Cannabis News

This is a story about heat and pressure.

And cannabis.

Centuries ago, the original cannabis concentrates were made using hand-pressed hashes, with communities on the Indian subcontinent using their hands to make charas. To use modern lingo, these were solventless concentrates, not all that different from products that consumers are finding on dispensary shelves today.

“The origins of solventless go all the way back to the beginning of when hash was first discovered,” Eric Vlosky, PurePressure’s director of marketing and business development, says.

In the 1980s and ‘90s, bubble hash had a moment in traditional cannabis markets before butane extraction gained a certain prominence in the 2000s and into the 2010s. In 2014, Phil “SoilGrown” Salazar used his girlfriend’s hair straightener to squeeze a cannabis bud and noticed an enticing oil spilling out. Here we have the creation of modern rosin. The solventless extraction industry has grown steadily ever since.

Courtesy of PurePressure

In 2015, PurePressure was formed to address this new demand. Co-founders Josh Rutherford and Ben Britton worked together to engineer a better press than what was on the market at the time (mostly repurposed T-shirt presses). The original prototype worked exceedingly well, and the company was off to the races.

So, what is solventless extraction?

As Vlosky explains the process, heat and pressure are integral to preserving the quality of the plant material—often fresh-frozen cannabis flower, dry sift or a freshly washed ice water hash. The resulting live rosin offers a distinct and pure expression of that original plant material in a more concentrated form. Whereas solvent-based extraction methods involve chemical dissolution, solventless extraction is essentially a mechanical separation process. Processors are removing trichomes from the plant material and working to keep them intact in the solventless world.

The end products include live rosins, diamonds, shatter, wax, budder, sugar, sauce, oil: Much of the same categories that can be produced in a solvent-based process, but with the essence of the plant material kept in place. Live rosin, for instance, is differentiated from live resin by this very process. And, bear in mind, product innovation is happening at a rapid pace now, so this is an ever-changing landscape within the broader cannabis market.

Eric Simpson @simpsonsolventless

Flower rosin is another segment of this category, a more budget-friendly option for experimenting with solventless—one that may involve more organic plant matter on the front end.

More popular inputs include dry sift and ice water hash. Ideally, plant material is fresh-frozen before being used as a solventless starting point; this preserves the very nature of the cultivar that’s being directed into a concentrated product.

Photo courtesy of PurePressure

“The reason most great rosins are made with live product, meaning fresh frozen, which is then washed, is because it really preserves more of the volatile terpenes, the monoterpenes, the sesquiterpenes,” Vlosky says.

This—the live rosin origin story for the modern processor—is the key to the rise in solventless extraction.

The “rosin” nomenclature is important, because there’s not yet a regulatory agency that oversees these distinctions, per se. Whereas live resin comes from hydrocarbon extraction processes using fresh frozen plant material, live rosin denotes a solventless end product. “Resin” is a bit of a catch-all term, to an extent, but “rosin” clearly applies to solventless extraction methods: heat and pressure achieving the original expression of each cannabis plant’s flowers.

It’s a market segment that’s gaining traction across the U.S., primarily because solventless extraction retains the clearest presentation of the original plant material in its many final forms. The live rosin product category is honed and marketed for the cannabis connoisseur, but now many consumers who are looking for a higher quality experience are starting to gravitate to solventless products as well.

While newer cannabis markets might initially open to great fanfare within the flower segment, consumer education tends to dial in more nuanced preferences for cannabis consumption—leading many to seek out the lively terpene expressions and flavors of solventless products.

It all goes back to the careful preservation of the cannabis plant’s natural resins.

“When you’re applying heat and pressure to trichomes, which are these very small, delicate little structures, the cell wall and the trichome head and stalk ruptures,” Vlosky says. “The heat is what helps liquefy that oil to a point that, combined with pressure and a filtration medium, since it’s pressed in a bag or in a stainless steel wrap, extrudes and presses the oil through the filter, giving you the pure expression of the plant. It’s leaving a lot of the organic plant material behind, like the husks of the trichomes and any other residual plant material.”

WATCH: Click here for a video of rosin being pressed on a PurePressure press.

To get it right, rosin presses should include rectangular heat plates. A square isn’t ideal, because that shape creates less perimeter space for the rosin to “exit” the press—meaning, in the end, less yield from the plant. There are several variables in play here, but PurePressure encourages using a rectangular bag on a rectangular heat plate to ensure that the perimeter is used most efficiently.

“You want to reduce that distance [from the center of the plate] as much as you can, and there’s a bit of a balance there,” Vlosky says.

Ultimately, it’s both science and art. Finesse is a critical part of the actual pressing process.

The bottleneck, to the extent that producers watch out for one, is not with rosin presses, but rather with source material production itself. How much hash or sift can your produce? Most operators find that one or two presses gets the job done, though there are certainly businesses running six or even eight presses every day.

PurePressure has designed its equipment to more easily navigate the learning curve. The company’s rosin presses include touch-screen feedback mechanisms to convey how long you’re pressing and how much force you’re applying. The presses are loaded up with established recipes (and room to save your own for later reference). That’s another key: The savvy operator will want to track and record all measurements—input and output—to ensure that the highest-quality yields are emerging from this process. Then it’s easier to scale and figure out if it fits into your business model.

Because the solventless process retains the plant’s true expression, this isn’t a situation where plant material can be remediated. If the plant material has issues on the front end, those will be picked up on the back end.

“What goes in absolutely comes out with solventless,” Vlosky says.

 

This is a story about heat and pressure.

And cannabis.

Centuries ago, the original cannabis concentrates were made using hand-pressed hashes, with communities on the Indian subcontinent using their hands to make charas. To use modern lingo, these were solventless concentrates, not all that different from products that consumers are finding on dispensary shelves today.

“The origins of solventless go all the way back to the beginning of when hash was first discovered,” Eric Vlosky, PurePressure’s director of marketing and business development, says.

In the 1980s and ‘90s, bubble hash had a moment in traditional cannabis markets before butane extraction gained a certain prominence in the 2000s and into the 2010s. In 2014, Phil “SoilGrown” Salazar used his girlfriend’s hair straightener to squeeze a cannabis bud and noticed an enticing oil spilling out. Here we have the creation of modern rosin. The solventless extraction industry has grown steadily ever since.

Courtesy of PurePressure

In 2015, PurePressure was formed to address this new demand. Co-founders Josh Rutherford and Ben Britton worked together to engineer a better press than what was on the market at the time (mostly repurposed T-shirt presses). The original prototype worked exceedingly well, and the company was off to the races.

So, what is solventless extraction?

As Vlosky explains the process, heat and pressure are integral to preserving the quality of the plant material—often fresh-frozen cannabis flower, dry sift or a freshly washed ice water hash. The resulting live rosin offers a distinct and pure expression of that original plant material in a more concentrated form. Whereas solvent-based extraction methods involve chemical dissolution, solventless extraction is essentially a mechanical separation process. Processors are removing trichomes from the plant material and working to keep them intact in the solventless world.

The end products include live rosins, diamonds, shatter, wax, budder, sugar, sauce, oil: Much of the same categories that can be produced in a solvent-based process, but with the essence of the plant material kept in place. Live rosin, for instance, is differentiated from live resin by this very process. And, bear in mind, product innovation is happening at a rapid pace now, so this is an ever-changing landscape within the broader cannabis market.

Eric Simpson @simpsonsolventless

Flower rosin is another segment of this category, a more budget-friendly option for experimenting with solventless—one that may involve more organic plant matter on the front end.

More popular inputs include dry sift and ice water hash. Ideally, plant material is fresh-frozen before being used as a solventless starting point; this preserves the very nature of the cultivar that’s being directed into a concentrated product.

Photo courtesy of PurePressure

“The reason most great rosins are made with live product, meaning fresh frozen, which is then washed, is because it really preserves more of the volatile terpenes, the monoterpenes, the sesquiterpenes,” Vlosky says.

This—the live rosin origin story for the modern processor—is the key to the rise in solventless extraction.

The “rosin” nomenclature is important, because there’s not yet a regulatory agency that oversees these distinctions, per se. Whereas live resin comes from hydrocarbon extraction processes using fresh frozen plant material, live rosin denotes a solventless end product. “Resin” is a bit of a catch-all term, to an extent, but “rosin” clearly applies to solventless extraction methods: heat and pressure achieving the original expression of each cannabis plant’s flowers.

It’s a market segment that’s gaining traction across the U.S., primarily because solventless extraction retains the clearest presentation of the original plant material in its many final forms. The live rosin product category is honed and marketed for the cannabis connoisseur, but now many consumers who are looking for a higher quality experience are starting to gravitate to solventless products as well.

While newer cannabis markets might initially open to great fanfare within the flower segment, consumer education tends to dial in more nuanced preferences for cannabis consumption—leading many to seek out the lively terpene expressions and flavors of solventless products.

It all goes back to the careful preservation of the cannabis plant’s natural resins.

“When you’re applying heat and pressure to trichomes, which are these very small, delicate little structures, the cell wall and the trichome head and stalk ruptures,” Vlosky says. “The heat is what helps liquefy that oil to a point that, combined with pressure and a filtration medium, since it’s pressed in a bag or in a stainless steel wrap, extrudes and presses the oil through the filter, giving you the pure expression of the plant. It’s leaving a lot of the organic plant material behind, like the husks of the trichomes and any other residual plant material.”

WATCH: Click here for a video of rosin being pressed on a PurePressure press.

To get it right, rosin presses should include rectangular heat plates. A square isn’t ideal, because that shape creates less perimeter space for the rosin to “exit” the press—meaning, in the end, less yield from the plant. There are several variables in play here, but PurePressure encourages using a rectangular bag on a rectangular heat plate to ensure that the perimeter is used most efficiently.

“You want to reduce that distance [from the center of the plate] as much as you can, and there’s a bit of a balance there,” Vlosky says.

Ultimately, it’s both science and art. Finesse is a critical part of the actual pressing process.

The bottleneck, to the extent that producers watch out for one, is not with rosin presses, but rather with source material production itself. How much hash or sift can your produce? Most operators find that one or two presses gets the job done, though there are certainly businesses running six or even eight presses every day.

PurePressure has designed its equipment to more easily navigate the learning curve. The company’s rosin presses include touch-screen feedback mechanisms to convey how long you’re pressing and how much force you’re applying. The presses are loaded up with established recipes (and room to save your own for later reference). That’s another key: The savvy operator will want to track and record all measurements—input and output—to ensure that the highest-quality yields are emerging from this process. Then it’s easier to scale and figure out if it fits into your business model.

Because the solventless process retains the plant’s true expression, this isn’t a situation where plant material can be remediated. If the plant material has issues on the front end, those will be picked up on the back end.

“What goes in absolutely comes out with solventless,” Vlosky says.

 

Even for casual fans, the high-pitched, nasally flow of Cypress Hill’s lead vocalist is instantly recognizable. B-Real has been a legendary figure in hip-hop and cannabis for decades. Now that his Dr. Greenthumb dispensary franchise is quickly expanding across southern California, the voice behind classics like “Hits from the Bong” and “Insane in the Membrane” has a lot to say about the business of weed.

Cannabis Business Times and Cannabis Dispensary spoke to B-Real via phone to get his thoughts on the state of the game and what should happen next:

Raj Chander: Lots of corporate multi-state operators (MSOs) are getting into the cannabis industry, but some consumers have questioned their authenticity. How do we strike a balance between supporting business while staying true to the plant?

Courtesy of Dr. Greenthumb

B-Real: There’s definitely a balance, … but some of these brands that have come in, celebrity brands and big corporate brands, they’ve yet to find that middle ground. The one thing we know about the cannabis industry is people want to know you’ve been in the industry at any point—could be advocacy, activism, or actually someone in the culture who was cultivating. … They want to know that you’ve actually been involved in the culture and it’s not just a money grab. And unfortunately, for a lot of corporate entities coming in, it’s a money grab, and it’s perceived as that, and some of those brands sort of fall by the wayside no matter how much money they’ve thrown at promoting and hyping up said brand. I think you see a lot more corporate entities doing deals with brands with names now to get into the industry, to get into the culture. 

Anyone coming in trying to create their own brand has had a harder time. … You have to figure out how you can engage these folks and make them familiar with your brand, and make sure that your brand quality lives up to the hype. In the last couple years we’ve seen a couple brands that have so much money to spend on marketing to be one of the most sought out brands, and when you get to their dispensary or you buy one of their products, it just does not meet the mark. Plenty of places are great in their visibility, but what they put on their counters isn’t living up to anyone’s expectations.

RC: California in particular is facing a huge issue right now with the legacy market. Why has this been such an issue, and what do you think can be done to correct it?

BR: I think the board they have in place to oversee the cannabis industry is underfunded and undermanned, so you have all these things that fall to crap because of that. … The taxes that we have here are extremely high, and that definitely needs to be changed at some point. They make it impossible for the little guy to operate here in California. 

But the opportunity to make cannabis a legitimate business, man, that’s the bigger picture. So, in spite of all the hoops they make you jump through, and all the bumps in the road … to become a legitimate brand, I think this is something that we’ve all aspired to—the possibility of having legal cannabis and some of us creating our own brands within the industry. It’s been difficult for a lot of us, but it’s necessary. 

And hopefully in the next year they’ll do something about these rogue shops. Here they are making money hand over fist, and some of these dispensaries don’t even pay their state taxes. They’re allowed to make maximum dollars, and we’re stuck paying these crazy-ass taxes and trying to figure it out. For us that have the bigger brands, it’s a little bit easier, but not every store has that ability to have a brand name out there that they can be competitive and not worry about who’s opening up down the street. They need to clean that part of the industry up and make it fair for the people who put everything into their business and are operating within the rules.

RC: Tell us about your brand, Dr. Greenthumb. What made you want to get into the dispensary business – was it an idea you always had? How did it grow into multiple locations – what was that progression like?

BR: As soon as dispensaries showed up on the scene I knew that we should have one, whether it was gonna be Cypress Hill—initially I tried to convince the guys to chase licenses and open these spots, but they were a little reluctant. So, I came into the business through my Dr. Greenthumb brand that I had been cultivating and building up little by little, through the music and then eventually through cannabis products and whatnot.

Courtesy of Dr. Greenthumb

I felt like it would be an easy transition for me, because I’ve been an advocate, I’ve been an activist. I’ve been in the cannabis world since way the fuck back. Initially, my team and I had planned to put out our own products—concentrates, flower—but then I realized the power in the brand. We could actually open up a retail store and create another brand that are products that come from Dr. Greenthumb [the dispensary].

It took a while to open up the first shop. … It was finding the right partners that saw the vision, that we could be on the same page with. Fortunately, we were able to open up our Sylmar shop first, which is our flagship, and we showed proof of concept there. Even in a short time, we were able to pop up four more shops in California. We’re opening up our seventh shop in San Diego in the next few months. We’ve tried to focus and target California because it’s our backyard, it’s our home. … We felt if we were gonna plant flags, it would be easiest to do it here first, and expand beyond California after we get to certain markets that we want here locked up.

RC: What would you say to someone—inside or outside California—who wants to get into the industry, but doesn’t have the brand or reputation you have?

BR: It’s gonna take a lot of capital. A lot of capital. You have to build up resources, build up the team, find the right genetics, figure out how to promote and market and create the hype around this brand. All that takes a lot of money. Unless you hit the lottery somehow and just have something that hits, which is very rare in this business.

You also have to have the right team. … people that are experts, and know their lanes and are experts in their lanes. When you try to get a group of people that just have the money but none of them have resources outside that money that know how to operate inside of this industry, you are setting yourself up for failure, throwing the money into the fire. I would say that you have to find the right team to help you build properly in each lane as it relates to the cannabis industry. No one can do it by themselves.

RC: There’s a common saying: “The people who got rich in the gold rush were the ones selling picks and shovels.” What do you think about opportunities on the ancillary side of the industry?

BR: For sure, you definitely want to sell the picks and shovels as opposed to buying up all the mines and trying to gamble on what you’re mining. You see a lot of that right now. What we are trying to get involved in is tech. Right now we have this system called THC Controls that we use in our cultivation, and a few big brands also use this, it was created by people on our team. What it does is records data in your cultivation, so it allows you to see the SOPs, monitor the cultivation at all times. 

So, let’s just say one room produces better than another room in terms of flowering, right? Let’s just say there was a slight difference in one room in relation to the SOPs: nutrients that were provided to the plant, etc. You can find the data between both rooms and see, “What did we do in this room that made it produce better?”

Or if we’re doing the MSO thing, let’s say here in Arizona, and we are supervising it from California, we can see the cultivators there and if they are adhering to the SOPs, if they’ve missed something, if they’ve added something that shouldn’t be in there—any sort of data, and we can actually control it from California.

RC: Many are forecasting that with the Democrats now in power, they are going to pass more cannabis-friendly laws. Do you predict more legislation is going to be passed this year? Will the new government help the industry?

BR: I think they need to help the industry, focusing on how we make it better, with less taxation on the consumer and the operator. I don’t think they can afford to look elsewhere for the type of revenue that cannabis creates. It’s a revenue stream they did not have, that our nation did not have, because they just did not have the right information.

But they gotta get it right. They gotta get the regulations right, they gotta get the taxation right. There’s no industry that’s taxed like ours. This would be a great opportunity for them to come in and make things better, make things right—but you can never depend on politicians to do this for you. This takes the people to organize and fight for it. Get it on legislation and push. Politicians will make you promises all day, but I think at this point cannabis has generated so much revenue in the states that it is legal that they cannot ignore it anymore. They need to figure out a way to win over conservatives and religious voters to get this legal across the board.

Cannabis does great, you know? We got labeled an essential business during the pandemic. That should tell you how much capital that the cannabis industry generates, that they would let it continue. Do you think the government gives a fuck about if we need this as medicine or not? They don’t! It’s about the fucking tax money it generates. They accept it even though they don’t federally recognize it. They accept those tax dollars. The states need it, and the feds will take it either way. I think that they have an opportunity to do some great things. We’ll see what happens, though. I never trust politicians to do the right thing.

 

In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021, three successful women in the cannabis space share their journey, challenges and advice for working in the industry. 

A woman who has impacted the industry is Lilach Mazor Power, founder and managing director at Giving Tree Dispensary, the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership.

© Courtesy of Giving Tree

Power entered the cannabis industry in 2013 when there were little to no experts in the space. She had to make several sacrifices and worked for free for years, as she knew the company had to continue growing, she said.

But one of the most important things is that she was not afraid to jump in, take risks and work hard to get to where she aspired to be. Someone who can relate to that is Michelle Hackett, president of Riverview Farms in California.

In 2016, Hackett entered the industry when her father, Mike, was one of the first farmers permitted a license to grow medical cannabis in California. Her father wanted to take the business further than cultivation and turn it into a full seed-to-sale business. So, she left her job and jumped on board to help her father build the company, she said. 

“At the start of legalization and coming into this space, there was little to no structure,” Hackett said. “We really built the business from the ground up through trial and error.”

When the business started to take off, she invited her sister, Lauren, to join the team to assist her and the already established team, making the company a female-owned and operated cannabis business that now employs over a 75% female workforce.

Another woman who entered the cannabis industry in 2016 is Scottie Gordon, the vice president of licensing and regulatory affairs at Curaleaf.   

Before getting into the industry, Gordon was an attorney with a strong interest in regulatory law. When medical cannabis was legalized, it was a natural segue for her into the industry, as the cannabis space is full of regulations, she said. 

All three of these women come from dissimilar backgrounds and have different stories to share. Still, they all have in common that they are dedicated and are not afraid to take risks, and those traits helped them overcome challenges throughout their journeys.

INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

In any industry, women encounter challenges, and one that stands out for these women is the prospect of raising capital and funding.

© Courtesy of Curaleaf

“One of the things I recall very vividly is it was difficult trying to raise money,” Gordon said. “Traditional methods weren’t available, like getting a loan from the bank, because the industry was still federally illegal.”

Due to it being difficult to raise money through non-traditional methods, many people had to look beyond family or friends and seek individuals who could invest in a newly merging space, causing a disadvantage for women, as they tend not to be taken as seriously.

“It’s the way people take us and don’t understand that we are here because we are professionals, instead of because we are some girls,” Power said. “And that has been an issue with just trying to find partners or trying to get into the industry in general because there’s not many women in it.” 

ADVICE FOR ENTERING THE INDUSTRY AND MAKING AN IMPACT

Being rejected can lead one to self-doubt but surrounding oneself with a robust support system and being aware of their abilities can help one overcome doubt and increase confidence, Hackett said. 

At the beginning of Hackett’s cannabis career, it was difficult for her to connect with clients or potential business partners, but through extensive outreach and being vocal, she quickly connected with professionals in the industry.

© Courtesy of Riverview Farms

“I wasn’t afraid to jump in and get my hands dirty,” Hackett said. “I just tried to be fearless and meet as many people as quickly as possible.”

Power also said that it is essential for one to just “go for it,” and try not to let people get in their head.

“I think what women are sometimes lacking is trying to make it perfect before they go for it, and then saying, ‘done is better than perfect,’ has to be said here,” Power said. “Find a niche that you’re interested in because there’s so many things you can do in this industry, then jump in because not everything is going to work out, and it’s OK to fail. But obviously, make sure you are serious and prepared.”

She also said that she believes many women are waiting for others to get into the industry before entering but reaching out to women already in the industry and asking for advice and insights can be beneficial, and Gordon agrees.

“What I always recommend to people is ask questions, read and listen to answers,” Gordon said. “And I think doing that can really help you practice your story and figure out where in the industry you want to be, and ultimately, the more people you talk to, the more developed your ideas and thoughts are, which can increase confidence.”

And it is essential to note that this all does not happen overnight, Power said. 

“I still have to remind myself to silence the negative noise, stay focused and remind myself I can do it,” Power said. “It doesn’t end. It’s constant work.” 

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Having diversity and different opinions and perspectives is vital in everything we do, especially in the workplace.

“For example, female cannabis users are different from men—the way we shop, or the way cannabis affects our body is different—and it’s important to realize that and notice that,” Power said.

“And it’s not just about having females but having people that are going to advocate for your businesses,” Hackett said. “People that are going to say, ‘Hey, this is not right,’ or express what the business needs to do better or differently.”

Overall, these women would like to see and encourage other women to break barriers and join the cannabis space.

And for someone like Power, who is recognized for owning the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership, she has mixed feelings about it. 

“People congratulate me and think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ but is it amazing?” Power said. “This is not great. There are 130 licenses in Arizona, and I am the only one with majority female ownership; that is not where we should be. But on the other hand, I am glad people see it as something to celebrate and something to pass on and talk about so more women can realize it is possible, and we need to fix this.”

 

Cannabinoids—the molecules found in the cannabis plant—are becoming an immensely popular industry, with applications in pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, cosmetics and more. However, the traditional method of harvesting cannabinoids through plants has a tremendous environmental footprint, with the energy-intensive practices required to produce the cannabis plant costing the U.S. billions of dollars each year.  

Fortunately, new innovations have emerged that will make this process require significantly less time, energy and natural resources. This article will explore two methods of rare cannabinoid production—the traditional method of cultivation through plants and the newer method of biosynthesis—and will compare their impact on the environment. 

Natural Cultivation

The companies that use the traditional process of growth, harvest, extraction and purification have a major problem when it comes to harvesting rare cannabinoids. Rare cannabinoids only show up in trace amounts in plants, which means you need to grow vast quantities of plants to harvest just a tiny amount of rare cannabinoids.

Once you factor in the amount of plants that need to be grown, equipment, fuel, fertilizers, water, man hours, harvesting, extraction and purification, the costs are economically unfeasible. This process uses so much energy, natural resources, water and fertilizers that the end product is not affordable for the majority of consumers.

Cultivation through plants requires hundreds of acres of land, thousands of pounds of fertilizer, thousands of gallons of water and thousands of man hours. In addition, this process uses significant amounts of energy to run equipment, in addition to extraction and purification. Plus, the end products can contain contaminants and toxins due to heavy metals, pesticides, pests, mold and more.

Biosynthesis

Biosynthesis is the production of a desired compound through the natural means of an organism’s biological processes. It produces identical compounds to those found in nature, lending itself as the optimal pathway for the manufacture of cannabinoids identical to their naturally occurring counterparts. ​

While cultivation through plants is harmful to the environment, biosynthesis produces a much lower environmental footprint because it requires significantly fewer resources. Biosynthesis requires over 90% less energy, natural resources and man hours, along with zero fertilizers, contaminants and toxins. There also no extraction and purification costs.

Biosynthesis needs only 6,000 square feet to produce the same amount of rare cannabinoids as hundreds of acres of plants. This process produces pharmaceutical-grade, organic, non-GMO products at a 70-90% lower cost than cultivation through plants—resulting in cannabinoid products that are more affordable for the consumer.

With climate change increasingly becoming a concern, it’s crucial for us to rely on more environmentally friendly avenues for cannabinoid production. Biosynthesis provides a method of cannabinoid production that requires significantly less time, energy and natural resources than cultivation through plants—resulting in not only a decreased environmental footprint but also safer and less expensive products.

Natural product analysis using Carbon-14 is a valuable scientific tool that can be used to confirm the naturality of cannabidiol-based (CBD) ingredients by verifying the percentage of a product that is obtained from naturally-sourced ingredients. Determining the percentage of biobased content in a product allows companies to ensure their CBD ingredients are truly natural-derived, identify the presence of synthetic adulterants, and authenticate marketing and “natural” labeling claims.

Why consider natural product analysis using Carbon-14 to validate your natural CBD products?

Carbon-14 is an isotope present in naturally-sourced materials. Natural product analysis measures the percentage of Carbon-14 present in an ingredient or product. Higher percentages indicate that a product is primarily or completely made with natural-sourced ingredients as opposed to synthetic, petroleum-derived alternatives. These cheaper, synthetic alternatives created from petroleum-based sources cannot be measured using Carbon-14. A product that is all-natural and completely plant-sourced will show a result of 100% biobased content whereas a low or zero percentage will reveal a product that is partially or completely formulated with synthetic adulterants.

Why should you be concerned with verifying the naturality of your CBD products? In recent years, the popularization of CBD extract has increased its demand as an ingredient in personal care and cosmetic products. Higher costs associated with the use of natural CBD extract instead of artificial extracts leads to the use of adulterated ingredients by some manufacturers or false label claims that a product is natural when it is not.

How can you prove your products are the real deal and ensure your customers are sure they’re getting the natural ingredients they expect? Artificial ingredients derived from petrochemical sources do not contain any carbon-14 content. The results of natural product analysis reveal the percentage of a sample that is procured from natural sources, allowing manufacturers and quality assurance teams to confirm their CBD ingredients and products are not synthetic or adulterated and to strengthen claims that their product is truly natural-derived.

Natural product analysis can authenticate the natural content of your CBD products. Validating naturality with Carbon-14 testing strengthens label and marketing claims and confirms your products and ingredients are completely natural and do not contain cheap synthetic adulterants. By verifying the percentage of our product that comes from natural sources as opposed to artificial, petrochemical sources, you can guarantee your product is genuinely made with natural CBD extract.

In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021, three successful women in the cannabis space share their journey, challenges and advice for working in the industry. 

A woman who has impacted the industry is Lilach Mazor Power, founder and managing director at Giving Tree Dispensary, the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership.

© Courtesy of Giving Tree

Power entered the cannabis industry in 2013 when there were little to no experts in the space. She had to make several sacrifices and worked for free for years, as she knew the company had to continue growing, she said.

But one of the most important things is that she was not afraid to jump in, take risks and work hard to get to where she aspired to be. Someone who can relate to that is Michelle Hackett, president of Riverview Farms in California.

In 2016, Hackett entered the industry when her father, Mike, was one of the first farmers permitted a license to grow medical cannabis in California. Her father wanted to take the business further than cultivation and turn it into a full seed-to-sale business. So, she left her job and jumped on board to help her father build the company, she said. 

“At the start of legalization and coming into this space, there was little to no structure,” Hackett said. “We really built the business from the ground up through trial and error.”

When the business started to take off, she invited her sister, Lauren, to join the team to assist her and the already established team, making the company a female-owned and operated cannabis business that now employs over a 75% female workforce.

Another woman who entered the cannabis industry in 2016 is Scottie Gordon, the vice president of licensing and regulatory affairs at Curaleaf.   

Before getting into the industry, Gordon was an attorney with a strong interest in regulatory law. When medical cannabis was legalized, it was a natural segue for her into the industry, as the cannabis space is full of regulations, she said. 

All three of these women come from dissimilar backgrounds and have different stories to share. Still, they all have in common that they are dedicated and are not afraid to take risks, and those traits helped them overcome challenges throughout their journeys.

INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

In any industry, women encounter challenges, and one that stands out for these women is the prospect of raising capital and funding.

© Courtesy of Curaleaf

“One of the things I recall very vividly is it was difficult trying to raise money,” Gordon said. “Traditional methods weren’t available, like getting a loan from the bank, because the industry was still federally illegal.”

Due to it being difficult to raise money through non-traditional methods, many people had to look beyond family or friends and seek individuals who could invest in a newly merging space, causing a disadvantage for women, as they tend not to be taken as seriously.

“It’s the way people take us and don’t understand that we are here because we are professionals, instead of because we are some girls,” Power said. “And that has been an issue with just trying to find partners or trying to get into the industry in general because there’s not many women in it.” 

ADVICE FOR ENTERING THE INDUSTRY AND MAKING AN IMPACT

Being rejected can lead one to self-doubt but surrounding oneself with a robust support system and being aware of their abilities can help one overcome doubt and increase confidence, Hackett said. 

At the beginning of Hackett’s cannabis career, it was difficult for her to connect with clients or potential business partners, but through extensive outreach and being vocal, she quickly connected with professionals in the industry.

© Courtesy of Riverview Farms

“I wasn’t afraid to jump in and get my hands dirty,” Hackett said. “I just tried to be fearless and meet as many people as quickly as possible.”

Power also said that it is essential for one to just “go for it,” and try not to let people get in their head.

“I think what women are sometimes lacking is trying to make it perfect before they go for it, and then saying, ‘done is better than perfect,’ has to be said here,” Power said. “Find a niche that you’re interested in because there’s so many things you can do in this industry, then jump in because not everything is going to work out, and it’s OK to fail. But obviously, make sure you are serious and prepared.”

She also said that she believes many women are waiting for others to get into the industry before entering but reaching out to women already in the industry and asking for advice and insights can be beneficial, and Gordon agrees.

“What I always recommend to people is ask questions, read and listen to answers,” Gordon said. “And I think doing that can really help you practice your story and figure out where in the industry you want to be, and ultimately, the more people you talk to, the more developed your ideas and thoughts are, which can increase confidence.”

And it is essential to note that this all does not happen overnight, Power said. 

“I still have to remind myself to silence the negative noise, stay focused and remind myself I can do it,” Power said. “It doesn’t end. It’s constant work.” 

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Having diversity and different opinions and perspectives is vital in everything we do, especially in the workplace.

“For example, female cannabis users are different from men—the way we shop, or the way cannabis affects our body is different—and it’s important to realize that and notice that,” Power said.

“And it’s not just about having females but having people that are going to advocate for your businesses,” Hackett said. “People that are going to say, ‘Hey, this is not right,’ or express what the business needs to do better or differently.”

Overall, these women would like to see and encourage other women to break barriers and join the cannabis space.

And for someone like Power, who is recognized for owning the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership, she has mixed feelings about it. 

“People congratulate me and think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ but is it amazing?” Power said. “This is not great. There are 130 licenses in Arizona, and I am the only one with majority female ownership; that is not where we should be. But on the other hand, I am glad people see it as something to celebrate and something to pass on and talk about so more women can realize it is possible, and we need to fix this.”

 

In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021, three successful women in the cannabis space share their journey, challenges and advice for working in the industry. 

A woman who has impacted the industry is Lilach Mazor Power, founder and managing director at Giving Tree Dispensary, the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership.

© Courtesy of Giving Tree

Power entered the cannabis industry in 2013 when there were little to no experts in the space. She had to make several sacrifices and worked for free for years, as she knew the company had to continue growing, she said.

But one of the most important things is that she was not afraid to jump in, take risks and work hard to get to where she aspired to be. Someone who can relate to that is Michelle Hackett, president of Riverview Farms in California.

In 2016, Hackett entered the industry when her father, Mike, was one of the first farmers permitted a license to grow medical cannabis in California. Her father wanted to take the business further than cultivation and turn it into a full seed-to-sale business. So, she left her job and jumped on board to help her father build the company, she said. 

“At the start of legalization and coming into this space, there was little to no structure,” Hackett said. “We really built the business from the ground up through trial and error.”

When the business started to take off, she invited her sister, Lauren, to join the team to assist her and the already established team, making the company a female-owned and operated cannabis business that now employs over a 75% female workforce.

Another woman who entered the cannabis industry in 2016 is Scottie Gordon, the vice president of licensing and regulatory affairs at Curaleaf.   

Before getting into the industry, Gordon was an attorney with a strong interest in regulatory law. When medical cannabis was legalized, it was a natural segue for her into the industry, as the cannabis space is full of regulations, she said. 

All three of these women come from dissimilar backgrounds and have different stories to share. Still, they all have in common that they are dedicated and are not afraid to take risks, and those traits helped them overcome challenges throughout their journeys.

INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

In any industry, women encounter challenges, and one that stands out for these women is the prospect of raising capital and funding.

© Courtesy of Curaleaf

“One of the things I recall very vividly is it was difficult trying to raise money,” Gordon said. “Traditional methods weren’t available, like getting a loan from the bank, because the industry was still federally illegal.”

Due to it being difficult to raise money through non-traditional methods, many people had to look beyond family or friends and seek individuals who could invest in a newly merging space, causing a disadvantage for women, as they tend not to be taken as seriously.

“It’s the way people take us and don’t understand that we are here because we are professionals, instead of because we are some girls,” Power said. “And that has been an issue with just trying to find partners or trying to get into the industry in general because there’s not many women in it.” 

ADVICE FOR ENTERING THE INDUSTRY AND MAKING AN IMPACT

Being rejected can lead one to self-doubt but surrounding oneself with a robust support system and being aware of their abilities can help one overcome doubt and increase confidence, Hackett said. 

At the beginning of Hackett’s cannabis career, it was difficult for her to connect with clients or potential business partners, but through extensive outreach and being vocal, she quickly connected with professionals in the industry.

© Courtesy of Riverview Farms

“I wasn’t afraid to jump in and get my hands dirty,” Hackett said. “I just tried to be fearless and meet as many people as quickly as possible.”

Power also said that it is essential for one to just “go for it,” and try not to let people get in their head.

“I think what women are sometimes lacking is trying to make it perfect before they go for it, and then saying, ‘done is better than perfect,’ has to be said here,” Power said. “Find a niche that you’re interested in because there’s so many things you can do in this industry, then jump in because not everything is going to work out, and it’s OK to fail. But obviously, make sure you are serious and prepared.”

She also said that she believes many women are waiting for others to get into the industry before entering but reaching out to women already in the industry and asking for advice and insights can be beneficial, and Gordon agrees.

“What I always recommend to people is ask questions, read and listen to answers,” Gordon said. “And I think doing that can really help you practice your story and figure out where in the industry you want to be, and ultimately, the more people you talk to, the more developed your ideas and thoughts are, which can increase confidence.”

And it is essential to note that this all does not happen overnight, Power said. 

“I still have to remind myself to silence the negative noise, stay focused and remind myself I can do it,” Power said. “It doesn’t end. It’s constant work.” 

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Having diversity and different opinions and perspectives is vital in everything we do, especially in the workplace.

“For example, female cannabis users are different from men—the way we shop, or the way cannabis affects our body is different—and it’s important to realize that and notice that,” Power said.

“And it’s not just about having females but having people that are going to advocate for your businesses,” Hackett said. “People that are going to say, ‘Hey, this is not right,’ or express what the business needs to do better or differently.”

Overall, these women would like to see and encourage other women to break barriers and join the cannabis space.

And for someone like Power, who is recognized for owning the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership, she has mixed feelings about it. 

“People congratulate me and think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ but is it amazing?” Power said. “This is not great. There are 130 licenses in Arizona, and I am the only one with majority female ownership; that is not where we should be. But on the other hand, I am glad people see it as something to celebrate and something to pass on and talk about so more women can realize it is possible, and we need to fix this.”

 

In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021, three successful women in the cannabis space share their journey, challenges and advice for working in the industry. 

A woman who has impacted the industry is Lilach Mazor Power, founder and managing director at Giving Tree Dispensary, the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership.

© Courtesy of Giving Tree

Power entered the cannabis industry in 2013 when there were little to no experts in the space. She had to make several sacrifices and worked for free for years, as she knew the company had to continue growing, she said.

But one of the most important things is that she was not afraid to jump in, take risks and work hard to get to where she aspired to be. Someone who can relate to that is Michelle Hackett, president of Riverview Farms in California.

In 2016, Hackett entered the industry when her father, Mike, was one of the first farmers permitted a license to grow medical cannabis in California. Her father wanted to take the business further than cultivation and turn it into a full seed-to-sale business. So, she left her job and jumped on board to help her father build the company, she said. 

“At the start of legalization and coming into this space, there was little to no structure,” Hackett said. “We really built the business from the ground up through trial and error.”

When the business started to take off, she invited her sister, Lauren, to join the team to assist her and the already established team, making the company a female-owned and operated cannabis business that now employs over a 75% female workforce.

Another woman who entered the cannabis industry in 2016 is Scottie Gordon, the vice president of licensing and regulatory affairs at Cureleaf.   

Before getting into the industry, Gordon was an attorney with a strong interest in regulatory law. When medical cannabis was legalized, it was a natural segue for her into the industry, as the cannabis space is full of regulations, she said. 

All three of these women come from dissimilar backgrounds and have different stories to share. Still, they all have in common that they are dedicated and are not afraid to take risks, and those traits helped them overcome challenges throughout their journeys.

INDUSTRY CHALLENGES

In any industry, women encounter challenges, and one that stands out for these women is the prospect of raising capital and funding.

© Courtesy of Cureleaf

“One of the things I recall very vividly is it was difficult trying to raise money,” Gordon said. “Traditional methods weren’t available, like getting a loan from the bank, because the industry was still federally illegal.”

Due to it being difficult to raise money through non-traditional methods, many people had to look beyond family or friends and seek individuals who could invest in a newly merging space, causing a disadvantage for women, as they tend not to be taken as seriously.

“It’s the way people take us and don’t understand that we are here because we are professionals, instead of because we are some girls,” Power said. “And that has been an issue with just trying to find partners or trying to get into the industry in general because there’s not many women in it.” 

ADVICE FOR ENTERING THE INDUSTRY AND MAKING AN IMPACT

Being rejected can lead one to self-doubt but surrounding oneself with a robust support system and being aware of their abilities can help one overcome doubt and increase confidence, Hackett said. 

At the beginning of Hackett’s cannabis career, it was difficult for her to connect with clients or potential business partners, but through extensive outreach and being vocal, she quickly connected with professionals in the industry.

© Courtesy of Riverview Farms

“I wasn’t afraid to jump in and get my hands dirty,” Hackett said. “I just tried to be fearless and meet as many people as quickly as possible.”

Power also said that it is essential for one to just “go for it,” and try not to let people get in their head.

“I think what women are sometimes lacking is trying to make it perfect before they go for it, and then saying, ‘done is better than perfect,’ has to be said here,” Power said. “Find a niche that you’re interested in because there’s so many things you can do in this industry, then jump in because not everything is going to work out, and it’s OK to fail. But obviously, make sure you are serious and prepared.”

She also said that she believes many women are waiting for others to get into the industry before entering but reaching out to women already in the industry and asking for advice and insights can be beneficial, and Gordon agrees.

“What I always recommend to people is ask questions, read and listen to answers,” Gordon said. “And I think doing that can really help you practice your story and figure out where in the industry you want to be, and ultimately, the more people you talk to, the more developed your ideas and thoughts are, which can increase confidence.”

And it is essential to note that this all does not happen overnight, Power said. 

“I still have to remind myself to silence the negative noise, stay focused and remind myself I can do it,” Power said. “It doesn’t end. It’s constant work.” 

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Having diversity and different opinions and perspectives is vital in everything we do, especially in the workplace.

“For example, female cannabis users are different from men—the way we shop, or the way cannabis affects our body is different—and it’s important to realize that and notice that,” Power said.

“And it’s not just about having females but having people that are going to advocate for your businesses,” Hackett said. “People that are going to say, ‘Hey, this is not right,’ or express what the business needs to do better or differently.”

Overall, these women would like to see and encourage other women to break barriers and join the cannabis space.

And for someone like Power, who is recognized for owning the only dispensary in Arizona with majority female ownership, she has mixed feelings about it. 

“People congratulate me and think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ but is it amazing?” Power said. “This is not great. There are 130 licenses in Arizona, and I am the only one with majority female ownership; that is not where we should be. But on the other hand, I am glad people see it as something to celebrate and something to pass on and talk about so more women can realize it is possible, and we need to fix this.”