Processing

Articles

This article proposes alternative and effective cleaning solutions for cannabis and hemp processing equipment.

An Essential Element  for Commercial Cannabis and Hemp Manufacturing: Practical Cleaning Solutions for Extraction and Processing Equipment

Brian C. Smith, PhD, is Founder, CEO, and Chief Technical Officer of Big Sur Scientific. He is the inventor of the BSS series of patented mid-infrared based cannabis analyzers. Dr. Smith has done pioneering research and published numerous peer-reviewed papers on the application of mid-infrared spectroscopy to cannabis analysis, and sits on the editorial board of Cannabis Science and Technology. He has worked as a laboratory director for a cannabis extractor, as an analytical chemist for Waters Associates and PerkinElmer, and as an analytical instrument salesperson. He has more than 30 years of experience in chemical analysis and has written three books on the subject. Dr. Smith earned his PhD on physical chemistry from Dartmouth College. Direct correspondence to: 

How can cannabis businesses start formulating like the pharmaceutical industry and why it’s important to do so.

Cannabis is Medicine… Formulate it Like Medicine!

Isolated CBD, full-spectrum oil, and even smokable hemp are all being diluted down by a draconian regulatory framework that needs to be changed to facilitate growth, innovation, and prosperity throughout the industry.

Hemp Regulations and the Restrictions on Innovation

David Hodes has written for many cannabis publications, and organized or moderated sessions at national and international cannabis trade shows. He was voted the 2018 Journalist of the Year by Americans for Safe Access, the world’s largest medical cannabis advocacy organization.

An exploration on what is driving more focus on extraction technology for cannabis, and the work being done to find solutions to certain issues that need to be addressed in extraction.

Better Gear, More Precise Processes Help Propel A Growing Range of Extraction Offerings 

As globalization of demand for cannabis and its derivative products increase, new technology and artificial intelligence solutions can greatly boost the output of production and processing.

New Age Artificial Intelligence for Cannabis Production?

Lo Friesen is the founder, CEO, and Chief Extractor of Heylo. With a background in chemistry and clinical research, Lo was inspired to explore cannabis as a medicine and to enter the emerging industry. She joined Eden Labs, a leading CO

 extraction equipment manufacturer to support and expand a Research and Development department. There she managed the development of their latest and greatest CO

 extraction system. In 2017, after working with Eden Labs and another cannabis processor, Lo launched Heylo with a mission to help people get more out of life with cannabis.

A review of the evolution of the ethanol extraction method within the cannabis industry, where it stands today, and the other alcohols that are being introduced to the cannabis extraction space.

The Evolution of Ethanol Extraction Methods in Cannabis

Here, we take a closer look at buffers to see what solutions they might offer.

The Fields of Science and Technology Would Not Exist Without the Use of Buffers—Why Aren’t They Used with Cannabis Extractions?

Here we discuss issues such as how a repeatable outcome is a critical component of developing cannabis as a reliable medicinal treatment, insight into how to work out extraction goals such as quality terpene development, and more.

Connecting Cannabis with the Evolving Needs of the Consumer

Here we explore various refinement methods for removal of plant waxes from cannabis extract.

Methods and Advancements in Wax Fractionation from Cannabis Extract

Gretchen Schimelpfenig, PE, is the Technical Director of RII and manages the organization’s Technical Advisory Council. She is an LED-lit home cultivator. While serving Burlington Electric Department customers, she incentivized horticultural LED lighting equipment through energy efficiency programs, and has commissioned LED lighting designs and installed systems in commercial and industrial buildings, including greenhouses used for academic research on hemp and other cultivars. She authored the RII 

Best Practices Guides on HVAC and LED Lighting for Cannabis Cultivation and Controlled Environment Agriculture.

 She has a B.S. in Architectural Engineering from the University of Wyoming and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. She is a licensed Civil Professional Engineer in California and Vermont. 

Understand what information to gather for cultivation operations, which KPIs are important, and how to interpret a performance benchmark.