Achieved broad national distribution rapidly, with sustained sell-through rather than one-time trial spikes

This was not hype-driven curiosity. The sustained sales profile demonstrates repeat purchase behavior and consumer trust.

Category Leadership & Market Impact

Edison Sonics:

  • Helped define “fast-acting edibles” as a competitive battlefield

  • Shifted consumer expectations toward faster onset edibles

  • Triggered competitive response as multiple LPs began pursuing fast-acting platforms

  • Proven performance backed by clinical data created a credibility moat

This was not just a product launch. It reshaped category dialogue.

Manufacturing & Operational Wins

  • Successfully scaled nano-emulsion manufacturing at commercial levels

  • Enabled efficient production contributing to Organigram’s improved gross margin profile

  • Delivered reliable onset performance, reinforcing trust in both the brand and the technology

  • Proved the Winnipeg facility as a capable national innovation manufacturing hub

Brand, Investor, and Corporate Outcomes

The launch:

  • Validated the BAT partnership

  • Proved the Product Development Collaboration works

  • Established a new standard for innovation governance

  • Strengthened Organigram’s scientific credibility

  • Accelerated future innovation cycles

  • Reinforced Organigram’s market reputation for meaningful, not gimmick, innovation

Insight

Edison Sonics proved more than a product. It proved a partnership, validated a scientific platform, redefined a category standard, and established a governance model capable of launching breakthrough innovation at scale under scrutiny.


Launching science-backed cannabis innovation requires:

  • Acceptance of longer, more rigorous timelines

  • Willingness to redo work based on real feedback, not protecting sunk cost

  • Structured governance without crushing agility

  • Stronger cross-functional integration earlier

  • Tighter, faster, more direct collaboration channels between corporate and partner organizations

Next time, I would:

  • Bring more teams in earlier to reduce rework

  • Build stronger direct operational collaboration channels between Organigram and BAT teams to reduce governance lag

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