MJBizMag August 2020 - 98

BestPracticesInExtraction | Bart Schaneman
Consumers crave consistency and
the ability to predict the effects of
cannabis. Marijuana extractors rely
on these steps to create a reliable
product:
* Using flower grown from clones
under specific, predictable
conditions translates into extracted
products that are more likely to offer
users the same effects between
batches.
* Creating extract from a specific
strain offers more predictable
results than relying on what is
available from vendors.
* Following and documenting
extraction protocols means the
product should retain the same
characteristics regardless of
changes in staffing.
* Comparing terpenes and
cannabinoid profiles in lab results
can confirm whether batches are
generally consistent.
Sourcing your genetics from clones rather than seeds reduces the chance of product variability.
Photo Courtesy of Precision Extraction Solutions
Before Clever Leaves brings in a
shipment of flower, the humidity and
microbial concentration is tightly
controlled and tested. Then, when the
shipment arrives at the processing
facility after traveling up to 62 miles,
Useche repeats the tests to understand
how shipping might have changed the
flowerʼs sensory properties.
For some of its extracted products,
Clever Leaves works with only three
strains: one high in CBD and two high
in THC. The company has about 25
products in development using these
strains. Useche said using only three
strains rather than many different
types of input material helps Clever
Leaves ensure consistency and quality.
For Chris Barone, chief science officer
of Denver-based Clear Cannabis, it's
crucial that staffers understand the
importance of proper procurement,
meaning the company's flower buyers
must be on the lookout for pesticides
or any other contaminants that could
affect the quality and consistency of the
final product.
" Some starting materials can yield
weird flavors, " he explained.
Quality input material is even more
important to creating a consistent
product than the extraction process
itself, agreed Nick Tennant, chief
technology officer at Precision
Extraction Solutions, a hemp- and
marijuana-extraction company based
in Detroit.
Tennant recommends using a
single-source genetic strain from
clones rather than grown from seed. A
clone will be an exact genetic replica
every time, while seeds can display
variability.
The clones should all be grown the
same way, under the same lights and
with the same nutrients.
Tennant said most variations
in cannabis extracts come from
96 Marijuana Business Magazine | August 2020
a fluctuation in the terpenes and
cannabinoids, so providing feedback to
cultivators is important.
" Working with the growers is
pretty easy, " Tennant said. " Most
(cultivators) are pretty savvy when it
comes to keeping mother plants and
genetics stable. "
Proper Procedures
For Barone at Clear Cannabis,
consistency arises from a company's
ability to generate standard operating
procedures and protocols, which
include documenting much of the
process. He recommends staffing
an extraction lab with operators who
understand the importance of that
documentation and keeping checklists
to track every step.
Tennant at Precision Extraction
Solutions agrees that stability and
consistency in products can be
achieved by keeping a close eye on

MJBizMag August 2020

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