A top product trend this year is the rise of solventless cannabis products, according to recent statistics from cannabis market analyst firm BDSA. In fact, from June 2021 to June 2022, BDSA research also showed that the category grew an average of 132% each month.
Copperstate Farms
Nearly all cannabis products start with cannabis concentrates, which are made with a solvent that contains the desirable compounds from cannabis. Solventless concentrates however are made from the cannabis flower without the use of any chemicals and are becoming popular among businesses and consumers. This broad category of cannabis products includes everything from hash to live rosin.
Mitch Lindback, Lab Director at Copperstate Farms, has been growing and extracting cannabis for 15 years and has over a decade of experience working with cannabis derivatives. “Solventless is the truest expression of the cannabis plant,” he says.
Copperstate Farms is one of the largest greenhouse cannabis producers in North America and home to 1.7 million square feet of canopy and 40 acres under glass. Here is an inside look into the company’s solventless creation process:
The Harvest
One of the most important growth factors in cannabis is light, so cannabis grown in full-spectrum light often brings the best flower to harvest. In the weeks before harvesting, the lab conducts a test wash on cannabis plants before hand-selecting which will be used in rosin. Plants are selected based on appearance, aroma and test wash results. On harvest day, all flowers are lightly hand-trimmed and frozen within two hours of harvest.
The Wash
The wash system
Using only chilled RO water and minimal ice, our cannabis extraction experts gently break the trichome heads off the fresh-frozen cannabis using a stainless-steel wash system, by gently agitating the flower. Then they collect the 73μ-159μ trichome heads while pushing the immature trichome heads and stalks to pass through collection bags with a cold spray wash.
The Press
After carefully freeze drying, sifting and packing the hash into double-wrapped mesh rosin bags, Copperstate Farms uses rosin presses to gently express the nectar from the trichome heads using a little heat and a lot of pressure.
The Cure
All live rosin goes through a minimum 7-day cure. “We have found through extensive analytical testing that curing rosin for a minimum of seven days increased its terpene content by over 30 percent,” Lindback says.
The final product: live rosin
The extensive process to create solventless cannabis products is time and energy intensive, but leads to quality offerings, like full melt hash and live rosin. In fact, the solventless category is “primed for premiumization and growth in legal cannabis markets,” according to BDSA retail sales analytics. This is especially true in the dabbable concentrate product category and predicted in the vaping concentrate category as well.
With popular annual holidays like 7/10 (the cannabis community’s holiday for celebrating oil products, dabs and concentrates) gaining traction, solventless products are predicted to grow in market share and are worth cannabis companies looking into producing as demand rises among consumers who are always looking for innovative products that feature solventless concentrate.
By Abraham Finberg, Rachel Wright, Simon Menkes No Comments
In Part 1, we examined the current status of adult use cannabis in Minnesota, paying particular attention to the licensing framework, taxation and social equity considerations. In this article, we’ll cover some important need-to-know info if you’re considering opening an adult use business in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”
Starting a Cannabis Business in Minnesota: Important Considerations
As the state does not expect to begin issuing licenses before the first quarter of 2025, now is the time to plan a licensing campaign. With a population of 5,714,000, 64% of which live in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota is close in population to Colorado, with 5,774,000 residents. Colorado currently has around $1.8 billion in yearly retail cannabis sales. This may suggest a similar possible level of sales for Minnesota once its retail cannabis market matures.
In a recent op-ed piece for Marijuana Moment, the New York cannabis consulting firm of Bridge West Consulting suggested three reasons, in addition to low cannabis excise taxes and reasonable license fees, why entrepreneurs should consider investing in a retail cannabis business in Minnesota:
Minnesota legislation prohibits localities from banning cannabis businesses. This avoids serious problems that have plagued cannabis businesses in other states including California and Montana in which access for cannabis companies has been denied and, in Montana’s case, even reversed. (Minnesota’s new legislation does allow local governments to limit the number of cannabis retailers to one for every 12,500 residents, however.)
Minnesota has allocated funds to assist social equity cannabis businesses, including $6 million to the CanStartup which will fund non-profits to make loans to budding cannabis businesses.
Bridge West makes the interesting observation that Minnesota is bordered by four states—Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota—none of which have legalized adult use cannabis. Moreover, an estimated 1.9 million people live outside of Minnesota within a 50-mile radius. That means that not only will Minnesotans not have to compete with out-of-state cannabis dispensaries but will benefit from the purchases of out-of-state residents that live within a comfortable distance.
How a License Application is Scored
HF100 gives some guidance as to how the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will score license applications, awarding points for the following 9 categories: social equity status, veteran status, security and record keeping, employee training plan, business plan and financial situation, diversity plan, labor and employment practices, knowledge and experience and environmental plan.
The OCM may award additional points if the applicant would expand service to an underrepresented market. Points may also be awarded to those applicants who can demonstrate a negative impact from cannabis prohibition such as arrest or imprisonment of the applicant or their immediate family. This is different from social equity status and the law says points may be awarded to the applicants “in the same manner as points are awarded to social equity applicants.”
Emphasis on Market Stability; Prohibition of Vertical Integration
Minnesota is taking measures to ensure “market stability,” which it doesn’t specifically define, but which it says involves:
Ensuring an adequate supply of cannabis, but not a glut.
Eliminating the illicit cannabis market.
Promoting a craft cannabis industry.
Prioritizing growth and recovery in communities that have experienced a disproportionate, negative impact from cannabis prohibition.
HF100 states, “The office shall issue the necessary number of licenses in order to ensure the sufficient supply of cannabis flower and cannabinoid products to meet demand, provide market stability, and limit the sale of unregulated cannabis flower and cannabinoid products.”
Continuing its emphasis on “smaller is better,” HF100 says, “Unless the office determines that the issuance of bulk cultivator licenses is necessary to ensure a sufficient supply of cannabis flower and cannabinoid products, the office shall not issue a bulk cultivator license before July 1, 2028.”
Vertical integration is also prohibited. “The office shall not issue licenses to a single applicant that would result in the applicant being vertically integrated.” HF100 goes on to state that microbusinesses are exempted, and that if the OCM determines that vertical integration is necessary to ensure a sufficient supply of cannabis and cannabis products during the first year of such products being sold to customers, it may authorize one or more applicants to be vertically integrated. However, such a group of licenses are very temporary and will expire at the end of that first year period.
An entity holding a cannabis retailer license may also hold a delivery license, a medical retailer license and an event organizer license. But no retailer may hold any other license. Also, no entity may own or operate more than one retail business in one city or county.
Interestingly, Minnesota is also allowing cities or counties to own and operate a municipal cannabis store, possibly similar to the way Utah has government liquor stores which compete with private bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries.
In Summary
Minnesota is just beginning to define and establish its adult use cannabis market. Like other states before it, it is attempting to promote social equity aims at the same time as it’s working to avoid the serious problems of a competitive illegal market and an over-or-under supply of cannabis to its citizens.
With low license fees and excise taxes and a good-sized population, 420CPA believes cannabis entrepreneurs should seriously consider Minnesota for possible investment. The first cannabis retail businesses are not expected to open for another 18 months, so now is the time for businesspeople to lay the groundwork for their applications and future locations.
This is the fourth in a series of articles designed to introduce an integrated pest management framework for cannabis cultivation facilities. To see Part One, an overview of the plan and pest identification, click here. For Part Two, on pest monitoring and record keeping, click here. For Part Three, on preventative measures, click here. Part Five comes out next week on how to build a framework for control actions and how to monitor them. More to come!
This is Part 4: Direct Control Options
Even when the best methods are implemented and precautions are taken to protect your infrastructure, determined pests can penetrate your perimeter. Before you see crawling, hopping or flying insects, or sickly-looking plants, be sure to implement your physical protection (positive pressure airflow sealed facilities) and personal hygiene methods (shoe baths, sticky mats, & air shower entrances) to protect your crops. Equip your employees with personal protection equipment (PPE) proper gloves, masks and clothing as discussed in our last chapter, preventative measures.
Figure 1: Fungus Gnats Unleashed In A Grow Room
When things do break-out beyond your acceptable thresholds, Direct Control Options include non-chemical microbial biofungicides, microbial bioinsecticides and direct chemical control options. Lots of big scary words there, all of which are toxic even under safe application methods and when used at recommended concentrations levels. This means training in their use and protective clothing is required. Careful application of these control options is necessary so you exterminate your pests and not your people! This seems obvious, but do not just “wing it.”
These chemical elements can be applied in diluted concentration levels, manual wipe-down application, concentrated flush frequencies, or root drench applications, foliar spray mist applications, HVAC aerial diffusions and aerial knock-down sprays. You may even choose to remove badly infected plants and destroy them completely.
Use experts when you are planning for these tools. All of these methods require handling and safety precautions. Proper breathing filters, eye & skin protection, as well as disposable gowns/hazmat suits should be used when applications are performed and until the applications have dissipated to safe levels. Be careful not to co-mingle removed plant materials. Gloves become transport and infection spreaders after use.
Please also be sure to review your harvest testing requirements and what treatments are safe for your consumers and within legal limits. No one wants to have their harvest rejected due to pesticide contamination.
Figure 2: Municipal Water Treatment, RAIR Cannabis, Michigan
Clean-up after application may be required depending on the bioinsecticide or chemical that is used. Again, always ensure the safety of your employees and take precautions.
Start the application of your control options with your site map, room assignments and scout monitoring teams. Where does air flow into and within the facility? When your scouting team count logs go beyond your acceptable thresholds, here are some options for you.
Let’s begin with cleaning your irrigation and nutrient water sources. For a walk-through tutorial for incoming water treatment, humidity recovery and nutrient water recycling, please review the video tour of Water Treatment at RAIR Cannabis to see how an expert has done it.
From the IPM Planning Guide standpoint, peroxide and acid sterilizers can be used to clear irrigation water, for surface wipe-downs or as direct plant applications. We will cover those first. Caustic sterilizers require PPE for cleaning. Forgive my image here, we were just using water.
Plant interacting interfaces, i.e. surfaces, benches, walls, floors, trays, utensils, clippers, etc. should be sterilized with every use. Methods can include direct wipe-down or scrub, concentrated or diluted sprays or room vaporizers. A good example of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) liquid would be a food grade sanitizer with 3-35% H2O2 content. Use acceptable diluted versions of these cleaners as appropriate.
Figure 3: Cleaning & Scrubbing, Where’s the PPE?
A commercial example would be Zerotol 2.0 with 27% H2O2 & their proprietary acid mix. Alternatively, you can use direct hydrogen peroxide generators from commercial sources to generate your H2O2 at various concentrations. More detailed examples are included in the complete Integrated Pest Management Guide (link at the end of this article). Establish your procedures for sterilizing your rooms and tools before you introduce plants, and describe what is to be done after every harvest and room turn. Track the cleaning materials used for your operational records. You will find this useful to track operational cost over time.
Sanitizing Acids for Surfaces & Irrigation Sources
Similar to hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) comes in many commercial forms and can also be generated onsite using purchased generators. Commercial mix examples are UC Roots, Watermax and Athena Cleanse. They come in 0.028% to 15% concentrations. Self-generators range in output from highly precise 0.01% to 1% concentrations with more examples in the guide.
Treatment Tools
OK, so enough on cleaning preparation. Here are some tools that can be used to fight back against a pest intrusion:
Non-Chemical Microbial Biofungicide for Pathogens in Soil or Fertigation Water
Microbial fungicides are available to clear nutrient irrigation systems by minimizing pathogens and improving plant resistance to infections. Some fungicide versions target root pathogens by attacking the diseases directly. Others control or suppress common water carried challenges like pythium, rhizoctonia, phytophthora, fusarium and others. Brand names include Botanicare, Bonide, BioWorks, Actinovate, Mycostop and many more. Details covered in the guide.
Non-Chemical Microbial Bioinsecticides for Larval Stages
These biological tools attack the organisms or insects at a physical or mechanical way by breaking down the pest’s nervous system, biochemistry, or structural integrity (exoskeletons, etc.). These are engineered or living organisms (bugs to attack bugs) that are developed as targeted attacks for specific pests. Brand names are BioCeres, Botanigard, Venerate, Bio Solutions and others.
Minimal Risk Chemical Pesticides for Airborne Critters
Figure 3: Example Fungus Gnat Infestation – Royal Queen Seeds blog
Regularly approved for used in most locales, essential oils, natural acids (like citric acid) and insecticidal soap are commonly available in every hydroponic store. These work very well as safe spray “knock-down” insecticides for crawling or flying pests. Commercial examples use a proprietary mix of various oils, citric acids or isopropyl alcohol to do their task (examples in guide). Insecticidal soaps and fungicides for surface cleaning perform a similar purpose and typically use potassium salts or fatty acid mixtures.
Biochemical Pesticides
These tools are used to inhibit insect or fungal growth to acceptable levels. The multifaceted and commonly used neem oil comes in many commercial versions and is a naturally occurring pesticide extracted from the leaves and seeds of the neem tree. Example brand names are Bonide, Monterey, Triact and others. They range in concentrations from 0.9% to 70% concentrations. These oils suffocate living organisms or eliminate moisture to kill insects, spores or fungus at their initiation and throughout their lifespan.
Another option here are Azadirachtins. These act as insect growth regulators and disrupt the bugs natural evolution. Brand names are AzaGuard, AzaMax and others in the guide.
In summary, this week
We summarized some of the many pest control options available for water treatment, soil borne, intermediate or flying pests. We also covered various concentrations for these pesticide and sterilizer options. If you are not familiar with dilution ratios, %, PPM terms and how to apply the correct level of pesticide, you may find our plant science test kitchen blog on this topic of use here.
Chemical access and use should be restricted to employees familiar with their authorized application. PPE is very important to protect any employee that will come in contact with materials, liquids or vapors for chemical resources (gloves, boots, respirators, Tyvek (or equivalent protective wear) suits and eye protection or goggles.
For more detail on each of these treatments, you can see examples for your integrated pest management procedures in our complete white paper for Integrated Pest Management Recommendations, download the document here.
In our next chapter, Pest Population Control Actions, we will review control thresholds and example plans for a range of problems from biofilm build up to white flies and more. Our final chapter after that will suggest an emergency response framework and how to address pest outbreaks. See you next week.
Cannabis brands are facing a proverbial fork in the road: determining whether their product evolves into a luxury consumable or affordable agricultural commodity. While it is reasonable to assume the cannabis market space will organically grow into a luxury goods industry such as wine and spirits, the luxury brands that serve as the foundation of these markets were built over years of engagement between consumers, connoisseurs and producers. If cannabis companies want to successfully market their products as luxury items, a concerted effort towards well-defined, consumer-accessible branding is required.
The first step towards evolving a cannabis brand towards luxury is overcoming the fixation on cultivar identity. Unregulated cultivar naming currently impedes creativity and craftsmanship, disrupting brands and salespersons’ abilities to clearly communicate strain aesthetics.
The good news is the alcohol, coffee and consumer packaged food (CPG) industries have done most of the heavy lifting, paving the way with robust sensory science and analytical approaches to product characterization. Cannabis stakeholders need only adapt their tools and apply them to cannabis with similar intention.
Research suggests that aroma is one of the strongest predictors of positive consumption experience. As adult use consumers become familiar with current product offerings and increasingly legal availability, they will seek products that consistently yield the best experience. The most successful brands will be those that most effectively communicate that experience and then deliver it. The status quo – describing aroma using strain names, top terpenes or THC content – is not effective at harmonizing a brand’s promise with consumer experience.
Figure 1: Illustration of both the conventional branding approach (top) and the sensory-based branding opportunity (bottom).
The conventional cannabis product branding approach leaves to be desired a tremendous opportunity to characterize cultivars (Figure 1). Sensory science, the discipline used to evoke, measure, analyze and interpret reactions to materials through human perception, has been used for decades to characterize CPGs from skin lotion to washing machines. Adapting these well-established techniques for use in cannabis can be challenging, but it is certainly worth the investment.
These shifts in the cannabis industry have already begun to occur. I recently was the principle investigator on a white paper that presented a novel cannabis aroma wheel derived from aroma descriptors and a panel of trained sensory experts. In the study, sensory scientists evaluated randomly sampled cannabis flower over a period of several months. The researchers combined qualitative focus panels, literature review and formal blinded sensory tests to develop a comprehensive lexicon that served as a tool for trained evaluators to characterize cannabis aroma. This novel and robust tool (Figure 2) was designed to be used by trained panels to characterize cannabis aroma, is freely available and is just the beginning of a collective development of a data-driven cannabis lexicon.
Much like the World Coffee Research Lexicon referenced here, the Cannabis Aroma Lexicon is a tool with a specific purpose: collecting an objective description of the product aroma. It is a living document that will grow along with the industry. In the future, we may have lexicons to describe more than just aroma. Tactile and appearance sensory attributes of cannabis will gradually be defined by sensory scientists, presenting more opportunities for deep craftsmanship in the cannabis industry.
Figure 2: Expert-derived aroma wheel tool for cannabis aroma characterization.
The role that dispensaries play in adoption of standardized quality metrics is critical. The product features that position cannabis to be a craft product warrant the presence of a third-party expert to translate and guide consumers during the purchasing process. It’s intuitive to ask a waiter to recommend a pairing (i.e., a dry red wine to pair with a seafood dish), given the trust that consumers put in the restaurant to understand the properties of the food they are serving. Dispensaries have thus far filled the service structure role for cannabis, but the vast amount of unknowns regarding the physiological and sensorial effects of cannabis have resulted in inconsistent experiences that leave something to be desired in terms of consumer trust.
Application of sensory science in cannabis is an unparalleled opportunity for brands to build consumer trust and differentiate their products in a sea of strain names and high potency flower. Cultivars that can be established as measurably aromatic in a specific character can leverage that aroma profile to add significant value to the product. For example:
Cultivar name can be aligned with the perceived aroma (e.g., garlic is not bad, but expecting tropical and getting garlic can harm consumer trust).
Product catalog can be consolidated and optimized to avoid sales cannibalization by growing specific products to meet consumer group’s needs.
Guesswork is removed from breeding by measuring when a product is meeting sensory goals and ensuring it doesn’t drift over time.
Demonstrating transparency will win over ethical consumers. Utilizing controlled, blinded studies to profile aromas will add value to ethics-minded consumers.
Becoming a leader in connoisseurship. In the forefront of this shift in branding, one can position a brand to be ahead of the competition.
Elevating the dispensary experience. By utilizing aroma profiling, products can be more easily sold by budtenders and salespeople.
Opening doors to new application types (e.g., seasonal, occasion centered or geographically unique cultivars).
These are just some of the ways that aroma characterization will differentiate products and simultaneously contribute to cannabis brands’ ability to communicate craftsmanship and the maturity of the industry as whole. Not only will adoption of robust sensory-based branding improve the consumer experience by providing a means to compare products to one another, it will promote adoption of good manufacturing practices that simultaneously improve the quality and safety of cannabis products. Without consumer-accessible quality metrics, brands have little incentive to produce products of elevated quality and are conversely incentivized to prioritize quantity and meet minimum regulatory requirements.
Importantly, cannabis businesses will use this tool to adapt to an inevitable industry-wide shift towards connoisseurship and application of robust sensory science. While it may be challenging to shake off the “bad habits” that currently plague many brands, cannabis has significant potential as a luxury good. Consumers are eager for a better cannabis experience from purchase to consumption. How will your brand use sensory profiling to expand or evolve product offerings to succeed in a cannabis market full of luxury brands and what steps will you take now to prepare?
Cannabis sales in the United States are expected to hit $100 billion by 2030, and yet dispensary owners still face hurdles before getting up and running, namely obtaining the right insurance coverage. Unlike a coffee shop or clothing store, it can be difficult to secure the insurance coverage needed to satisfy the requirements prescribed by the state and/or commercial leasing agreements.
Yet a simple answer to the dilemma exists. Increasing demand for cannabis business owner policies has prompted some retail insurance brokers to provide convenient turnkey solutions via digital commercial insurance platforms. These platforms circumvent the traditional underwriting process that could trudge on for weeks, allowing cannabis businesses to ramp up operations sooner.
Currently about 30% of insurance customers interact with and purchase from their insurance provider digitally for their business needs. This can be a game changer for a fast-growing cannabis business operator.
What do you need to obtain insurance online?
Obtaining insurance online lets dispensaries secure a complete, holistic insurance policy in one quick pass to cover the industry’s unique risks.
Increasing demand for cannabis policies has prompted some insurance brokers to offer digital solutions
Like any other commercial business package policy, you’ll need to provide details about your business and its operations when harnessing a digital insurance platform.
The first piece of information needed will be proof of licensing with the applicable state or commonwealth where the business operates. This piece is critical since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. In addition, businesses will need to have other basic data on hand before finding coverage online, including:
The legal name of the business
Tax identification number
Operating locations
Annual or monthly sales projections
Number of employees
A Closer Look at Cannabis Coverages
Crime, extreme wealth conditions and legal challenges count among the risks faced by cannabis dispensaries. Here are three essential coverages important for cannabis business owners and operators.
Commercial property insurance.Owned cannabis dispensary properties can face perils such as fire, storms, theft and vandalism. Buildings hold value and need to be repaired or replaced if any adverse events occur. Leased properties may contain equipment and fixtures owned by the business and subject to the very same hazards. Commercial property coverage can help cover the cost of replacing business contents and inventory if damaged through a peril covered by the policy.
General liability insurance. Cannabis retail outlets experience a high volume of foot traffic from customers, vendors and technicians, for example. As such, trips, slips and falls could occur and lead to lawsuits. General liability insurance helps cover legal defense costs should any of these parties seek to recover compensatory damages from accidents and mishaps on the property or occurring elsewhere in a business-related capacity.
Product liability coverage. Issues such as quality control with infused products and concentrates can be a concern for cannabis purveyors. Lawsuits arising from mislabeled or improperly tested products likewise need to be defended by cannabis businesses. Comprehensive product liability coverage can meet the needs of cannabis dispensaries promoting and selling a unique variety of product offerings.
Outside the standard commercial package offering, dispensaries can opt for coverage such as business interruption insurance, which helps pay overhead costs if the operation must temporarily cease due to a covered peril.
Cannabis businesses also often need to retain workers compensation insurance that helps pay for lost time and/or medical bills incurred by employees who become ill or injured on the job. Commercial crime policies help cover losses that may occur on premises or in transit in a cash-centric business.
If cannabis industry owners and managers use an online platform for their insurance needs, they could secure a certificate of insurance in as little as 24-48 hours. HUB’s digital commercial insurance platform, powered by Insureon, is one such direct-to-consumer solution. The platform is ideal for licensed retail cannabis dispensaries in all legal US states.
Ten years ago, “cannabis packaging” didn’t extend very far beyond throwing buds into a plastic baggie – in fact, the term wasn’t even really a recognizable category. The lack of product packaging attention-to-detail was understandable at the time; the industry was still predominantly underground, and brands were much more focused on staying afloat amidst global prohibition and crackdowns.
Fast forward to today’s cannabis landscape, and it’s practically unrecognizable. Brands have figured out that, not only is proper cannabis packaging essential for providing consumers with a safe, reliable product, but it offers businesses an inimitable opportunity for marketing to their audience and establishing brand identity.
Because of this, the legal industry has gotten increasingly creative and playful with their packaging, using the space to connect with their audience, leave a lasting mark and obtain that covetable consumer loyalty the retail world is always hungry for.
The beginnings of cannabis packaging: Preserving integrity in a growing market
I entered the cannabis world as a home grower – exclusively for my brother, who has pretty intense cerebral palsy and gets tremendous medicinal relief from the plant. I’ve been growing for him for years, and in my earlier days I found myself losing a lot of cannabis to the elements as time passed: mold, pests, etc. I figured there had to be a better way to preserve what I was cultivating for long-term storage.
After visiting a dispensary in Colorado to get some ideas, I realized all of their packaging was overkill. It didn’t do anything to actually nurture the plant, or give it what it needs for successful lasting preservation. So, I got even more interested.
I started looking into what chemically happens to cannabis after you dry it and I discovered there was no real information on the topic yet. So, my team and I started looking into how we could contribute to this arena – sort of creating this whole new category and awareness around curating, storage, long-term plant viability, shelf life and conditions for quality cannabis.
We looked at a variety of elements for proper packaging – like UV protection, humidity and moisture control, odor control and oxygen control – and worked hard to develop some materials that would factor in all of these considerations for an end-goal that I believe should be universal.
When it comes to cannabis packaging, the most important thing you should be thinking about is integrity throughout the supply chain: delivering products to patients in the way that it was intended to be delivered from the grower for optimal medical results.
Proper packaging is critical for the industry. It contributes to operational efficiency, eliminates waste, maintains full moisture and humidity rates and helps businesses protect their bottom line.
It allows operators to deliver better, more viable and more potent medicine to patients – and that is absolutely what’s most important. Giving patients the full efficacy of the plant, unadulterated and unmolested by the supply chain.
Utilizing cannabis packaging as a powerful marketing tool
That’s how cannabis packaging was first developed – to protect products and keep them safe and effective for consumers. Since then, the sector has totally evolved to encompass even more elements. There’s a lot more education about drying and curing, and how to preserve the integrity of cannabis as it moves from seed to sale.
Brands have also started recognizing a dual opportunity alongside safe cannabis packaging: an effective means for marketing and advertising. In a space where we’re so restricted on how we market our brands, having great packaging is beautiful, convenient and reminds the patient of the brand behind the product they’re currently enjoying.
This is a critical opportunity for brands to cement their reputation and form a relationship between themselves and their clients. “Consumer loyalty” is a magic term that a lot of brands are chasing today, and the biggest way to achieve that is with consistent, high-quality packaging that allows operators to maintain integrity within a supply chain they just can’t control.
Cannabis packaging is the consumer’s first reaction to your product. It’s the plating. And the way it’s presented has a major effect on how customers view your brand. Think of your packaging as a type of billboard: every consumer carrying around a branded bag of your pre-rolls is a walking advertisement and ultimately an ambassador.
The 12-inch vinyl LP cover art of our generation is the one-eighth flower pack. Just like those records are all music, these packages are all cannabis, but these brilliant creatives all over the world are getting to attack an identical canvas with radically-different approaches and aesthetics.
It’s a ubiquitous thing – like designing a watch. From Timex to Rolex, all of these brands have been creating iterations from the same basic layout to do the same basic thing: tell time. That is constraining, but it also pushes people to get really innovative and imaginative.
In the cannabis realm this is just the beginning of utilizing packaging for brand identity and loyalty. Innovating your cannabis packaging provides an incredible framework for seeing different ideas and inspirations come to life. It’s a cannabis collaboration with artists in its most newborn infancy and there’s a lot of exciting potential there. Beyond a billboard and a brand voice, packaging is a keeper of the quality, consistency and potency your customer deserves.
By Abraham Finberg, Rachel Wright, Simon Menkes No Comments
Part 1: The Current Status of Legalization
Minnesota has long been known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” and boasts over 14,000 bodies of fresh water covering at least 10 acres. The Dakota Sioux word for water, “Minne”, appears in the word Minnesota (clear blue water) and many locations around the state, including Lake Minnetonka (big water), Minnehaha Falls (waterfall) and Minneapolis (water + the Greek word for city).
With all this emphasis on water, it’s no wonder Minnesota’s cannabis-lovers are wondering whether the state’s new adult use legislation will issue in a river of profits for both the state and its future adult-use cannabis businesses.
Overview
In May 2023, House Bill HF100 was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on May 30, 2023, making Minnesota the 23rd state in the union to legalize adult use cannabis. Effective August 1, 2023, it will be legal to possess up to 2 pounds of flower (2 ounces in public), 8 grams of concentrate and 800 milligrams of infused edibles.
HF100 also established the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), which will be responsible for overseeing the state’s adult-use program. Minnesota’s medical cannabis program, now under the auspices of the state’s Department of Health, will transition over to the OCM on March 1, 2025.
The OCM website makes clear that “the regulatory framework will take time to develop and will require input from communities throughout the state” and that “the legislation proposes that retail sales for adult use cannabis in Minnesota begin in the first quarter of 2025.”
Minnesota Licensing Framework
The legislation establishes sixteen licenses including ten adult use license types: microbusiness, mezzobusiness, cultivator, manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler, transporter, testing facility, event organizer and delivery service. There are also two hemp licenses and four medical cannabis licenses.
Adult use license fees are reasonable compared with other states with application fees from $500 to $10,000, initial license fees from $0 to $20,000 and annual renewal fees from $2,000 to $30,000.
The state also will give preference to social equity applicants and notes that “The legislation prioritizes applications for business licenses from people who live in low-income areas that have experienced a disproportionate impact from cannabis prohibition and for military veterans who lost honorable status due to a cannabis-related offense. Social equity includes people who were convicted of cannabis-related offenses before the effective date of the legislation.”
Taxation of Cannabis Sales
Tax on cannabis products will be limited to 10% in addition to the state sales tax of 6.875% and any local sales taxes which may already be in place. Local governments will not be allowed to collect an additional cannabis-specific tax. Additionally, medical cannabis sales will not be taxed at all. The combined adult-use cannabis excise tax of 16.875% gives Minnesota the fifth-lowest cannabis tax rate in the country, with only four other states—Michigan, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland—offering marginally lower rates.
Cannabis tax revenue will be split 80% for the state’s general fund and 20% to local governments. These tax receipts will fund a wide range of programs including the Minnesota Department of Health’s prevention and education efforts (including for media campaigns), data collection and grants for local and Tribal public health departments to support education, technical assistance and outreach.
The Social Equity Factor
As with many other adult-use states, there is a strong social equity element in Minnesota’s legislation. The legislation calls for automatic expungement of low-level cannabis convictions and for creating a Cannabis Expungement Board, which will review felonies for expungement or resentencing.
The law also creates a Division of Social Equity within the OCM, which is charged with providing outreach and services to communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition. HF100 states that “Status as a social equity applicant must account for at least 20 percent of the total available points.” This suggests a strong favoring of a social equity application but stops short of requiring a certain amount of social equity licenses be awarded at the beginning of the program, as has been the case in New York.
At this time, HF100 states that an individual qualifies as a social equity applicant if they’re:
a military veteran who lost honorable status due to a cannabis-related offense;
a resident for the last five years of [a] … neighborhood that experienced a disproportionately large amount of cannabis enforcement [as determined by the OCM]
a resident for the last five years of [a neighborhood] … where … the poverty rate was 20 percent or more; or … the median family income did not exceed 80 percent of statewide median family income.
To Recap
Minnesota just legalized adult-use cannabis with the passage of House Bill HF100 and is in the early stages of rolling out its program. The first adult-use sales aren’t expected to take place until the first quarter of 2025.
Just a cursory glance at the state’s adult-use cannabis program shows Minnesota is trying for a friendly, business-positive environment for new cannabis companies, especially considering its low excise tax and moderate licensing fees. As with most other adult-use states, the social equity factor will play an important part in the issuing of licenses and must be taken into consideration.
We at 420CPA encourage cannabis entrepreneurs to examine Minnesota as a potential location for their future cannabis business. To that end, our Part 2 will dive more deeply into Minnesota adult-use with these topics:
Important information for those looking to start a cannabis business in Montana
How license applications will be scored
Other valuable information with which to weigh your decision.
Minnesota adult-use cannabis presents an exciting opportunity for cannabis entrepreneurs. 420CPA will help make that decision as easy as possible!
This is the third in a series of articles designed to introduce an integrated pest management framework for cannabis cultivation facilities. To see Part One, click here. For Part Two, click here. Part Four comes out next week and covers direct control options for pest reduction. More to come!
This is Part 3: Preventive Measures
Preventive measures are a great investment in the profitability of your operations. Our objective is to ensure successful repeat harvests forever. Build your procedures with this in mind. This means maintenance and regular review. We all realize that this work can be monotonous drudgery (we know!), but these procedures will ensure your success.
Figure 1: New Air Shower Access Installation
As a summary to begin, pest access must be limited wherever possible. Employees are the first place to start, but we must also return to our site map and review our facility design and workflows. Every operation has to move plants from nursery through harvest and post-harvest. Where should cleaning happen? Of course, you have to clean up post-harvest but when should this occur during the grow cycle? What is the best way to monitor and clean environmental management systems (i.e. air, water) and what are the weaknesses in the physical barriers between operations? Let’s walk through these issues one-by-one.
Employee Access and Sterile Equipment
Follow procedures to screen and protect your employees both to eliminate pests and to avoid exposing your employees to harmful chemicals or storage areas. Look for ways to isolate your workflow from pest access. Be certain that your facility is airtight and sealed with filtration of molds, spores and live organisms in your air intake areas. Air showers at your access points are important to screen your employees on their way into your gowning areas and grow facility. Clothing should be standardized and shoe coverings or crocs should be provided for all employees that access your interior. Look for ways to stop all pests (embedded, crawling, hopping or flying) in all of your room assignments (mothers, clone, veg, flower, trim and drying). This can be improved with shoe baths, sticky mats, frequent hygiene (hand washing and cleaning stations) and procedures for entry.
Always consider requiring hair & beard nets, shoe covers and disposable gloves in plant sensitive areas.
Chemical Access & Protective Equipment
Figure 2: Example Facility Map – Understand Workflow & Barriers to Pest Access
Personal protection equipment (PPE) is very important to protect any employee that will come in contact with materials, liquids or vapors for chemical resources. Establish procedures for chemical use and train employees in the safe handling of these materials. Typical equipment includes high density chemical protective gloves, boots, respirators, Tyvek (or equivalent protective wear) suits and eye protection or goggles.
Chemical access areas and their use should be restricted to employees familiar with their authorized application. Always remember that cannabis is an accumulator plant, and it will absorb and hold onto chemical treatments. Appropriate isolation and safety procedures must be followed for chemical use. Not following these restrictions can expose your employees to dangerous chemicals or get your entire harvests rejected at testing.
Facility Map & Workflow
Because insects would like to be everywhere and they come in many types (root zone, crawling, flying, microscopic, bacterial or biofilm), the facility workflow must understand where they are and how they might migrate if they penetrate your defenses. Note airflows in your rooms and fan locations so migrations can be predicted once an infestation is located. Where are your opportunities for full clean-up and disaster recovery in your building? Where should you stage maintenance filters, test kits, water and cleaning materials. How best to clean up and dispose of sealed garbage containers or cleaning materials?
Operational Cleaning & Post-Harvest Reset
When compiling your preventative measure documents, it is critical to create a repeatable operating procedure for cleaning and sanitizing your rooms, systems, and growing spaces after each harvest. Plant material handling, cleaning surfaces and wipe methods should all be documented in your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Define what “clean” is. Removing plants and plant debris is pretty clear but define how to drain reservoirs, clean pipes, change filters and clean and sterilize your rooms. Operators must be trained in these SOPs and reminded of their content on a regular schedule. This is how you avoid outbreaks that can crush your profits.
Physical Barriers & Maintenance
Figure 3: HVAC Air Filtration, Dehumidification, & Air Movement, Onyx Agronomics
Document your sealed spaces and define your normal room and access door barrier interfaces. Review the status of any known cracks or gaps in your perimeter. Are there any known leaks or piping that has been seen as a risk or a problem in the past? Are there any discoloring or resident mold locations (Never happens, right?). Baseline how much time and people resource a harvest operation and cleaning effort should take. Will you do this after every harvest or compromise your risk by delaying to every third or fourth harvest? Create your barrier SOP.
Environmental Control & HVAC
Managing the air quality provided to your plants is critical to your yields. Controlling CO2, air movement rates (the leaf happy dance), humidity, air filtration and sterilization methods must be maintained and cleaned on a regular basis. Do you need to change the HEPA or other particulate filters? Is there any UV light sterilization maintenance? We have all seen the home HVAC air conduit cleaning commercials. Your commercial facility is no different. How will you clean your air and water plumbing systems? How often will you perform this full reset? When will you calibrate and data log your sensors for temperature, humidity, CO2 and water resources? Put everything about your environmental set points into your maintenance document and decide when to validate these. Molds, mildews and biofilm hazards are all waiting for unmonitored systems to open the door for access.
In Conclusion, This Week
If you’re an IPM nerd and this dynamic topic did not put you to sleep, you can read more detail and examples for your integrated pest management procedures in ourcomplete white paper for Integrated Pest Management Recommendations, download the document here.
In our next chapter, Direct Control Options, we will review what you can use to protect or recover control of your facility including both chemical and non-chemical tools and methods. In our final two chapters, we will discuss extermination of the determined pests that breach your defenses. And with great expectations, our final chapter will discuss emergency response and time to go to war!
Part Four comes out next week. See you again soon!
The Tohiyusdv Cavalry is a black-owned small business based in rural Virginia. At its core, they grow and process cannabis for CBD products, but it’s really much more than that. Through its Precision Craft Farmer Program, the company works with existing small minority-owned farms to introduce them to the cannabis market.
Via land leasing, profit-sharing, crop-sharing, facility design, community involvement and incubator-style support, Tohiyusdv Cavalry has built a network of farmers and a community around them that work together to gain access to the larger cannabis market.
Tohiyusdv, pronounced “toe-hee-yoos-da,” means “calm” and comes from a Native American dialect in the region. James Arrington III, founder of the company, is both African American and Native American, so the name is a nod to his roots. While Arrington insists he is just one part of this larger organization, it’s his passion for community, small business, social equity and cannabis that drives the company.
James C. Arrington III, founder of Tohiyusdv Cavalry
We sat down with James to learn more about the Tohiyusdv Cavalry, a bit of his background, how him and his community have found success and what they hope to achieve.
Different Sides of the Tracks
He grew up in Norfolk, Virginia alongside his two brothers and sister with a view of two different lifestyles. “We grew up in the hood of Huntersville, but I was raised in a white church, so it was interesting seeing both sides of the tracks and seeing the side that some of my friends couldn’t see,” says Arrington. The dichotomy of his upbringing gave him a unique perspective that he took to heart, eventually going to Old Dominion University for electrical engineering at the encouragement of a teacher.
Throughout his formative years, he didn’t really get involved with cannabis – that came much later. In his college years though, he met his Delta Chi fraternity brother Ernest Toney, who would go on to become the founder of BIPOCann, a nonprofit that helps social equity entrepreneurs, minority business owners and professionals in the cannabis industry.
Arrington with a recent indoor hemp crop
Working as an electrician to pay for tuition, Arrington graduated and launched what would become a successful career in electrical engineering. He worked as a subcontractor for the government in warzones, designing electrical systems with security and defense in mind, before starting his own company CalArr Consulting. “What really tied me to the industry was when I started using cannabis for my mental health and to understand who I am,” says Arrington. A combination of his upbringing and his career led to his PTSD, which then led him to cannabis as a tool for his wellbeing and mental health.
More recently, he spoke with Ernest Toney, who said, “Look man, I’ve seen what you’ve done with your business over the years and you should consider getting into the cannabis industry.” Arrington took that advice and ran with it. “So, the company I started is a mission-driven company based around healing, cannabis, understanding and helping people,” says Arrington. “Tohiyusdv Cavalry is based around working with small farmers and minorities; We introduce them to the cannabis industry.”
Here Comes the Cavalry
Right now, his company works with hemp and CBD products, but he says they are looking to expand into the THC market once Virginia legalizes and they already have some partners they’re working with in other states to expand the program.
Tohiyusdv Cavalry has been around for about two years now and Arrington says the heartbeat of it is their craft farmer program. “These are existing minority farmers in a community, already growing crops like soybean or corn,” says Arrington. “These are generational farms that have been passed down through family, some of them almost 100 years. They’ve always had to change with the times.” In changing with the times, a lot of these small, rural farms are seeing the hemp market as a possible pivot, but hardly know where to begin. “They are starting to hear about farmers in their community growing hemp, but having trouble finding folks to buy their crop.”
Some of the products from Tohiysudv Cavalry
That’s where the Cavalry comes in. “What you see in minority backgrounds is a lot of opportunities like this that are very scary to step into,” says Arrington. “We’re teaching people how to get into the industry, helping them through processing and getting on the market using new technology, and we do it at their pace.” Some folks in their network just want to rent space on their farm out to a hemp grower, others want to dive right in and create CBD products. They operate a white label program for some and help set up turnkey facilities complete with extraction and processing for others. “We work with them to build a community around their farm,” says Arrington. “We are just the engine behind these small farmers helping them get access to the larger market.”
From the Ground Up
A good example of the work they put in is Everbreeze Acres. Based in Rustburg, Virginia, Everbreeze is a 434-acre farm and bakery that’s been in the same family for generations. They had an interest in the cannabis market, so they approached Tohiyusdv Cavalry. James and his crew came in and built a 2,000-square-foot facility that is hydroponic, fully turnkey and automated. “We are teaching them the process and turning it over to them,” says Arrington. “We are teaching them how to take care of the plants, grow the crop, harvest and process it, all while collecting data.”
Everbreeze Acres
Before brainstorming how they want to market their products and how they want to be represented, the owners of the farm were still a little skeptical. Being in their 70s, they wanted to make a product that has some medicinal properties and could help people take care of themselves. So, James and his team put together a plan to launch a daily supplement, akin to a multivitamin.
Now Everbreeze Acres is using CBD as a megaphone to communicate their story. They were wary at first, but learned about it, grew to like it and now run a fruitful cannabis business. “We have their facility up and running and we’re growing several strains that work best for them right now,” says Arrington. “We’re about a month away from another harvest there.”
Building Community
Everbreeze Acres embodies the concept of the Tohiyusdv Cavalry. Helping small farmers establish themselves in the cannabis industry, building community around them and working to help their following and their mission.
A Tohiyudv Cavalry cultivation facility
Small business is the keystone of many communities, the cannabis industry included. Economic empowerment is sort of a way of staving off big business too. Given the history of big tobacco in the Virginia area, many stakeholders are worried if they’ll still have a seat at the table when Virginia legalizes adult use cannabis. “Looking at it in that sense, we are hoping that creating this group of diverse minds and backgrounds is building a table where everyone can sit at,” says Arrington. “We want to provide that place for them and let them know that, yes, this is the room for you, this is the place for you. We’re lending a helping hand and giving them a voice and a megaphone, sharing what they want to see in this industry.”
When asked what advice James would give himself ten years ago, the mood was somber. “Ten years ago, my mentor, alumni Dave “BamBam” Hoffman died. I would say that was the thing that gave me that kick in the ass, that I wasn’t doing everything I could do.” He has the same advice for minorities and indigenous people getting into the industry now: “Don’t be afraid to do it, the skills that you have you can put into the industry in some way. Your fit is out there. If it’s the right way, it’s never going to be easy. Push through it, keep going,” he says.
Growing in Virginia
Tohiyusdv Cavalry is ready for the day that Virginia legalizes adult use cannabis, but James says he hopes they make room for the small farmers. “Small farmers are what makes Virginia, Virginia.” They are in talks with some larger medical cannabis companies about creating similar programs for sourcing from craft growers. Through their strategic partners, a big part of their work right now is around partner and sponsor outreach, getting more businesses interested in sponsoring facilities and investing with small farmers. “Our hope is that we’ll be able to keep expanding the program and involve more minority farmers in Virginia and that it will only keep growing,” he says. “We’re optimistic that we’ll have three more farms signing on this year. And hopefully when Virginia legalizes adult use cannabis soon, we’ll be ready to expand in that market and keep on growing.”
By Abraham Finberg, Rachel Wright, Simon Menkes No Comments
Cannabis companies representing 45% of California’s cannabis sales are pushing a bill that will crack down on non-paying customers. Well known operators, including Kiva, Lowell Farms, Nabis and Sunderstorm, recently formed Financial Stability for California Cannabis (FSCC) and moved to support Assembly Bill 766.”
The bill, nicknamed “The Cannabis Credit Protection Act,” would require a cannabis licensee to pay for goods and services sold or transferred by another licensee no later than 15 days following the final date set forth in the invoice. If full payment is not received by that date, the seller would be required to report this to the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), which in turn would notify the delinquent buyer and begin disciplinary proceedings. The buyer would be prohibited from purchasing any other cannabis products on credit until the delinquent invoice was paid. In addition, the DCC would be empowered to issue a penalty (unspecified), taking into account “the frequency and gravity of the licensee’s [past] failure to pay outstanding invoices”.
In a letter of support for AB 766, the FSCC stated, “This culture of nonpayment that has emerged in California’s cannabis market leaves businesses across the entire industry and supply chain – as well as ancillary businesses that support legal cannabis operators – with outstanding balances and unpaid invoices sometimes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars…This ballooning debt bubble in the cannabis industry will only continue to grow without proper oversight, putting the entirety of the state’s supply chain at risk of collapse and impacting state revenue decline even further.”
Opponents of the bill acknowledge the problem of non-payment in the industry, but feel AB 766 is too heavy handed and is “ripe for abuse.” In a blog post for the international legal firm Harris Bricken, cannabis attorney Griffen Thorne writes, “[L]icensees who are reported would be legally prohibited from buying goods or services on credit from other licensees until they pay the invoices for which they were reported in full … The person making the report has to give the DCC almost no information in order to make the report. There is no hearing. There does not even seem to be an opportunity to contest the report. The second a report is made, the other side loses its rights to buy goods on credit – presumably even under preexisting contractual arrangements with third parties. This seems like an obvious due process concern and ripe for abuse.”
The number and amounts of unpaid cannabis product invoices have ballooned over time and have driven California cannabis vendors to take such extreme measures. Collections and outstanding receivables are a symptom of an industry struggling under heavy taxes and competition from illegal operations that pay no taxes whatsoever, and which now account for over 60% of all cannabis sales within the state.
In order to ascertain the current status of AB 766, 420CPA reached out to Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), co-sponsor of the bill along with FSCC, the Cannabis Distribution Association, California Cannabis Industry Association and the California Cannabis Manufacturers Association. We corresponded with Tania Dikho, Ting’s Legislative Director. Ms. Dikho informed us that the bill was heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 18, but it was not passed.
“It’s a 2-year bill meaning we can’t act on it until this legislative year is over, so the bill will not have another hearing [and we] can’t make any changes to it until next year,” explained Ms. Dikho.
The 2-year status is a tenuous one. The bill must be approved by the Assembly and make its way to the Senate between early January 2024 and January 31, 2024 or it may no longer be acted upon and will die a legislative death.
Businesses that would like to voice their opinion for or against AB 766 should contact their state legislative representatives.
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