By Corinne Devine
The regulated adult use cannabis industry in the United States is comprised of 23 states that are completely disconnected and independently operating within intra-state markets. This patchwork of an industry recently blazed past a milestone, despite the many roadblocks and hurdles that every operator encounters within their respective market. Colorado, the first state to pass and implement an adult-use recreational cannabis market, reached its 10th anniversary of establishment in late 2022. Over the past decade, the selection of cannabis products for consumers to choose from has skyrocketed, and states that you may have thought would never spark up, have now instead joined the smoke circle. These ever-changing times within each respective market are nevertheless more welcome than the previous prohibition policies that unnecessarily and unfortunately decimated communities across this country.
Prohibition and its actors are also responsible for spreading harmful false misinformation to the public about the cannabis plant and the effects of its consumption. Residuals of these falsehoods still remain in the public psyche and the vestiges prove to be an additional challenge facing cannabis operators, including cannabis processors. Cannabis processing, which encompasses the extraction of cannabis flower and refinement of cannabis extracts, as well as the manufacture of cannabinoid-infused products is as equally complicated as the rules, laws, and regulations governing the industry.
You may have heard the following sayings before: “The day you plant the seed is not the day you smoke the weed” and “There are 1,000 ways to skin a cat.” Both sayings and their respective sentiments are very much relevant to cannabis processing. Having patience and crafting a plan are integral to successfully processing cannabis flower into cannabis extracts, and these sentiments are equally applicable to the manufacture of infused consumer packaged goods (CPG). Likewise, the delayed gratification and creativity implied by these phrases are both beneficial skills that thrive during cannabis processing operations.
In and of itself, processing a smokable plant flower into multiple extract types, and various infused consumer packaged goods, is a technological feat. The magic of it all, my personal relationship to cannabis, and my visions of what could be, are all what brought me into the cannabis industry, about six years ago.
When I was a senior in college pursuing an undergraduate Biochemistry degree from SUNY Binghamton, I had a blank slate in front of me. A blank slate with one giant question mark. What to do next? Pharmacology was intriguing to me, and I was enjoying cannabis in my free time too. I also saw a wave of legalization move across the U.S. during Fall 2016. It was the perfect storm. It was then that I realized there would be a demand for extraction technicians, manufacturing technicians, and QA/QC specialists.
So, I made it my goal to enter the industry via those roles, and through intentional actions I successfully did so. Looking back, I can now see that I had absolutely no clue how complex cannabis processing was. These days, I can clearly see the broad spectrum of chemistries and techniques utilized across the various extraction methods and processing steps. From the very organic solvents that are hydrocarbon gasses, to the very aqueous ice water hash washing method, and amphipathic ethanol extraction falling somewhere in the middle; these unique methods all result in respective extracts that each have unique compositions and different use-cases. Not to mention the specific sequence of steps involved within a particular extraction method. Additionally unimaginable have been my fortunate opportunities to work in cannabis labs and share my learned knowledge through teaching.
Over the past six years, since I began my career in cannabis, the cannabis industry has evolved greatly. Gone are the days of unlabeled mysterious brick weed, and heating butter knives on an electric stove to take a dab – a dab that you made from squeezing bud between parchment paper using your at-home hair straightener. As the cannabis consumer market expanded to encompass more of the public due to wide-spread legalization, so did the various consumption methods that give you multiple options of exactly how to consume your cannabis.
The approachability and availability of cannabis products and extracts to the common person has also improved due to legalization. Tested products within a legal cannabis marketplace have made the identification and consumption of a single dose easier than ever. Technological advances on all sides – testing, packaging, processing, ordering ahead online, sharing product reviews and experiences online, etc. -, have all elevated and evolved the way we interact with cannabis. The horizon of possibilities regarding cannabis processing has never been broader than it is now. The advancements made by commercial equipment suppliers in the past decade to support cannabis processing operations are similarly astounding.
With the evolving legal status of cannabis and the broadening consumer base experiencing benefits from cannabis use, the barriers to scientific research on cannabis are now beginning to fall as well. It is from cannabis research that we will make novel discoveries of this plant, its metabolites, and subsequent cannabis Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) products; each of which have unique physiological effects that require further clinical research. Such discoveries are the keys to deepening our understanding and advancing the industry to serve patients better and keep the wellness benefits of this plant front and center. Staying apprised of the innovations in this space can translate into optimizations within your hobby or business operations.
Whether the optimization is realized in improved extract quality, a new product innovation, or through efficiencies realized in cost of goods sold (COGS) and margins, the strongest and most fit operators stay in tune with the constant rhythm of developments within the maturing cannabis industry. A high degree of adaptability is indicative of success, within cannabis entrepreneurship.
As they say, evolve or die.