Willow Industries Announces Partnership with the Cannabis Research Coalition

In a press release (1) dated June 4, 2024, Willow Industries announced its partnership with the Cannabis Research Coalition (CRC). Founded in 2015, Willow Industries supplies cannabis microbial control and post-harvest decontamination technology. The mission of the CRC, founded in 2022, is to bring together stakeholders—including academia and businesses—in the cannabis industry to support research and efficient cultivation techniques.

"This partnership underscores how important industry collaboration and research initiatives are to the future of cannabis," stated Jill Ellsworth, Founder and CEO of Willow Industries, in the press release. "With our shared values and commitment to advancing the industry, we are thrilled to join the Cannabis Research Coalition in their pursuit of scientific advancements and industry-wide standards."

In their partnership with the CRC, Willow Industries donated WillowAir units, which remove airborne contaminants in cultivation facilities and grow environments (1). 

"Today, we unite as pioneers in an emerging industry,” stated Allison Justice, PhD, Founder and CEO of the CRC and The Hemp Mine, in the press release. “Merely a month ago, the Federal government acknowledged the therapeutic potential of cannabis. The call for research, across all departments, resonates louder than ever and is only achieved through industry collaboration.”

In April 2024, several sources reported that the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will reschedule cannabis from its current position as a Schedule I drug, the most strictly controlled category of controlled substances, to a Schedule III drug (2).

Last month, Dr. Justice, alongside Riley Kirk, PhD, presented “The Science of Smokeability: Insights on Cultivation and Post-Harvest Techniques to Enhance the Quality of the Smoking Experience,” at the Cannabis Science Conference in Kansas City, Missouri (3). Their research evaluated cultivation practices or post-harvest processing, which is the drying and curing process, on how they might impact the smokeability of the final product.

As Dr. Kirk explained in a pre-conference interview with Cannabis Science and Technology (4), the research project asks, “what is so unique about the smoking experience specifically for really good flower? How can we cultivate a really good product and make that smoking experience a very positive experience from the feelings, but also reduce the amount of harm entering your body by understanding if there are cultivation metrics, or if there are drying cure metrics that can allow for a healthier product to be produced so that when the smoke enters your body, it's not producing a lot of the harmful compounds, more of the beneficial compounds, and then we can start to kind of delve into like what that chemistry is. Once we learn that chemistry, we can dive into this way deeper if we want to, but it's really just about learning more about the smoking experience because our industry has not done any of this really baseline fundamental research in understanding from plant to smoke entering the body, what is happening on a biochemical level? What is happening with these different molecules? Are there different levels of transformation happening? And can consumers actually pick up on these little nuances? Or can they not?”

References

1. Willow Industries Partners with Cannabis Research Coalition to Drive Groundbreaking Research Initiatives. Cision PR Newswire. https://www.kget.com/business/press-releases/cision/20240604LA31076/willow-industries-partners-with-cannabis-research-coalition-to-drive-groundbreaking-research-initiatives/ June 4, 2024.
2. McEvoy, E. DEA Will Reclassify Cannabis to Schedule III, According to Reports https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/drug-enforcement-administration-dea-will-reclassify-cannabis-marijuana-to-schedule-iii-according-to-reports (accessed June 6, 2024).
3. Colli, M. Cannabis Science Conference Spring Keynote Coverage: The Science of Smokeability: Insights on Cultivation and Post-Harvest Techniques to Enhance the Quality of the Smoking Experience https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/cannabis-science-conference-spring-keynote-coverage-the-science-of-smokeability-insights-on-cultivation-and-post-harvest-techniques-to-enhance-the-quality-of-the-smoking-experience (accessed June 6, 2024).
4. Colli, M., McEvoy, E. Cannabis Science Conference Spring 2024: Interview with Keynote Speakers Allison Justice, PhD and Riley Kirk, PhD https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/cannabis-science-conference-spring-2024-interview-with-keynote-speakers-allison-justice-phd-and-riley-kirk-phd (accessed June 6, 2024).