Plant to Product

THE SCIENCE OF EXTRACTION

The options for how one can use cannabis have expanded over the years – and that stems from the industry’s expansion. As the industry has grown, so have the uses for cannabis and the byproducts that can be extracted from the flower. For all of the work that goes into growing and cultivating, harvesting and commercializing – there are also teams of scientists constantly learning what can be extracted, how to extract it, what concentrates can be made into extracts and what they can be used for.

Now Open HEKA

Medical & Adult-Use Dispensary

This is not your typical dispensary.

Why is it that all dispensaries look and feel the same? Here at HEKA, we believe there is a the same? Here at HEKA, we believe there is a need to break away from the ordinary and set need to break away from the ordinary and set ourselves apart. HEKA has re-imagined what a premium cannabis shopping experience should be.

Come Experience It For Yourself!

98 Sgt. Thomas Dion Way, Westfield, MA 413-354-4352 • hekainc.com

“All extracts are concentrates, but not all concentrates are extracts,” said Johnny Henderson, lab manager at 253 Farmacy in Turners Falls. “Extracts are a specific type of concentrate made using a solvent. Concentrates are made without the use of solvents and are produced using mechanical or physical means to remove and gather trichomes.”

The way an extract or concentration is extracted, impacts its potency and uses. Solvent methods include alcohol, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons. Water, while not a chemical reagent, can also be used as a “solvent” for extracts, and is also used for some concentrates.

Alcohol extraction is one of the most popular methods because it works well for large batches, is inexpensive and can be done in just about any temperature indoors. The cannabis flower is soaked in the alcohol, then the plant is removed. This process dissolves the plant’s oils and waxes. From there, the liquid the plant was soaked in is filtered and then it’s evaporated, which creates the extract. While alcohol extraction is high-yield, the solvent has a tendency to also pull undesirable byproducts out of the plant, like chlorophyll, which can make the extract bitter. This process typically requires several post-extraction steps to purify it.

Carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a little more expensive but creates an extraction that requires less post-extraction purification and higher yields. This method requires heat and high pressure to make the CO2 what’s known as “supercritical.” In other words, the pressure and heat are applied to the CO2, eliminating its distinct gas and liquid properties. When this state of the CO2 is used on the cannabis, it extracts the plant’s waxes and oils. Although the equipment required is expensive, it can be used to pinpoint the compounds extracted, by adjusting temperature, pressure or duration of the extraction. Additionally, after the process is complete, CO2 just evaporates, ensuring that there is no residual solvent in the final extract.

Butane and propane are also popular solvents used in extraction. Known as hydrocarbons, butane and propane have lower boiling points than alcohol, so less heat is needed to evaporate them. Like the alcohol method, the flower is soaked in the butane or propane, and while the yield is lower – this method extracts all of the major terpenes and cannabinoids in one process. This method should only be used by professionals, because both burn quickly, could cause explosions and require proper ventilation.

Water is another popular way to create extracts and concentrates. In this method, the cannabis flower is given an ice water bath immediately after being trimmed, and because the cannabinoids are denser than water, they detach during this process. From there, the water just needs to be filtered through special micron filters to separate the water and cannabinoids.

There are also solventless extractions – or mechanical extractions – which don’t use chemicals and create concentrates. These methods include shaking and sifting, ice-water extraction, and heat and pressure. Each one of these methods are used for concentrates – shaking and sifting for kief, ice water for bubble hash, and heat and pressure for rosin.

If you’ve ever used a grinder, you’ve extracted kief and maybe not even realized it. It’s the residue that sits at the bottom of the grinder – and can

CHEMDOG/SMASH HITS AND JOHN HENDERSON/253

provide a more potent high. Kief is typically extracted using a mesh to sift the flower after it’s been ground up and either added to a rolled joint, sprinkled into the bottom of a bowl or pressed into different grades of hash.

Ice water extraction is also used for some concentrates. The plant is added to ice water inside of bags, which typically contain sieves, or micron filters, to separate the plant from the resin glands. When frozen, the trichome heads break off. The bags are repeatedly agitated and sifted through multiple micron filters that get increasingly finer. This multi-step process eventually results in hash which is dried, pressed and known as bubble hash.

Heat and pressure result in rosin. Low heat and high pressure remove the trichomes from the cannabis bud and leaves – and it can also be made from hash or kief. The rosin press results in a sappy concentrate with no added solvents that can be used as is or used for other means of consumption.

Each method of extraction and the starting product used are critical to creating the desired final product. Rosin press is great for dabs, but so are hydrocarbon and ice water extraction. CO2 is a great method for producing vape oils, while edibles are best made from baking the flower and trim, then simmering them in butter and water to create cannabis-infused butter to use in any baked good or to cook with. While alcohol is used as a solvent, simmering baked cannabis in it, creates tinctures which can be used as sublingual drops or for dissolving in drinks. Depending on the raw materials and process, the hydrocarbon solvents can produce shatter, wax, budder, live resin, THC crystalline and terpene juice.

“The speed at which the processes of cannabis extraction has evolved since [I started working in cannabis in] Colorado is less of an evolution and more of a big bang,” said Erik Williams, COO and co-owner of Canna Provisions.

Still, the methods of extraction and the products they create continue to evolve. As recreation cannabis becomes more popular, and more research is dedicated to it, new processes and products will continue to be developed to keep up with the demand for high-yield, high quality cannabis extracts and concentrates. EXTRACTED

Part of the fun for scientists and researchers is figuring out how each of the extracts and concentrates can be used.

“The multitudes of extraction processes and finishes dwarfs the very few that existed only in kitchens and basements barely a decade ago,” Williams said. “Botanical extraction processes have been used commercially for a very long time, and the adoption and adaptation of tried-and-true processes into high value cannabis allows for a wide variety of products ultimately making modern concentrates much more accessible to more consumers than ever before.”

Two of the extraction employees on the team Williams was part of in Colorado actually discovered live resin.

“Kind Bill and Ry Pritchard, discovered it using common extraction methods on plants that were very quickly harvested and then flash frozen before the buds even realized that the plant had been cut. There was a lot of uncertainty in consistency and stability at first, but everyone knew we were onto something special,” Williams said.

From there, the process was refined and they were able to create a stable

product, “Which helped usher in ‘Cannabis 2.0,’” Williams said.

Once Kind Bill shared live resin with others, it was a commercialized product popping up everywhere – and because of extractors like Kind Bill and Ry Prichard, who are experimenting on a regular basis, new extracts and concentrates are only just starting to be discovered.

What do each of the extraction methods create and how do they get to you, the consumer? Henderson helped explain:

SOLVENTLESS

Bubble Hash Bubble hash is made with ice and agitation and selected micron filters. Hash Rosin Hash rosin starts as bubble hash. Heat and pressure are added, then it’s filtered through selected micron filters for a more refined product. Badder, Budder and Batter Some producers can make these using solventless resin. They mimic cake batter, with varying consistencies. A post-processing procedure using heat, pressure and the cold temperatures while whipping it, change the consistency of each. Rosin Jam This is also created in a post-processing technique. Rosin jam is a, “saucy combo of terpenes and THCA,” Henderson said. Six-Star Bubble Hash/Full Melt This process begins in the same way as bubble hash, but is further filtered, using either freshly frozen or dried trichome heads, filtered through fine, mesh micron screens. RSO or Rick Simpson Oil This is made from soaking cannabis in ethanol then evaporating the alcohol, so only the high THC content remains. Henderson said, “RSO is great for cancer treatment due to all of the cannabinoids it pulls.” RSO is often packaged in syringes for oral consumption, topical application, and storage.

“All of these products are meant for dabbing, smoking with cannabis or on their own,” Henderson explained.

HYDROCARBONS

(BUTANE AND PROPANE)

BHO or Butune Honey Oil/Hash Oil and PHO: These are made with a blend of solvents in a closed loop system at frigid temperatures. Meant for dabbing or vape pens, these oils are popular because, “of the profile of cannabinoids and terpenes that the solvents strip of the cannabis while leaving behind the unwanted parts of the plant,” Henderson said. Shatter: Shatter is made from BHO, and the name is no accident. It looks like glass, and breaks easily. It’s made from reheating the BHO to eliminate as much butane as possible, then left to rest. Shatter is either vaporized on a hot surface and inhaled, or can be used in some vape pens made specifically for atomizing shatter or wax. Honeycomb Wax/Crumble: Honeycomb Wax or Crumble is also made from BHO. It’s a product that sort of crumbles in your hand. Crumble can be used for dabbing, or added to joints, blunts, or spliffs. It can also be sprinkled on top of a packed bowl or pipe. Badder, Budder and Batter: These can also be made from whipping BHO, which emulsifies the terpenes and cannabinoids. Sugar: Just like the name, sugar, or sugar wax, is a granular combination of

CHEMDOG/SMASH HITS AND JOHN HENDERSON/253

THCA and terpenes. Using BHO, the solvent removes cannabinoids and terpenes from the source material, and the result is agitated, in a process that is comparable to extracting sugar from sugar cane. The product is heated, creating a product that looks like water mixed with sugar that hasn’t fully dissolved yet. Sugar wax is typically used for dapping, but can also be used in some vape pens and can be used to top a packed bowl or joint. Sugar is Henderson’s, “personal favorite.” Diamonds: Diamonds are made from highly concentrated THCA or CBD. The high purity of cannabinoids forms a crystalline solid, like a diamond. Diamonds are most often used for dabbing. CO2: CO2 oil is produced by heating and using pressure to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis. The process is rough on the plant, Henderson explained, which helps remove the less desirable parts. CO2 oil is used for edibles, dabbing or vaping. Distillate: Is translucent oil in which the waxes and undesirable compounds from the original plant have been removed. And extensive process, distilling the oil, separates the different cannabinoids and removes the terpenes, through varying boiling points and temperature manipulation. Distillate is highly desirable because of its potency and ability to isolate cannabinoids. It’s also used for edibles, dabbing or vaping.

While the list seems long, it only begins to scratch the surface of the different extracts and concentrates, and their uses. Right now, the main concerns from producers are consistency in the market and educating consumers.

“There is great inconsistency among products available on the market, and often the actual finishes don’t always match the product name on the label,” Williams explained.

Beyond that, Williams said there is another pressing issue.

“Lab technicians want to make the most potent, rare extracts - like diamonds in sauce - but those are expert-level concentrates whereas most consumers are looking for more basic and approachable concentrate, [like] sugars, waxes and even bubble hash,” Williams said.

Cyber Criminals Target the Cannabis Industry

Get into the Weeds of Your Insurance Policy to See if You’re Protected

By Aileen S. Berry, Esq., Professional Lines insurance specialist with Amwins Brokerage in West Palm Beach, FL, and Brian Savitch, Professional Lines insurance specialist with Worldwide Facilities (an Amwins company) in San Francisco, CA.

Protecting both patient and consumer data from hackers should be a top priority for companies operating in the cannabis sector. Both recreational and medicinal operations collect and store personally identifiable, protected health and payment information, as well as frequently handled NDA requirements around growing, extracting and other proprietary processes. As this data is subject to Federal regulations, including HIPAA, failure to protect it can lead to hefty fines and reputational harm. Regulatory bodies also require the tracking of cannabis from seed to sale, which creates the potential for a security breach in tracking software or systems for mobile ordering.

Over the past year, cyberattacks have become more frequent in all business segments. As experts projected, cannabis is a growing target industry for hackers. Since navigating the cannabis regulatory landscape can be time consuming and costly, many companies have fallen behind in developing a comprehensive IT infrastructure and implementing the proper security controls to protect their systems and networks. This can lead to continued cyber security events. Additionally, with the increased use of technology and more efficient processes, businesses across the distribution channel will need to address the potential for business interruption and loss of income due to a data breach – especially as the demand for cannabis products continues to increase.

Cyber liability insurance is available to safeguard companies against the ongoing web of cyber security threats – from ransomware, phishing scams and social engineering to forensic and legal costs. Cyber insurance policies can also extend coverage to protect content and advertising produced on a company’s digital platforms as well as in print advertising. Trade name and copyright infringement, defamation, invasion of privacy and other intentional torts are prevalent media claims faced in the cannabis sector.

Cyber liability coverage is not standardized across the insurance industry; therefore, each policy should be reviewed carefully to identify various exclusions and limitations. As a leading cyber liability wholesale broker, Amwins has the expertise, proprietary products and risk evaluation resources to place cyber coverage that meets your company’s unique needs.

Amwins understands that your business can be complex and evolutionary in nature. As the nation’s leading specialty insurance distributor, we deliver future-focused insurance solutions that keep you a step ahead of risks. Contact your insurance agent to learn how Amwins can help in securing unmatched coverage.

Bring on the Future | amwins.com