Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA and QC)

Gretchen Schimelpfenig is a Senior Energy Engineer at Energy Resources Integration, LLC where she implements energy efficiency programs and provides direct consulting services. She is the former Technical Director of the Resource Innovation Institute and manager of the organization’s Technical Advisory Council. She authored RII’s Lighting, HVAC, and Facility Design & Construction Best Practices Guides for Controlled Environment Agriculture and the Lighting, HVAC, and Controls Best Practices Guides for Cannabis Cultivation. She has worked with partners like the University of Vermont to optimize commercial and industrial buildings, including greenhouses and controls systems used for academic research on hemp and other cultivars. 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.

Articles

This column reviews a study published by cannabis industry design and construction professionals and describes the impact of energy regulations affecting heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system selection in cannabis production facilities.

Integrated HVAC Systems for Cannabis Cultivation Have the Lowest Life Cycle Cost

This article provides insights into the opportunities involving the genetic modification of cannabis. 

Maximizing Cultivation Efficiency Through the Utilization of Genetic Technology

One important element of creating the ideal growing environment for cannabis is often overlooked: air quality. Here, we look at why this is important as well as best practices for mitigating poor air quality.

The Importance of Air Quality in Cannabis Cultivation

Filmed onsite at Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2023, Kim Stuck, founder and CEO of Allay Consulting, shares her unique insights and experiences in the industry.

Cannabis Science Conference Live: Kim Stuck

Canna Boot Camp Spring 2023 was held at ChemHistory, a premier quality control testing laboratory in Milwaukie, Oregon. In this onsite interview, we speak with Business Director Alex Hoggan.

Canna Boot Camp Spring 2023 with Alex Hoggan

This column expresses how cannabis facilities that invest in RCx projects can enhance equipment reliability and worker safety, improve conditions for plant growth and development, increase canopy yields, and reduce maintenance costs.

Retrocommissioning Pays Dividends

Patricia Atkins is a Senior Applications Scientist with SPEX CertiPrep and a member of both the AOAC and ASTM committees for cannabis.

In this installment, we finish our discussion of energy and elements used in atomic spectroscopy by examining an important analytical technique: inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS).

Energy and Elements, Part III: Understanding and Choosing an ICP-MS

This tutorial article outlines the key considerations that must be put in place when setting up a cannabis extraction facility.

Cannabis Extraction Facility Setup 101

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.

There goes another year in the books. This review of 2022’s extraction greatest hits takes a look at discoveries, advancements in technology, and other highlights from the year. This article also lays out some predictions for 2023, which is set up to be an interesting year with less access to funding that could slow the development of new technology or innovation in the extraction space.

Extraction 2022 Highlights and 2023 Predictions

This article addresses the US Department of Agriculture’s hemp testing rules and what laboratories should know regarding hemp testing. The author provides a short tutorial for laboratories and includes a section how laboratory information management systems (LIMS) can help.