Ask the Experts: Extraction, Part III: For People that Are New to Cannabis Extraction, What Is the Best Piece of Advice You Can Offer to Get Them Started?
Leading extraction scientists and researchers from the cannabis industry-John A. MacKay, Synergistic Technologies Associates and Brian C. Smith, Big Sur Scientific-participate in this round-table discussion series on extraction. This month they offer advice on how to get started for people that are new to cannabis extraction.
Leading extraction scientists and researchers from the cannabis industry-John A. MacKay, Synergistic Technologies Associates and Brian C. Smith, Big Sur Scientific-participate in this round-table discussion series on extraction. This month they offer advice on how to get started for people that are new to cannabis extraction.
For people that are new to cannabis extraction, what is the best piece of advice you can offer to get them started?John A. MacKay: The BEST piece of advice is:
Botanical integrity first.
Extraction efficacy, efficiency, economics without emotions, egos, and eccentricity.
Safety for all involved in all phases.
Testing in-house with modern technology. Good is not a number.
Brian Smith: You have to perform in-house testing to optimize extraction efficiency. My own work has shown that extractors leave behind significant amounts of THC in plant material, in the filtrate from winterization, and in terpene distillation fractions. Optimizing and monitoring your extraction process can improve yields by 20% or more. Over time as the supply of cannabis oil increases and the price inevitably goes own, only the most efficient extractors will stay in business.
Look for part IV of "Ask the Experts: Extraction" in our December 2019 newsletter. Part III of our series on cultivation will appear in October and Part IV of the series on analytical methods/cannabis testing will appear in November.
Inside the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Graduate Program in Medical Cannabis
September 16th 2024Leah Sera, PharmD, MA, the co-program director for the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s Graduate Studies in Medical Cannabis program sat down with Cannabis Science and Technology to discuss higher education in medical cannabis.
Studying the Evolution of Cannabis Education: Insights from Stockton University’s Course Instructors
September 13th 2024A leader in cannabis education in New Jersey, Stockton University offers a wide variety of courses to prepare its students to not only succeed in an ever-growing industry, but to also understand its complex history and shape its evolving future. Started six years ago, its Cannabis Studies Program continues its commitment to providing innovative and practical instruction to its students. Two influential figures in this space are Robert Mejia, Teaching Specialist in the Cannabis Studies Program, and Angela Speakman, Instructor in the Cannabis Studies Program. Here, they highlight the program’s practical approach to cannabis education, celebrate the success stories of graduates, discuss the National Cannabis Curriculum Convening, and address challenges in cannabis education and its role in the future.
Medical Cannabis Campaigning with Americans for Safe Access
September 4th 2024As discussions about the federal scheduling of cannabis continue, efforts by medical cannabis advocates are intensifying. One such advocate is Americans for Safe Access (ASA), a nonprofit organization founded by patients for patients. Since 2002, ASA has been championing the rights of medical cannabis patients and has recently launched new campaigns and strategies to refocus attention on patient needs. In this interview, Steph Sherer, founder and president of ASA, reflects on past successes in medical cannabis advocacy, shares her perspective on recent cannabis and hemp policymaking, and outlines the next steps for advancing a unified medical cannabis message on Capitol Hill—a message that could bring about the changes patients have long awaited.
Insights on Cannabis Testing Challenges and Industry Standards: An Interview with Douglas Duncan
August 9th 2024In light of recent headlines concerning cannabis laboratories throughout the country, Cannabis Science and Technology reached out to Douglas Duncan, Laboratory Director of Kairos Labs in Detroit, MI and member of our Editorial Advisory Board for more information. In this interview, Duncan shares his perspectives on lab shopping, major challenges in the industry today, and innovations in cannabis testing laboratories for the future. He also shares insights into consumer practices and the potential effects of a federal rescheduling of cannabis.
