Welcome to WEEK EIGHT of the 10 week Marijuana Business Training Course!

This week’s course will cover: QUANTITY AND TYPES OF DELIVERABLES

States place restrictions on how much dried, consumable product that certified retailers and card holding patients can have on their person at a time, and this quantity varies between states. This is another aspect of business ownership that seeking information about your state’s laws is essential. Most states also have provisions that allow patients to cultivate their own crops, and all states have provisions for patients who do not have the faculties to produce their own medicine. The current range of dried and cured product across the nation ranges between 1-24 ounces, and the allowable range for plant propagation is between 6-24 plants. The regulations also tend to specify how many mature plants are allowed as a percentage of the total 6-24 plants, and this is because the production of product is a cyclical process. In order to have a constant flow of usable medicine, it is common to have a small number of plants in the vegetative state (growing the plant from “baby” to ”adult”) and then a slightly larger number of plants in the flowering state (wherein the mature adult plant is growing “fruit” as opposed to basic plant development).

For a specific list of allowable product and plant quantity, you can look to [[[where should we reference]]]. “Currently California is the only state where large-scale Marijuana cultivation is permitted by state law, and the amount of cultivation is regulated on a county-by-county basis.” The County of Oakland California allows cultivation up to 100,000 sqft of growing area, and operations such as these involve extensive business expenses like health insurance, union wages and large scale business taxes.

Deliverables and Marijuana Infused Products

Only Colorado has regulations and specific guidelines relating to Marijuana infused products (butters, baked goods and other edibles), so in essence the sales and distribution of these products does not directly correspond to the quantity regulations applied to dried product. This lack of regulation specific to edibles and the ease at which they can be packaged (similar to baked goods of the non-marijuana variety) creates an environment where producers can supply dispensaries all over the country. To this end, if your business is not in Colorado, you could acquire edibles and butter for sale in your store from another dispensary, and possibly in another state. In Colorado, the regulations require that kitchens are created exclusively for the purpose of producing edibles and obtain an “optional premises cultivation: license that prevents growing Marijuana and producing edibles in the same location. Marijuana kitchens can use Marijuana from up to five different dispensaries, and the product must be delivered in a sealed and conspicuously labeled package.

Edibles

Referring to edible products and products wherein the Marijuana THC has been condensed into a different form for ingestion (most commonly the pill, oil or vapor). These products are created for people because their effects are different from the length and duration of ingesting from smoking, and for the express purpose of not smoking. Eating Marijuana that is prepared to a moderate intensity can last hours longer than a session of smoking, because of the scientific process involved with digestion. It can also have different effects of intensity felt “in the body” as opposed to “in the mind.” All people have different experiences, but there are prevailing differences in the administration of the chemical component of the plant and how it interacts with the body.

There are special considerations for distributing medicine through food; for the patient and for the production of the goods. It is important that packaging is clearly states that the contents are non-traditional baked goods. While it is exciting the number of different types of edibles that can be made with Marijuana butter, unless you’ve established a solid market base for people purchasing perishable goods, you are likely best off selling goods that can be packaged and have a shelf life of more than a week. Nonetheless, you will likely find yourself in a situation at some point where you have stale muffins or breads that need to be disposed of. Take caution when disposing of them, because animals will always find a way into trash if not placed into a secure container. Further, small dogs could be overwhelmed and suffer strokes from eating high intensity baked goods, and children or non-licensed people could acquire the products from non-secured trash locations. Both of which are libelous situations.

Most recently Edibles have come under great scrutiny from Colorado governing bodies due to their inability to be distinguished from regular baked goods and candies when they are without their packaging. Of course, this is a testament to the quality of products that can be produced with modern extraction methods, but obviously a need for refinement in distribution of these products. A new law, beginning Thursday May 1, required makers of edibles to submit samples to newly licensed independent labs for testing, and if an individually packaged product exceeds the 100 milligram legal limit for THC it must be withheld from recreational store shelves. The legislation is touted to be in response to the heightened number of reports of individuals having a bad reaction to edibles from the inability for people to properly dose themselves. Future mandates are anticipated to test product so as to ensure that the distribution of THC is even throughout the product. Also, testing for contaminants will also begin in a few moths. Colorado has yet to set up a reference lab to ensure that the certified labs are accurate in their testing.

The patient

Having the greatest amount of transparency in the creation of your products will most effectively help patients understand how dosage works. Specifically to production of edibles, you can cook different quantities and type of plant product to produce butter of different intensities that in turn have different effects on patients and consumers of the goods. Cooking butter to infuse the THC component is the preferred method of processing. Obviously cooking ¼ oz of dried Marijuana buds into ½ cup organic grass fed butter is going to result in higher intensity output than using 1/8 oz of dried Marijuana buds, or in using plant leaf and stem (which will take the highest quantity of material to garner effective product). Having different intensities of butter on display, in addition to schedules of edibles in relation to the quantity of medicine they are created with will convey transparency to the patient in how their products are made and what type of experience they can expect from consuming different amounts they ingest (eat). The amount of butter that goes into each batch of baked good is the next part of the equation.

This same benefit from regulation comes in understanding dosages. Medicating with Marijuana can be smoked as cigarettes or in a pipe, it can be vaporized, eaten, made into a tincture, salve or spray and it can be ingested in a pill form. Growers can hybridize strains and the effects can be documented, but individuals need to slowly and attentively experiment with the strains they select and the doses they ingest. Ingesting foods and teas will have a different effect than smoking due to the nature of how the drug is absorbed into the system. Smoking effects are felt within 3-5 minutes due to the rapid uptake into the bloodstream through the lungs. Ingestion of food, tea or pill will require longer to take effect (usually 20-30 minutes) but will also have a longer lasting effect. This is because the digestion of the food is required before it is absorbed by the blood stream. When learning to gauge dosage it is recommended to smoke one or two puffs and wait 3 minutes to determine effects, and for the first time with ingesting a certain strain use moderation to gauge the effects and eat more if necessary. Use this information for the next treatment. Negative side effects can include uneasiness, hunger, thirst, drowsiness, insomnia, short-term memory loss, red eyes and giddiness. As with any medication, it is best to avoid operating machinery and engaging in important events.

 

The same goes for labels on oil vials and vaporizer vials.

The Product

Here again the greatest amount of transparency is essential to providing an effective and positive distribution

The major methods of vaping are Oil Rigs, Vapor Domes, Dishes and Dabbers, and Vapor Pens. The major methods for smoking include Pipes, Blunts and Joints.

The goal in all of these methods is to get the cannabinoids transferred from the Marijuana into your bloodstream through your lungs.

Cannibinoids are the chemical compounds found in Marijuana that have the desired medicinal and psychotropic effects. The major six are Cannabicyclol (CBL), Cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabidiol (CBD), Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Each has varying effects and intensities, and different strains of Marijuana are hybridized to produce varying combinations of these compounds.

The difference between smoking and vaporizing has to do with temperature of combustion and the resulting content of particulate that enters the lungs. Just like with making edibles, there is an ideal temperature for extraction.

Smoking is essentially combustion. 88% of a smoke inhalation is non-cannabinoids. 95% of vapor is cannabinoids.

• 285 degrees – cannabinoids begin to vaporize
• 335 degrees – cannabinoids are vaporizing at an ideal temperature
• 392 degrees – Marijuana plant begins to combust
• 2012 degrees – common temperature of a joint (full combustion of the Marijuana plant)

The other efficiencies of using tools to vaporize your Marijuana as opposed to smoking it are the multitudes of concentrated forms that result from extracting the cannabinoids from the plant, and distil them into their oil form. Marijuana flowers can up to about 20 percent THC, but concentrates can contain up to 90 percent THC. Vaping is an entirely different experience from smoking, and it takes some adjusting on how much people need to inhale to get desired results. It is important to note that it is the concentrated form of the oil that increases the THC intake, as a study done comparing the vaporization of plant material to the smoking of a joint showed delivery of similar quantities of THC.

Concentrate is commonly referred to Hash Oil, which is delivered as an oil, a wax (aka Dabs – pronounced dahhbs – like “he lobs the ball over the fence”), or as a hard crystalline (aka shatter because the final product is shattered into smaller pieces from its hardened sheet form). There are three basic ways to make Hash Oil, and the number of YouTube videos on this topic are astounding, so all that’s needed here is a brief description.

• Bubble Hash – The most low-tech and safest method. It involves separating the plant material from the trichomes (cannabinoids) using a series of differently sized filter bags and ice water.

• Butane Hash – Notoriously the most dangerous method of extraction. Using a specialized hard glass temperature resistant tube (that looks like a turkey baster without the rubber squeeze ball), pack it full of plant material (careful not to over-pack) and then run the butane through so that the liquid empties into a glass baking dish. The tricky part is the final step of separating the butane from the oil. There are a variety of methods to accomplish this, and the technique you use will determine if you end up with oil, wax or shatter.

• CO2 – The most technologically advanced method and produces the purest resulting product – up to 95% THC in the concentrate. It involves laying the plant material in a container and then applying high pressure CO2 for extraction. This technique requires the investment in very expensive equipment, but for many there is no question when it comes to quality.

Certainly the benefits of vaping over smoking are starting to show up in a variety of studies using  gas chromatograph mass spectrometers (GCMS) to examine the gas components of the vapor. A NORML/MAPS study conducted by Chemic Labs found that a vaporizer known as the M-1 Volatizer® completely eliminated three specific toxins (naphthalene, benzene and toluene) in. the solid phase of the vapor (D. Gieringer, “Cannabis Vaporization: A Promising Strategy for Smoke Harm Reduction,” Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics Vol. 1#3-4: 153-70 (2001)).

True to this understanding, it was once thought that the longer you “hold in” your toke, the higher the effects you’ll feel from the Marijuana. However it is actually the case that the only impact this technique has is on allowing tars to settle on lung tissue, and the best method for smoking is to take multiple small puffs.

Vaping Devices

Oil rigs, vapor domes, dishes and dabbers, and vapor pens are the more recent methods of inhalation, and these techniques involve vaporizing the oil or plant for ingestion as opposed to smoking it. The major advantage to vaporization is that the output is almost entirely aroma free, which makes it a very discrete method of consumption. These tools are almost always battery powered and do not require the use of a flame.

The basics of how these tools work is through heating an element that brings metal platform to the desired temperature, and then exposes the concentrated Marijuana to this heated element to release the vaporized cannibalized. Some vaporizing devices have chambers to load plant material directly into them, others are designed to work exclusively with concentrates, and some have chambers that can be switched out so one device will work on both concentrates and plant materials.

Te best type of devices will ultimately depend on your use preference. Are you well versed in the use of concentrates and know how to properly “dose” yourself? Then its likely you won’t need all of the versatility of a pen that has an interchangeable chamber for smoking plant material vs concentrate. Vape pens come in all shapes and sizes. Some work by pushing a button, others instantly respond to a draw. The combinations and features are endless and constantly evolving, so we’ve decided to just feature and display the three medal winners from the 2014 Cup.

2014 Cannabis Cup Winners for Best Vaporizers

1st – Cloud Penz by Cloud Penz – around $30-$40

2nd – o.pen by o.penVAPE – around $30-$60

3rd – Cloud V by Cloud V – around $60-$80

Smoking Devices

Most people are familiar with Joints, Blunts and Pipes. These are the traditional methods because they have been around the longest, and they involve smoking. Of course there are numerous variations on all of these methods. Joints can be small (pinner), cone shaped (spliff), cross shaped (actually rolled into the shape of a cross), and the list goes on. Blunts were most commonly made by using an actual cigar, slicing it lengthwise and infusing the interior tobacco with Marijuana filler and resealed for smoking, but wraps are now sold without filler and Marijuana cigars can be rolled without blending the filler. Variations on pipes are almost too numerous to mention, but the basics are shaped similarly to corn cob pipes, straight with bowls at the end (chillums), straight with bowls on top (steamrollers), bent and upright (sherlocks), and bongs. Sherlocks and bongs can also be filled to create water pipes, and most all can be made with carbeurators (although less common with chillums and part of the design of steamrollers).

 

READ THE TWB GUIDE FOR MORE INFO ON – Legality ; Why Edibles Over Smoking, Vaporizing or Concentrates? ; Treat Each Patient as if They are Brand New to Edibles ; Pros and Cons of Edibles ; Vending Edibles to Collectives and Other Medical Marijuana Patients ; Can Edibles Be The Cure For Cancer?

 

YOUR NINTH ASSIGNMENT

Use the info you just learned about your specific plants to do marketing!! Of course it is imperative to understand the differences between plant strains and deliverable methods to run an effective business that provides education and reliable information to your patients. In this way, marketing your business is simply another extension of the education and outreach you perform with your patients. Seeking new patients and expanding the cooperative/collective will not only grow your capacity to provide medicine, but of course will increase the profit origins of the business.

We are here to help and want to see you succeed! If you have questions you can email The Weed Business directly at info@theweedbusiness.com.

Happy Trails!

The Green Ninja, DANKO and the Weed Business Team

The Green Ninja has business experience from owning two companies, has operated The Weed Business since 2009, and follows news providers to stay as current on issues and business laws of Medicinal and Recreational Marijuana use in the United States. DANKO is from a Medical Marijuana state and has many card carrying friends providing first hand insights from patients and caregivers, in addition to researching and writing in-depth articles about the most current issues of the industry. Combined, we have spent hundreds of hours looking into different states’ medical Marijuana laws and the industry to make sure the information included is the most cutting-edge and up to date information there is. The Weed Business has a number of other contributors and a large support network, so if you have a question we can’t answer there’s a good chance we know someone who can.

Move On to WEEK NINE