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The Cannabis Industry in the United States
by Brett Eliasz, PE, Bergmann
I’m still wondering what it would be like to walk in a store today and buy products from a Cannabis Plant, or of course, just go and look. I’m also wondering what the future holds for the general population. It was illegal back in the 60’s and 70’s, however, nobody seemed to care if it was being used according to a select few baby boomers I have spoken with. It seemed, during my younger years anyways (90s and 00s) that it was classified as a gateway drug, easy to get a hold of, minimal effects but penalties were much stricter. Now look at today where some states have legalized medicinal use as well as recreational use!
The intent of this article is to brush up on some facts about the Cannabis Industry. It seems like a good time as this Industry has really taken off over the past few years. No, this is not a “Scratch and Sniff” article and free samples won’t fall out of the magazine, but hopefully I can retain your attention.
Definitions and slang terms:
“Pot” and “Weed” and “Whacky-tobacky” are some popular slang terms.
THC (Tetrahydorcannabinol) is the main ingredient in Cannabis which causes the “high.”
Marijuana is the term given to the leaves and flowers of the Cannabis plant. Also, typically referred to as a “drug” plant and grown to solely deliver high amounts of THC.
Cannabis is the official scientific name of the plant. It includes both hemp and marijuana plants.
Hemp is the term given to the stems, stalks and seeds and roots of the Cannabis plant. Typically grown for the purpose of making hemp and CBD oils due to its low THC content.
CBD is found throughout all parts of a Cannabis plant but typically derived from hemp plants since marijuana plants are used for their high THC content.
Concentrations of THC per product type:
Anything greater than .3% is considered to have a psychoactive effect on the user.
Marijuana strains are usually between the 5% and 35% THC.
Hemp strains are always less than .3%.
CBD oil is always less than .3%
It is important to note that Marijuana plants or “drug plants” are mostly female that contain the flowers which contain the most THC. Hemp plants look like female plants minus the flowers or “buds” and they are used to derive hemp and CBD oils due to their low (<.3%) THC content.
The photo to the right represents a “bud” which is used to obtain high amounts of THC content as well as insulation material made from hemp.
As more states legalize marijuana for recreational use, mfg. companies are
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betting on people wanting to sip, rather that smoke their marijuana. There are currently weed-laced coffee capsules to start your day, THC and CBD varieties of apple cider, THC infused lemonade and THC sodas being sold where cannabis is legal for recreational use. While it is illegal everywhere to combine alcoholic beverages and THC into one drink, craft breweries do make a non-alcoholic THC infused drinks as well as alcoholic weed brews which do not contain any THC.
Back to CBD, I thought it would be interesting to indicate the options for ingestion: 1. Swallow oil concentrate-slower absorption 2. Eye dropper under the tongue-fastest delivery-bypasses digestive system 3. Vape CBD Oil-lung friendly way of smoking 4. Chew and swallow CBD Edibles 5. Mix CBD Oil with your food or drink 6. Rub CBD Oil on your skin-not absorbed in bloodstream 7. Use CBD Oil to wash and condition your hair-Think- CBD is from hemp which naturally has a high fiber strength to possibly strengthen hair.
With all that background information I’d like to put on my political hat and briefly touch on where the United States stands state by state. I think the illustration to the right sums it up well without any of the political talk.
Map notes:
With recreational and/or medical states it’s implied that CBD is legal in these states as well. Here is also an interesting chart depicting the growth of the cannabis market over the years. Some other examples on the Fortune 500 list of 2019 that are relevant to the Rochester Area for comparison are:
BJs Wholesale Club ~ $13 BN
Netflix ~ $16 BN
Car Max ~$18 BN
Marijuana ~$20 BN
Starbucks ~$25 BN
Best Buy ~$43 BN
Lowe’s ~$72 BN
Instead of writing about how to get into this “smoking” market, as local Engineering firms in the area are currently involved in, it may be best for those of you that are either retired or not involved in this business is to let you know that this is a REAL business. As depicted below, it’s not about using recreational marijuana but it’s about many of the other benefits of Cannabis and the many ways that society is reaping the benefits of this crop which essentially creates a demand and in turn a business. A little saying I would like to add that describes it is:
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From Recreation to Just Business.
At last, how does Engineering come into play with the Cannabis industry? As you can see it’s an entire process or operation which requires building footprint to cover all the needs of the Cannabis plant.
The cultivation of the Cannabis plant can be broken down into the following types of rooms:
Mother Room
Clone Room Grow Room Flowering Room Drying Room Processing Secure Storage Offices
The general idea is to mimic the natural exterior ambient conditions of equatorial countries and countries in Central Asia where the Cannabis plant thrives. So, it’s a tropical destination in a box. Then fit this box into a building. That’s all…no joke…!
Some general Environmental Requirements to think about:
Temperature, Pressurization, Vapor pressure deficit, CO2, Odor Control, Air movement, RH, Light, Daily Cycles, Seasonal Cycles
Environmental Requirements for the Mother Room
75°F, 50% RH Lighting on 18 hours per day Critical area – may require redundancy Production plants are cloned from an existing mother plan
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75°F - 80°F, 40%-50% RH Lighting on 24 hours per day Precise control to ensure young plants develop a strong root system At this stage, plants are sensitive to temperature and lighting changes
• 60°F - 75°F, 40%-50% RH • Lighting on 18 hours per day • Allows plants to grow tall and strong with good root bulb • Constant temperature conditions important
• 75°F - 78°F, 40%-50% RH • Lighting on 12 hours per day • CO2 Introduced during lights on cycle • Flowering buds, most commercially valuable • Higher yields, maximized profits • Can be a separate room or will change environmental conditions in grow room
• 60°F - 75°F, 30%-50% RH • Takes approx. 1 week • Reduces mold and bacteria • Reduces unpleasant odors
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• Can vary widely based on process • Packaging • Extraction • Edible Manufacturing • Oils
Energy Intensity
For this article I’d like to expand on the largest operational cost, and it just so happens that my knowledge lies within the electrical industry. With lighting being at number #1 I’d like to note that some outdated/inefficient lighting types are used in certain stages of growth as the plants prefer these certain wavelengths.
In the chart above you see that based on grower input they may prefer LED lighting over the older style lamps. As of now I couldn’t find any literature on if LED does in fact produce greater yields. As a means of general comparison of W/sq. ft. here a few areas that you may be familiar with that still are not even close:
Open Office ~ .98W/sq. ft. Operating Room ~ 2.48W/sq. ft. Classroom ~ 1.24W/sq. ft.
I have truly enjoyed writing about this $20 Billion-dollar industry and I hope that you found this article interesting. It’s exciting to see such a local impact from this industry hit right here in Western NY with manufacturing of both Medicinal Marijuana and Hemp products. The Engineering and Construction work that has been created because of this industry is truly demanding and, as you can see, technically challenging. I can’t wait to see what happens in the future, especially with New York State. I believe it’s on the priority list to legalize for recreational use this year. I suppose we will find out! I hope you enjoyed!
Brett Eliasz Current RES Director
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Engineering Improvements to RG&E’s Station 26 Part 2
The Station 26 hydropower facility was constructed in 1952 and is located on Court Street in Rochester, NY. The station utilizes a Kaplan style turbine generator to produce 3 megawatts of energy from the Genesee River. Part 1 of the Station 26 Hydropower Station project was featured as the cover story in the January e-issue of the Rochester Engineer. The story focused on the overall purpose, project management, and construction methods implemented. This story, Part 2, focuses on the design development and engineering plans for the tailrace diversion wall, a draft tube access hatch, and the gantry hoist system for two tailrace isolation gates.
The purpose of the tailrace diversion wall is to deflect river water away from the tailrace, which conveys water from the draft tube after it has gone through the turbine. With the tailwater elevation lower than the river bed, there is more water head differential between the intake and the tailrace. This creates less back pressure on the turbine allowing it to operate more efficiently due to the increase in flow. The new tailrace wall was designed by Bergmann, who recommended raising the height 1 foot to reduce the likelihood of overtopping while not increasing the water surface elevation in the Genesee River during a flood event, as required by FEMA.
A team of engineers from Bergmann, HDR, and LaBella collaborated to obtain the permits from local, state, and federal agencies to conduct the work. A Floodplain Development Permit was required, so Bergmann completed a hydraulic analysis of the river (FEMA no rise Report) that determined the project would not cause any rise to the published FEMA base flood elevations within the floodway. Although raising the wall more than one foot would benefit the generation efficiency, it would have resulted in an unpermitted incremental rise in the
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floodway during a 1% annual chance flood.
Upon agency approval, Bergmann designed the demolition, reinforcement, and concrete details of the tailrace wall. The first 170 feet of the wall closest to the plant was removed and replaced completely, with localized concrete patching made to the remaining 130 feet up to the Court Street crossing. The new concrete is keyed two feet into the existing riverbed rock with shear pins protruding another 4 feet below the keyed footing. The entire wall was completed in three relatively large pours to minimize construction joints and water stops to avoid deterioration in a harsh environment.
LaBella designed a new gantry system to support new mechanized hoists and steel isolation gates. Each steel gate is 16 feet tall and 14 feet wide and weighs 13,000 pounds. The hoist system can fully open or close the gates in 4 ½ minutes. The improvements will also include new platform framing, grating, handrails, ladders, new concrete deck, and safe draft tube access. New mechanical, electrical, lighting, and control upgrades were also part of the design to allow for a completely operational system.
The LaBella project manager was responsible to coordinate technical details amongst several engineering firms to create a positive, professional, and productive team. LaBella, Bergmann, and HDR, along with the construction contractor, subcontractors, and owner, have benefitted from a collaborative group dynamic resulting in the successful Station 26 Hydropower project for Rochester Gas and Electric.
Authors: Caroline Wheadon, PMP – Hydropower Discipline Leader, LaBella James Guistina, PE – Senior Project Manager, Bergmann Donald Lucas, PMP – Project Manager, LaBella
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