Here we take a closer look at the cannabis industry in Canada and speak to several Canadians involved in the industry.

Around the World: Canada’s Footprint on the Cannabis Industry

Cannabis Science and Technology April 2021

Part I of this article series explores the concept of balancing leaf temperature to optimize plant growth.

Why Does Leaf Temperature Matter in a Commercial Grow Room?

What is the Clubhouse App and how is the cannabis industry getting involved?

Building Community Around Cannabis Science and Medicine on a New Platform: The Clubhouse App

Here, Professor Edvinas Orentas, Department of Organic Chemistry, Vilnius University, Lithuania and Head of Research at Sanobiotec, discusses the stigma of synthetic cannabinoids and its benefits.

Synthetic cannabinoids have been labeled as “low quality” compared to their natural cannabinoid counterparts. On the contrary, laboratory-produced cannabinoids are just as effective as the natural versions. In this interview, Professor Edvinas Orentas, Department of Organic Chemistry, Vilnius University, Lithuania and Head of Research at Sanobiotec, clears the air surrounding the stigma of synthetic cannabinoids.

How did you get involved in the cannabis industry?

 Quite accidentally. I was contacted by my colleague asking me to join a newly established company (Sanobiotec) and to help develop a research and development (R&D) department for natural product synthesis. I responded positively, largely driven by the possibility to apply the know-how from the academia world to a meaningful practical context and also to contribute to the creation of inspiring environment for young researchers graduating from the university and seeking for industrial career. So far, it has been an inspiring experience that enriched and educated me in multiple ways.

Can you tell us a little bit about Sanobiotec?

 Sanobiotec is focused on researching and developing a broader range of cannabinoid applications across pharmaceutical and wellness industries, including both mainstream and rare cannabinoids. A major part of our work revolves around combining the capabilities of synthesis, biosynthesis, and natural extraction which enables the development of optimal production methods for each compound, leading to high-quality products. We operate in a state-of-the-art European Union (EU) good manufacturing practices (GMP) compliant facility, which consists of a cutting-edge synthesis lab, CO

 extraction and purification facility, and an analytics laboratory.

What are “natural” and “synthetic” cannabinoids? Is there a distinct difference between the two?

The natural cannabinoids are typically defined as the ones separated from natural sources, in this case the

 plant and all the variations of the species. The fully synthetic cannabinoids are made in the laboratory from scratch, using simple chemical precursors via a multistep process called 

. In special cases, you might as well have semi-synthetic cannabinoids, where the starting material comes from the plant and is further elaborated in the lab to another compound.

Synthetic cannabinoids are often viewed as “low quality,” do these cannabinoids surpass their natural counterparts?

The “low quality” is not an intrinsic property of neither natural nor synthetic cannabinoid. It merely describes a material that has not been purified properly. At the molecular level, there is no difference whatsoever between a synthetically produced and a natural cannabinoid.

Do you see a stigma surrounding synthetic cannabinoids? If so, how do you overcome it?

I see a stigma surrounding all synthetic materials, not only cannabinoids. It is a part of a general phenomenon, known as 

. All artificial chemicals are often subject of demonization, considered being inferior to natural counterparts or even harmful. This ungrounded assumption might have truly devastating consequences. People tend to accept all bioactive natural compounds as perfectly safe and show little concern in using various extracts or teas in large amounts. Ironically, the most toxic compounds known to human are natural, not synthetic. The misconception of natural versus synthetic is further enhanced by various environmental movements (which, by itself, is not a bad thing) and marketing tricks, resulting in such absurdities as chemical-free products.

The best way to fight back this phobia is with education, preferably starting with high school students, explaining the concept and properties of molecules in a comprehensible way. Educating consumers to make smarter, scientifically-based choices, and putting more strict regulations on product labeling might be effective measures as well.

Are environmental factors such as pollutants 
and pesticides more commonly found in either cannabinoids?

Contamination with pesticides is almost always a concern with natural cannabinoids. They enter the plants from the environment and get amplified thousand-fold during extraction process. These impurities are not typically found in synthetic analogues, as long as sufficiently pure chemicals are used in the synthesis process.

Are natural and synthetic cannabinoids extracted using similar methods?

The extraction is an essential process for purifying both natural and synthetic cannabinoids. For extracting natural cannabinoids, very often supercritical CO

 is used as a solvent. This solvent has many advantages, including low toxicity and ease of evaporation. In case of synthetic cannabinoids, extraction process is used throughout the whole synthetic sequence, typically using organic solvents. This necessitates a thorough quality check to precisely monitor the residual amount of the solvent. However, the same strict quality requirements apply for natural cannabinoids as well, since organic solvents are used for final purification step via crystallization.

What advantages are there to using synthetic cannabinoids? Are there disadvantages?

Synthetic cannabinoids can be produced on a large scale, starting from relatively simple and cheap commodity chemicals. In this way energy, labor, and land-intensive planting process is omitted. In addition, the quality and the yield of the material is more reproducible and is not a subject to seasonal variations or above-mentioned contamination with pesticides. Unfortunately, for some cannabinoids of very complex structure, there is a lack of efficient synthetic methods or the synthesis is economically unfeasible.

Why does the pharmaceutical industry prefer using synthetic over natural cannabinoids?

The chemical synthesis based on a well-developed and robust method is highly reproducible and most of the possible impurities are well-known and traceable. The risk of biological contamination is also greatly reduced using fully synthetic compounds, especially those of GMP-grade.

Is there a disregard to GMPs when using natural cannabinoids?

Well, GMP is not a requirement for every product containing natural cannabinoids, unless it is used in very sensitive experimental set-ups, such as clinical trials. Also, it cost a fortune to implement GMP protocols, and not every company can afford it.

Are synthetic cannabinoids analyzed more than natural versions for impurities?

In my opinion, the same strict requirements on quality control should apply for both materials. In addition, contamination with pesticides is more likely to occur in natural cannabinoids.

Are there different testing standards for natural and synthetic cannabinoids?

Essentially, we are analyzing the same molecule, therefore the procedure and testing standards should be the same.

Are there any forms of regulation or legislation that affect your work?

Surely, some of the cannabinoids belong to a special list of regulated substances, and all procedures that involve hemp processing in the company are subject to approved state regulations. Hemp processing can only be done for scientific purposes in Lithuania.

That said, it may be a good time to review some of the regulatory requirements, to better reflect the latest scientific research. Currently, cannabinoids are positioned under Schedule I controlled substances, which are deemed as addiction-inducing, which is not the case with these compounds. Given the possible health benefits of cannabinoids, reclassifying them may propel research going further.

Is there anything that you would like to see change in the future for the cannabis industry?

The market is getting saturated with some cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol (CBD), and as a chemist, I think we are in a perfect position to start exploring them as starting material for further structural modifications. The chemical space of possible derivatives is enormous and I’m sure thrilling discoveries are in front of us.

If you would like to be considered for an interview with Cannabis Science and Technology, please reach out to

Articles

Professor Edvinas Orentas clears the air surrounding the stigma of synthetic cannabinoids.

The Power of  Synthetic Cannabinoids  and Why Big Pharma Prefers Them

The US House of Representatives recently approved the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2021, also known as the SAFE Banking Act (1). This law provides the possibility for financial institutions, such as banks, to conduct business with cannabis enterprises that are licensed in states which allow cannabis for either recreational, medical use, or both (2). The SAFE Banking Acts’ purpose is to remove the fear banks have of being penalized by federal authorities due to the illegality of cannabis at the federal level.

With a 321-101 vote, the House of Representatives passed the bill along to the US Senate where it may be considered for ratification.

The issues surrounding cannabis’ status at the federal level have made banks hesitant to transact business with establishments that are involved in selling cannabis or cannabis-related products. Banks have experienced a reluctance to work with cannabis businesses because of the concern of being found in transgression of federal regulations. The intentions of the SAFE Banking Act are to give clarification on any proceeds that are generated by licensed cannabis firms within states that have cannabis laws should not be looked at as illegal. Instructions are included in the bill for federal regulatory agencies to draft appropriate guidelines so that banking activities could be overseen at a national level.

Due to the limited options to do financial transactions, cannabis industry businesses were forced to run their establishments in cash or use smaller financial institutions such as credit unions. Analysts believe that the lack of collaboration with banks has held back the development of the cannabis industry in jurisdictions where it is legal (2). A considerate amount of banking associations lobbied in support of the legislation because of being placed in difficult positions of listening to state regulators calls for banks to welcome cannabis establishments but also fearing federal regulators that hold cannabis as a highly controlled substance that should not be available for use. Through pushing Congress to take action on the SAFE Banking Act, financial institutions hope to receive a concrete legal position on whether or not they are able to work with state-legal and licensed cannabis companies. Currently in the US, 36 states have structures established to regulate medical cannabis and 17 states have approved the recreational use of cannabis.

The SAFE Banking Act of 2021 will now be entering the US Senate where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated his support for the cannabis banking bill, along with various other policy reforms with respect to cannabis. Schumer has expressed that the legislative chamber is ready to move forward on cannabis measures regardless of President Biden’s views on the topic, which has been considered “lukewarm” in regard to cannabis reform (3).

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said (4) “it’s time for us to address this inconsistency, it’s time for us to pass, again, the SAFE Banking Act and it’s time for us to move forward with legalization on the federal level.” Additionally, he added, “I appreciate us being at this point—a critical first step along the path to full legalization, which I’m confident will happen this Congress, and not a moment too soon.”

On the House floor, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) stated (4), “Even if you are opposed to the legalization of cannabis, you should support this bill. American voters have spoken and continue to speak—and the fact is, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle. Prohibition is over.”

If the SAFE Banking Act is ratified into law, cannabis industry enterprises will have to jump over one less hurdle in running their business activities.

https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20210419/BILLS-117hr1996-SUS.pdf

https://www.cannabisnewswire.com/420-with-cnw-us-congress-passes-marijuana-banking-bill/

https://mjbizdaily.com/us-house-passes-cannabis-banking-reform/

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/u-s-house-debates-marijuana-banking-bill-with-final-vote-set-for-this-evening/

With the Cannabis SAFE Banking Act heading to the US Senate, cannabis businesses would be able to to work with financial institutions for their business needs.

US Congress Passes Cannabis SAFE Banking Act

GreenBroz Inc., a Las Vegas, Nevada-based developer of cannabis post-harvest processing technology, recently revealed their latest addition: the Rise-N-Sort System (1). This reportedly first-of-its-kind fully integrated device combines the company’s Rise Conveyor, Precision Sorter, and Sorter Table to precisely consolidate the segregation and movement of product into different size groups (2). The Rise-N-Sort System has a processing rate of 6 pounds per minute, beating the rate of 2 pounds per hour when processed by hand.

"Our offerings are more than just solutions; they're a growth plan for our clients," said Cullen Raichart, Founder and CEO of GreenBroz Inc. (2). "We are beyond excited to provide a purpose-built, industry-born solution that retains the quality of the product by protecting the delicate trichomes, while also increasing throughput significantly.”

The new system reportedly operates without vibration and is manufactured with food-grade stainless steel, surgical, polyurethane, and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMW), guaranteeing the product remains as fresh-off-the-stem as possible. Human touchpoints have been minimized, alleviating contamination risk, and solidifying end product consistency.

Digital HMI touch screen allows speed control for feeding and sorting.

Entire system is washdown-ready, including the motors.

All components can be made compatible with international power requirements.

The Rise-N-Sort System is modular and able to be combined with the GreenBroz Model M Dry Trimmer to create a complete end-to-end solution. As a joint unit, it would have the ability to take raw product all the way from trimming to ready for packaging.

"The elegant design and efficiency we're able to offer with this system is a direct result of the creativity and dedication of our engineering team and would not have been possible without our state-of-the-art, in-house design lab with complete rapid prototyping capabilities," said Kevin Bower, GreenBroz Lead Engineer (2).

https://www.greenbroz.com/contact/?hsCtaTracking=f0fda71b-6e6a-4cd9-b24c-eb926bf748df%7C6adaa1ac-525c-41a5-9054-2928c61c969b

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/greenbroz-launches-industry-first-cannabis-rise-n-sort-post-harvest-processing-system-301264340.html

GreenBroz Inc., has recently announced their latest cannabis processing addition: the Rise-N-Sort System.

First-of-its-kind Post-Harvest Processing System Revealed by GreenBroz

A research team comprised of Byers Scientific, Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa), and Texas-based odor experts recently reported the isolation and identification of a volatile chemical that might be the cause for the downwind skunky-like environmental odor complaints that have commonly plagued commercial cannabis and industrial hemp growing operations (1).

Through the use of a triangulation approach of analytical chemistry (such as solid phase microextraction [SPME] fiber, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry [GC–MS], and GC-olfactometry analysis), a leaf enclosure study, and field observation, researchers were able to isolate, identify, measure, and figure out that the compound 3-menthyl-2-butene-1-thiol (321 MBT) is the primary source of the cannabis odor. The compound is also the same odorous chemical previously reported to carry the responsibility for the skunky-like aroma and flavor defect in light-struck beer.

This odor of cannabis has often been tied to terpenes. The newly reported discovery of the link between “skunky”cannabis and 321 MBT supports the assumption of a sulfur component within the chemical profile of the cannabis plant emission. In hindsight, the newfound link between “skunky” beer and cannabis should not be all that surprising because the “skunky” beer odor originates from hops, which are in the same plant family (

) as cannabis and hemp. Prior odorant efforts by the researchers has shown MBT to represent an odor impact priority for actual skunk oil, as extracted from the skunk musk gland. In previous investigations, MBT was adjudged as second in odor impact priority, second only to E-2-butene-1-thiol.

Even with the fascinating news of identifying the compound of cannabis’s odor, the researchers still urge for caution as this is only the first critical step in fully researching the issue. Leaf enclosure studies have disclosed other thiols present in the plant emissions, other compounds in the plant’s gas-phase emissions, and that atmospheric reactions may significantly affect the perception and measurement of 321 MBT. There are further research efforts underway to dig deeper into the evaluation of the odor and the most appropriate manner of mitigation.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/byers-scientific-iowa-state-university--odor-experts-identify-volatile-chemical-compound-responsible-for-cannabis-odor-complaints-301254409.html

Researchers from Byers Scientific, Iowa State University, and Texas-based odor experts identified the odor of cannabis.

Chemical Compound Causing Cannabis Odor Complaints Identified

Researchers in the US recently conducted a study which disclosed that a cannabis plant compound inhibited infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in human lung cells. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19, threatening global health and world economies (1,2). Marsha Rosner, PhD (3), and other colleagues from the University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) discovered that cannabidiol (CBD) and its metabolite 7-OH-CBD potently blocked SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung epithelial cells.

Through the combination of CBD and 7-OH-CBD, the expression of certain genes within the viral cells were inhibited and changes in gene expression within the lung cells that resulted from the presence of COVID-19 were reversed (4). Thus, CBD and 7-OH-CBD serve in both protective and therapeutic roles. CBD was also found to have the ability to block viral ribonucleic acid (RNA), including the coding for the spike protein, which is the tool the virus uses to enter our cells. “This study highlights CBD, and its active metabolite, 7-OH-CBD, as potential preventative agents and therapeutic treatments for SARS-CoV-2 at early stages of infection,” said Rosner and the team (1).

Even with recently approved vaccines being rolled out in many countries, the virus continues to spread rapidly, heightened by more-transmissible variants such as the B.1.1.7 variant. Rosner and her colleagues say that this highlights the need for alternative approaches, especially among populations with limited access to vaccines. Few therapies to date have been identified as being able to block SARS-CoV-2 replication and viral reproduction.

Primarily, the SARS-CoV-2 virus enters host cells through the binding of a surface viral protein—called spike protein— to the human host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). From there, the viral genome is then translated into two large polypeptides that are severed by the viral proteases main protease (MPro) and papain-like protease (PLPro) to produce the proteins necessary for viral replication, assembly, and budding (1).

To analyze the effect of CBD on SARS-CoV-2 replication, the researchers pretreated A549 human lung carcinoma cells expressing ACE-2 (A549-ACE2) with 0-10 μM CBD for 2 hours before infecting them with SARS-CoV-2. Evaluation of the cells 48 hours later expressed CBD had potently inhibited viral replication in the cells. When CBD was assessed to possibly prevent proteolytic cleavage by MPro and PLPro, it was observed that CBD had no effect on the activity of either protease. This revelation led the team to hypothesize that CBD targets host cell processes. Consistent with their hypothesis, RNA sequencing of infected A549-ACE2 cells treated with CBD for 24 hours showed significant suppression of SARS-CoV-2-induced changes in gene expression. CBD was shown to have effectively eliminated viral RNA expression, which included RNA coding for the spike protein. It was also found that both SARS-CoV-2 and CBD triggered significant changes in cellular gene expression, such as the expression of several transcription factors. Further analysis of host cell RNA expressed that the virus-induced changes were almost completely reversed, though rather than the cells returning to a normal cell state, the CBD plus virus-infected cells resembled those treated with CBD alone.

Another critical finding researchers discovered was that CBD had “effectively reversed” the triggering of a hyperinflammatory response, also known as a “cytokine storm” which is brought on by the presence of the virus, restoring cells not to a previral level of inflation, but a state as if the cells had been treated with only CBD. A study completed near the end of 2020 by the Dental College of Georgia (DCG) (Augusta, Georgia) and the Medical College of Georgia (Augusta, Georgia) also had similar findings to the team from the University of Chicago (5). Cytokine storms have been one of the principal causes of death resulting from a COVID-19 infection. CBD was identified in reducing damage in the lungs spurred by cytokine storms caused from COVID-19 by normalizing levels of apelin, a peptide known to reduce inflammation, decreasing physical lung damage associated with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and improving oxygen levels. During a COVID-19 infection, these apelin levels were seen to be at very low levels. Rosner and her team stated that “CBD has the potential not only to act as an antiviral agent at early stages of infection but also to protect the host against an overactive immune system at later stages,” (1).

During the University of Chicago’s study, a range if other cannabinoids were also tested, but by the end of the trial, CBD was the only cannabinoid found to have any effect at all on COVID-19-infected cells. Limited-to-no antiviral activity was exhibited by the other cannabinoids investigated. CBD is often consumed as part of a 

 Sativa extract, which is also what led the team to consider investigating other cannabinoids with closely related structures to see if they would reveal similar or stronger results. The team hopes that CBD will continue to be investigated as a potential COVID-19 treatment following the research from their article about the study, which is currently under peer-review. “We advocate carefully designed placebo-controlled clinical trials with known concentrations and highly-characterized formulations in order to define CBD’s role in preventing and treating early SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the authors stated (4). Even with these impressive scientific breakthroughs, more is still needed to be researched on the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant and how it can be used to fight the global coronavirus pandemic.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210314/Cannabis-compound-inhibits-SARS-CoV-2-replication-in-human-lung-cells.aspx

https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/sars-cov-2

https://benmay.uchicago.edu/faculty/marsha-rosner-phd

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/cbd-was-found-to-prevent-viral-rna-expression-and-reverse-gene-changes-in-infected-lung-cells/

https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/covid-19-lung-inflammation-reduced-by-cbd

Recently, researchers performed a study which discovered that a cannabis plant compound inhibited COVID-19 infection in human lung cells.

Groundbreaking COVID-19 Study Shows CBD May Help Inhibit Infection

Dr. Richard Sams earned his Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in pharmaceutics from Ohio State University. After his time working as a research scientist at Ciba-Geigy Pharmaceuticals in Suffern, New York, he served as a faculty member in the Colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy at OSU. There, he specialized in veterinary pharmacology and directed the testing and research activities of the Analytical Toxicology Laboratory, which is the official testing laboratory of the Ohio State Racing Commission. In 2001, Sams became a scientific consultant to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium and became a member of its Scientific Advisory Committee.

From 2006–2010 Sams served as a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida where he was responsible for teaching veterinary clinical pharmacology and directing the Florida Racing Laboratory, the official testing laboratory of the Florida Department of Business Regulation Division of Racing. After his time at the University of Florida, Sams became the director of the HFL Sport Science Laboratory in Lexington, Kentucky. This laboratory was the official testing laboratory for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the Indiana Racing Commission, the Maine Harness Racing Commission, the Virginia Racing Commission, the Puerto Rico Racing Authority, the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission, and the Trinidad & Tobago Racing Authority. Since 2019, Sams has held the role of the scientific director of 

, a cannabis testing and research laboratory located in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Currently, Sams is serving on the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Association of Racing Commissioners International, Inc. In addition, he has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific studies. Frequently, he is requested to consult on cannabis-related matters and the disposition of drugs and other substances in animals.

® Editorial Advisory Board please visist: 

www.cannabissciencetech.com/cannabis-science-and-technology-editorial-advisory-board

Cannabis Science and Technology® is pleased to announce the addition of Richard Sams to its editorial advisory board (EAB).

Richard Sams, PhD, Joins Cannabis Science and Technology®’s EAB

® are pleased to launch a free, live, five-part editor’s webcast series titled 

This unique series will take place during 2021, leveraging the expertise of these industry-leading publications and delivering insight and best practices on critical issues such as cultivation, extraction, processing, testing, third-party certifications, and much more.

Quality control is a crucial problem in the hemp cannabidiol (CBD) market. The quality gap is widening as more products enter the space. Government regulators, industry critics, and responsible market players understand many products in the market are failing to meet label claims. As competition grows in the CBD market, and as industry scrutiny increases, responsible companies must stand out by ensuring they employ industry best practices for putting credible, high-quality products on the shelf.

The first webcast, “Controlling THC Content,” kicks off on Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at 3 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. CDT/12 p.m. PDT. During this session, hemp cultivation experts will explore the best practices and methods for controlling tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content. Experts will also provide an update on the legal landscape and challenges facing the industry.

 webcast series programs and dates are as follows:

 “Extraction and Processing Excellence” (May 2021).

 “Testing: Methods, Requirements, and Best Practices” (July 2021).

 “How to Choose the Right Testing Lab” (September 2021).

 “Meeting Label Claims and the Role of Certification” (November 2021).

Details on upcoming sessions will be announced in the next few months.

“Delivering direct access to trusted scientific news that is relevant and practical is key to our mission at MJH,” said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences™, the parent company of 

®, we can provide those making and selling CBD products with the tools they need to ensure the quality of their products. Join us as we tap into the expertise of the CBD industry’s leading players and advisers.”

For more information and to register, click 

® is a multimedia platform that focuses on educating the legal cannabis industry about the science and technology of analytical testing, quality control, extraction and cultivation. The magazine is accompanied by an online component that provides relevant information and tutorials for all members of the cannabis industry.

® is the industry’s No. 1 resource for news and insights on dietary supplements, healthy foods and beverages. An award-winning business-to-business resource, 

® provides manufacturers with the nutrition and healthy ingredient news they need to get their business done right.

The 5-part program will dive deep into cultivation, extraction, processing, testing, third-party certifications, and more.

Cannabis Science and Technology® and Nutritional Outlook® Launch Expert-Driven Webcast Series on CBD Quality Control, Testing, and More

Cannabis education initiatives are expanding across the United States as students see the promise and excitement in this new industry. Excelsior College in Albany, New York recently created a Cannabis Control program, which is designed to prepare students with interests in legal and regulatory aspects of the cannabis industry. We recently spoke to Gretchen Schmidt, Faculty Program Director Criminal Justice Programs & Cannabis Control at Excelsior College, about the college’s graduate certificate program in further detail.


Can you tell us a little bit about your Graduate Certificate in Cannabis Control program?
Gretchen Schmidt:

 Excelsior College’s Cannabis Control Certificate is a three-course, 9-credit graduate certificate program developed in response to the relatively nascent and rapidly expanding legal cannabis sector. Over the last year, we have had numerous conversations with industry leaders and experts who have continually stressed the importance of understanding the regulatory complexities, and how they impact all aspects of industry. Our goal was to create an education program that could meet the demand for regulatory clarity and subject matter expertise within the industry. Given the illegality at the federal level, the varying ways that legalization has occurred at the state level has left even more variation at the local level. Understanding all of these are critical to participating in this industry. Our program was created with an interdisciplinary focus bringing students from business, criminal justice, public policy, public health, and cyber together to look at regulation, cannabis as commerce, and the risks associated with the industry. And we continually utilize input and guidance from industry leaders through our Industrial Advisory Committee.


How does your Graduate Certificate program in Cannabis Control prepare participants for the cannabis industry?

 This certificate focuses on the regulatory complexities because they are what guide all aspects of the cannabis industry. In order to be successful in this industry you must understand what you can and cannot do and the manner in which you can operate. 

As such, in the first course, students learn how cannabis legalization has had an impact on various institutions, entities, and individuals while also exploring the dilemmas between policy and legal regimes. They examine the importance of compliance and how to create standard operating procedures and employee training, develop a community plan. In the next course students look at the national and local laws and regulations that have shaped the current legalized cannabis industry. They study existing cannabis tax schemes, assess their impacts on businesses and effectiveness in meeting individual cannabis program goals, and suggest improvements, as well as develop strategies for businesses and governments to plan for and meet shifting tax burdens. They also analyze economic, legal, and public health implications of traceability and transport of cannabis and cannabis industry supporting products and explore how raw materials and products are traced through the supply chain. This course also has the student research the differences between cannabinoids and how laboratory tests protect the public from harmful microbial bacteria and pesticides, including the traceability process and regulations in place to facilitate a full product recall. In the last course, students explore the tensions between public safety, diversion, patient access and community integration along with advertising, marketing, sales, consumer use, and social equity. They learn through various stakeholder lenses such as regulators, operators, and consumers. Through these lenses they identify risks that can't be mitigated through an umbrella insurance policy such as technology and data standards and go through a site selection process, evaluating insurance policies and applications to mitigate risks associated with the cannabis industry. Finally, you will identify gaps in regulations and write regulations that address testing, public consumption, and social equity. The program is interdisciplinary in nature having students from multiple disciplines interacting together and learning how different aspects of the industry affect each other. One way this is accomplishes is through a class wiki which the students will contribute to in each of the courses and will serve as a living FAQ that they will keep as a valuable resource. Finally, the students generate an electronic portfolio to showcase their work in the program to present to prospective employers.

Are there any requirements for the program?

 This is a graduate degree, so a bachelor’s degree is required for admission. There are three avenues: 1) enrolling in the certificate program; 2) taking courses as electives in our current master’s degrees; and 3) enrolling in the concentrations for the MBA, MPA, MSCJ or MSHS which open in the Spring 2021 semester.

Have you seen an increased interest in the Cannabis Control program?

 Yes, inquiries for the Graduate Certificate in Cannabis Control have grown to 25% of all graduate level leads.

Why do people need specialized training and education to be able to succeed in the cannabis industry? How does supply chain management fit in?

 We know through market research and consultation with experts and advisors in the field that the regulatory environment is complex, with the federal government’s classification of cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug, and wide variations in levels of legalization across states (medical use versus non-medical). The implications are far reaching for both the existing criminal justice system—which has been criminalizing the use of cannabis—and public health which has also been treating cannabis as dangerous, with some notable exceptions around research-supported medical interventions. Such complexity requires improvements in education of individuals and organizations operating within the field including business, government, and nonprofits. As noted in the New York Department of Health’s report entitled, 

Assessment of the Potential Impact of Regulated Marijuana in New York State

 (1), “Implementation of a regulated marijuana program will require considerable planning as to the regulatory mechanisms needed to protect public health, provide consumer protection, and ensure public safety.”/We see this program providing a much-needed resource for organizations who are seeking ways to grapple with the challenges of moving in the industry from an unregulated to a regulated market.

Do you have any plans to grow your course offerings to include more cannabis industry-related courses? Or form a Bachelors/Master’s degree program?

 We are currently exploring options to expand at the bachelor’s level. From our inquiries thus far, we see a need for education at the undergraduate level. We continue to seek opportunities to best support a legal industry that some economic forecasts predict will be a $73 billion industry by 2027 (2). Leveraging our research and experts, along with our fully online delivery model, we will be able to provide high-quality, academically rigorous courses to support adult learners from diverse academic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds.

https://www.health.ny.gov/regulations/regulated_marijuana/docs/marijuana_legalization_impact_assessment.pdf

https://www.wecannca.com/the-untapped-potential-of-the-cannabis-industry/

Gretchen Schmidt, Faculty Program Director Criminal Justice Programs & Cannabis Control at Excelsior College, discusses the graduate certificate program offered at her college.

Excelsior College’s Cannabis Education Program Strengthens Interest in the Industry

Seed-to-sale traceability and management software options offer cannabis businesses the technology and systems to help maintain compliance. In the ever-increasing regulatory landscape, this type of compliance and management has never been more important. Chase Towery, the chief operating officer of Cultivera, recently spoke with us about his company, some of the concerns affecting supply management in the cannabis industry, and more.

Can you tell us a little bit about Cultivera?
Chase Towery

: Cultivera’s seed-to-sale traceability and management software solutions are built to help licensed cannabis enterprises stay on top of their operations and compliance with ease. Our easy-to-use, vertically integrated platform for cannabis business operations has something for everyone in the industry: cultivators, producers, processors, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and dispensaries.

When we launched in 2016, we researched and built software from the ground up with the help of a diverse set of cannabis operators looking to solve their largest pain points. Now we provide solutions for every stage of the cannabis industry and have grown to serve some of the best in the business.

Our flagship solution, Cultivera Pro, offers streamlined traceability for cannabis operators geared toward maintaining compliance for their local jurisdiction. Pro offers enterprise and compliance solutions that keep businesses running smoothly and offer peace of mind, such as harvest and waste tracking; business tools; automated inventory; insights, and reporting; cannabis relationship management; B2B sales portals; comprehensive analytics; and much more.


Why is supply management an important area for the cannabis industry to address?

: In emerging legal cannabis states, specific legislative decisions significantly impact early supply, prices, and price fluctuations to both patients and consumers as the supply and demand within each closed market stabilizes. Often these decisions are made with other, well-meaning intent that have unintended consequences to the supply chain. In the end, this leaves cannabis business operators with a lot of challenges and hurdles to overcome all along the supply chain. More importantly, being a supplier in the cannabis industry comes with the responsibility to ensure transparency in the supply chain by managing supply in a way that abates the concerns of all stakeholders. Visibility of a product’s life cycle is of utmost importance when we are talking about consumer-packaged goods that patients and consumers put in, or on, their body.

What kind of issues are there in supply chain custody and how do they affect your business or your client’s businesses?

: When states launch their regulated markets and licensees begin building out their operations, it’s easy to see where the gaps are in supply chains and regulations surrounding them. The most important things to consider when evaluating the supply chain of emerging cannabis markets are:

How prior industry (if it existed) is incorporated into the new regulated market.

What regulatory bottlenecks are introduced.

How heavily the license count or total canopy is regulated.

How interoperability is addressed to ensure frictionless movement of products in the supply chain.

All these considerations should put the wellbeing of the end user (patient or consumer) at the forefront. While the terms “chain of custody” and “supply chain” seem industrial, at the very core they are intended to safeguard products that end up in the hands of the end users. What we have seen is the lack of a comprehensive set of standards to identify, capture, and share information about products throughout their lifecycle, which are providing the core foundation for interoperability across the supply chain.

Can you tell us how your software tracks the entire cannabis supply chain?

: Cultivera software allows licensed cannabis operators to track their plants or products throughout the seed-to-sale supply chain. Cultivera Pro is integrated with Metrc and local regulatory bodies so that throughout each stage, Cultivera brings in-demand automation and efficiency at every turn. From plant and harvest tracking to sales and relationship management, inventory, invoicing to label templates, bill of materials (BOMs) to business to business (B2B) sales, and compliance reporting to analytics. We go beyond the “who, what, when, where, and why” dimensions of a state mandated traceability system to provide cannabis business operators with sufficient business context to effectively use data that extends far beyond traceability. More importantly, at Cultivera we understand the importance of providing more than just business software. We offer a complete solution that encompasses subject-matter expertise and unparalleled support. This translates into true savings related to the time and costs associated with labor, where manual data entry has previously been the standard.

We are committed to keeping cultivators, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers compliant while freeing up valuable time and resources, driven by the notion that it is our responsibility to provide confidence to the industry as a whole.

How do the different regulations of states throughout the United States affect the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) cannabis supply chain? Is there a lot of product waste?

: From a software or business operations perspective, the existence of regulations in some places and not others lead to constant changes, insecurity, and instability—for business operators and consumers alike. When you’re working with a product that is only legal on a state-by-state basis, the usual methods of everything from sales, inventory, advertising, and supply chain management don’t always apply. This instability creates inconsistent, ongoing challenges for cannabis business operators in every region and stage of supply.

It’s pretty clear that the instability and inconsistency of this state-by-state model often causes conflicts for licensed businesses within any given locale. A clear example of this is seen in states that transition from one method of sale (such as a medical-only market) to another. This prior industry and infrastructure can be critically helpful to a new regulated industry, but the transition can be destabilizing to the existing market and consumers.

For example, Washington state had a strong medical market until the passing of i502 (1), which introduced a new recreational sales market. When the new regulated market was introduced, the pre-existing industry offered insights into operating procedures, supply chains, and regulations. However, anyone in the industry wanting to participate in the new regulated industry created by i502 essentially needed to start fresh within the framework of i502. This process essentially ended the state’s previously strong medical market and drastically altered the supply chain for medical cannabis providers and patients.

https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_Marijuana_Legalization_and_Regulation,_Initiative_502_(2012)

Chase Towery, the COO of Cultivera, discusses his company, the concerns affecting supply management in the cannabis industry, and much more.

A Look at How Seed-to-Sale Management Software Alleviates Supply Management Issues

Hemp Processing Partners in partnership with United Precision Engineering announced a new state-of-the-art hemp refinery facility. The establishment is able to handle 15,000 pounds (lbs) per hour of dried hemp. The process starts with isolating seed and flower from the stalk of the plant. From there, the stalks are fed into a vertical decordification mill.

After these processes, the size and product choice can be decided. These hemp refinery facilities have been developed to be a central hub for hemp processing for numerous areas in the market. The facilities can also be adapted to any geographical climate with their large-scale drying system.

“We ensure quality throughout the process by using computerized process control equipment as well as RFID tracking through every phase of production,” said Drew Pritchard, Consultant/Engineering Tech of Hemp Processing Partners. “Each custom facility has a unique SOP written for them as well as training and continued support for their systems.”

Hemp Processing Partners and United Precision Engineering  unveiled a new state-of-the-art hemp refinery facility.

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