Consumers are demanding clean, quality cannabis—and without a cold chain, the industry risks turning craft flower into commodity biomass.
By Pam Chmiel, Cannabis Industry Journal.
As the cannabis industry readies for the growth surge rescheduling could trigger, it’s getting dangerously close to losing its grip on the craft sector.
We are entering the era of the connoisseur, where consumer palates are becoming increasingly sophisticated and demand products that provide a full-spectrum craft experience. They understand the nuances of cannabis and what defines quality.
Quality means a well-preserved flower, free of contaminants, that delivers all the plant’s compounds, creating an entourage effect of benefits. It’s that kind of experience that keeps consumers coming back to a brand again and again, and what patients depend on for reliable therapeutic effects.
[Vertically integrated] companies often partner with SC Labs to conduct terpene-preservation trials that measure how well their processes protect volatile compounds throughout the supply chain…Dixon says this data-driven approach helps companies refine their standard operating procedures to minimize terpene loss at every step. “You might start with 4% terpenes and end up with 1.5% by the time it hits the shelf,” he says. “Now, we can identify where that drop happened and fix it.”
Cannabis, like produce, must be kept within a controlled temperature range or it rapidly deteriorates. Leave a bag of weed in your car on a hot day, and you will find it…