Marijuana Business Magazine April 2020

Marijuana Business Magazine | April 2020 96 Q uality in, quality out. Without good starting material, cannabis extractors don’t have much to work with. Ensuring cultivators provide excel- lent flower in a consistent manner is an important part of the process for any successful extraction company. In order to establish that a culti- vator is providing first-rate material, extraction companies should: • Visit the facility to evaluate how the plants are grown. • Determine exactly how the cannabis is harvested and if that process is in line with what is desired. • Coach growers on the best method for storing flower destined for extraction. • Test the flower in-house as it comes in and provide feedback to the grower. “We’re always working with our partners to create a better product and a better experience,” said Eli Bilton, CEO of Attis Trading Co., a vertically integrated cannabis business based in Portland, Oregon. Tour the Site Visiting the grow facility is a good first step to determine if the cultivator is the right fit to provide raw materials. Working Backward Extractors can assist cultivators in creating high-quality raw materials BestPracticesInExtraction | Bart Schaneman Extraction companies that want to ensure cultivators deliver consistent, excellent raw material should coach partner growers about what qualities they are seeking. Processors who want to provide feedback to cultivators should: • Tour the grow site to determine if the farm is up to snuff. • Decide whether the grower’s harvest practices are in line with the processor’s end goals for potency and terpene profile. • Provide guidance to the cultivator about how they would like flower packaged. • Test product in-house to offer growers objective data behind decisionmaking. While processors will often visit a cannabis producerʼs facility as part of the partnership, itʼs also recommended that labs host growers to give them a sense of how the extraction process works. Courtesy Photo

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