History of Cannabis

 History of Cannabis

Cannabis is thought to be one of the oldest cultivated crops. Thought to originate in what is now Mongolia and Siberia, ancient cultures migrated the plant all over the western world. Today, cannabis can be found growing wild in any warm climate, although it’s not common in many areas. The plant is not only unique in its medicinal and reactional uses, but its fibers also serve as a material for textiles, robes, sails, and other building materials. Its affects, adaptability and fast growth period have enticed humans for roughly 12,000 thousand of years.

Ancient World

The earliest known use of the cannabis plant occurred in ancient China where people used the plant for its medicinal effects and to make hemp products. The Chinese utilized every part of the plant, including the roots. Plants grown for fibers (hemp) were used for industrial products and the seeds used for food and oils (e.g., grains). Seeds have been found in tombs too, indicating a cultural or spiritual significance. By 100 AD, China recognized over 100 medicinal uses for cannabis.

China wasn’t the only ancient society to use cannabis for its many benefits; a notable Egyptian mummy, Ramses II, was found with cannabis pollen sprinkled among him. Ancient Egyptians were known to use cannabis for sore eyes and cataracts. Scrolls found from roughly 2000 BC suggest using cannabis for medicinal uses.

Cannabis was introduced to India around 1000 BC. The people of India created a medicinal drink called “bhang” which was a mixture of cannabis, milk and other ingredients. Bhang is still consumed today. Even in religion, the Hindu god Shive rested under a cannabis plant and ate its leaves after an argument with the family. The Vedas, an old Hindu text, refers to cannabis as one of five sacred plants, with a guardian angel in its leaves.

Eurasian nomads, called Scythians, are thought to be responsible for bringing cannabis to present day Germany from the Altai mountains in Central and East Asia. Greek writer Herodotus recorded observing the Scythians using cannabis in 440 BC, describing the burning of the cannabis on hot stones creating a bath of smoke and shouting for joy. Around 200 BC, the Greek followed other cultures by using cannabis for medicinal purposes. Cannabis was introduced to Britain in the 5^th century, likely by Vikings.

The New World

 Napoleon’s troops introduced cannabis to France after discovering hashish in Egypt. It grew in popularity in the 19^th century where it was widely used for medicinal purposes for many illnesses and ailments in both Britain and France. Queen Victoria even used cannabis to relieve menstrual pain. The popularity for medicinal use diminished when the syringe was invented. Since cannabis cannot be dissolved, it cannot be injected, resulting in a slower reaction time compared to modern, injectable drugs.

Colonizers introduced cannabis and hemp to the Americas during the mid-1500s when the Spanish encouraged farmers to cultivate the crop; the English colonizers that settled in Jamestown cultivated the plant for its many uses. The English required cannabis to be grown by farmers in Virginia, Massachusetts and Connecticut during the early 1600s, and during the mid-1700s, California, a colony in Spain, and Mexico, were known for growing cannabis. The United States Pharmacopeia approved cannabis for treatment for a number of medical troubles from rabies to alcoholism, and to everything in between.

Prohibition

Cannabis was widely grown across the Americas for hundreds of years until the 1900s. The Mexican revolution in 1910 pushed an influx of immigrants to the southwestern United States. Mexico provided the perfect climate for cannabis growth, making it very popular among its people; thus, the influx of Mexican immigrants to the US also brought cannabis. This sparked fear among paper and cloth producers, as company owners were threatened by the possibility that Mexican immigrants could cultivate and use hemp to compete with their business. The wealthy owners produced anti-immigrant and anti-cannabis propagation, dubbing cannabis as an “evil weed”. This propagation would change how the world views cannabis still to this day.

Prohibition of cannabis kick started during the early 1900s, around the time anti-immigration culture was growing. Utah was the first state to outlaw the plant entirely in 1915 with 29 states following by 1931. An international drug conference in 1928 lead the UK and many other countries to create legislation against possession, use and cultivation of cannabis and hemp. By the 1930s, mass unemployment left Americans wanting to point fingers, which arguably sparked the mass anti-immigration culture, with traces still found in todays society.

By 1937, the federal “Marijuana Tax Act” criminalized possession in America, classifying cannabis under the Drug Enforcement Administration. The countries who didn’t follow the UK in 1928 quickly followed the US in criminalization. These laws didn’t stop people from experimenting with cannabis and other drugs, with the “flower power” era during the 1960s, cannabis and other recreational drug use soared. President Richard Nixon started the “War on Drugs” program during the 1970s, which classified cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug alongside heroin, LSD and ecstasy. The Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E) program in schools was designed to educated children about the dangers of drugs. These programs have been widely criticized for spreading misinformation and creating generations of North Americans who know little about safe drug use, while still using drugs recreationally and illegally.

Modern Legislation

The fear-based education and culture was prominent around the world until 1993 when the Netherlands legalized cannabis for medicinal purposes and decriminalized it for personal and recreational use. Since then, countries have slowly pulled back their prohibition laws due to cannabis’ many benefits. California legalized cannabis for patients with severe or chronic illness in 1996. In 2001, Portugal followed by becoming the first European country (and one of the first in the world) to decriminalize possession of cannabis and all other drugs. Possibly the biggest country to make such a drastic change was Canada in 2018, who allowed adults to use cannabis for recreational use, in addition to medicinal use, which was approved with a prescription years prior.

Cannabis has a long, deeply routed history. Within a short 50 years, thousands of years of spiritual, cultural and medicinal use of cannabis was erased. A false narrative created by a small group of powerful people led to harsh attitudes that are still very much present. To this day, there are many countries where possession of cannabis is highly illegal, and people have undergone harsh punishments for associating with cannabis. There are many countries in the works of legalization, but even more where legalization seems centuries away.

            All in all, cannabis legalization has proven to benefit those with medicinal needs, such as children with seizures, pain management, etc., and countries are hopeful the decriminalization of cannabis will reduce the use of black markets and potential overdoses or issues (i.e., mixing drugs with fentanyl, etc.).  

Prepared By: Haley Browne

Managing a Substrate-Based Production System

The shift from soil to substrate is more involved than simply switching the grow medium and hoping for the best. Every base growing material is going to have different physical and chemical properties that impact the way it behaves in production. As a result, management is going to vary across soilless substrates. Despite the differences across alternative grow media, there are a handful of things, however, which do hold true when switching out of soil-based crop production

Irrigation Management is Crucial. 

Managing the water demands of a crop that is restricted to its container is very different than that same crop being grown in 'infinite' soil. The biggest differences you will see is the rate at which it dries out - a 4L pot has a significantly decreased ability to hold moisture compared to a soil-based farm. On that same note, the ability to drain water is also different when producing in a restricted volume of growing media. The potential for over-saturation of the growing media, as well as the heightened risk of salt accumulation, are also important characteristics to be aware of. 

Growing in a container is going to result in a smaller root volume on a plant, which is going to impact the ability to uptake water. For containerized crops we see that water needs to be more readily available for uptake compared to a soil based system. This metric is referred to as 'moisture tension'. Moisture tension can be measured a handful of ways (tensiometers, squeeze tests, capacitance probes), and it is important to recognize that the target moisture tension values are going to be different than a soil-based system. The ideal moisture tension for peat-based tomatoes runs from 1 to -5kPa, which is higher than what a field producer would aim for. By maintaining the moisture tension in this range, the plant roots have consistent access to water that is readily available for uptake. Values higher than this indicate a substrate that is too wet, which will limit air pockets in the media and increase the risk of disease in the roots. Values lower than this mean that your substrate is running too dry for your crop. The miniaturized root system is unable to extract water from the pore spaces in the media, and plant growth will be immediately impacted. 

Fertilizer Management Regime

Soilless substrate inherently contains very little, if not zero, baseline nutrition for your crop. While soil systems rely on pre-treatment of the soil and scattered nutrient applications through the season, a substrate-grown crop should be fertigated multiple times per day. By combining your irrigation and soluble fertilizer applications, you can be sure that the crop is getting the right amount of nutrients to sustain healthy and productive plant growth. 

What happens if I only fertigate once a day, and the remainder of the crop receives straight water? Any fertilizer that has been applied will be significantly diluted, if not completely run out of your substrate by selectively applying fertilizer through the day. Consistency bodes well for containerized crops in producing a healthy and productive root system, so save yourselves the trouble and plan accordingly for your daily watering regime. 

The soluble fertilizers that are being introduced into your system should be monitored on a regular basis. Daily checks of the EC and pH of the water that is being fed to your crop will ensure that your dosing system is working properly and that your fertilizer mix was diluted accordingly. These systems can see change on a daily basis, so it is important to stay on top of it to maintain healthy plant growth.

Speaking of pH....the target values for a soilless substrate are going to be lower than what you are aiming for in a soil-based system. While this depends on what the base material of your growing media is, you can anticipate that the pH of the fertigation solution should be somewhere in the 5.4-5.8 range.

If you are interested in learning more about managing a substrate-based production system, click here to check out our new factsheet. If you have any questions that were not addressed here, don't hesitate to reach out and we will be happy to talk to you about your production setup.

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Understanding your Certificate of Analysis (CoA): Interpretation of Results

 

When you access your Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from your Client Portal, you can expect to see a neat and concise certificate for your sample results.

Our laboratory information is presented at the top and bottom headers of the document, including our name, address, and license number.

Next you will notice your sample information, such as your sample name, matrix, sample reception date, and the analyses requested. You’ll also find your company name, address, and license number (if applicable).

Below this information you’ll find sample results. Each analysis is accompanied by the analysis date, instrument used for the method, as well as a method reference. For pesticide analyses, you’ll also find the last method validation dates.

Each analysis will have a list of analytes, followed by the results to the right of the analytes with appropriate units.

Analyses may have limits of detection (LOD) noted, which represent the lowest detection limit for our instrumentation. The “Limits” section represents acceptance criteria by Health Canada or License Holders. Some analyses may have associated limits, such as those strictly regulated by Health Canada, for example, Residual Solvents or Pesticides. The limits are those you must meet for your product to be sold in the recreational or medicinal markets. Other limits are not set and will be set by the License Holder based on internal procedures (following the USP, Ph. Eur., FDA, etc. as per Health Canada Guidelines).

For the cannabinoid result, our CoA includes results in both percentages and mg/g. Health Canada requires reporting in mg/g; however, percent remains an easier and more visually appealing result to glance at for clients. The total THC and total CBD represent the limits that Health Canada requires license holders to report on labels, accounting for the THC and CBD, as well as the acids (THCA and CBDA) that will convert to main cannabinoids when heated to be inhaled.

At the bottom of your CoA, you will find a statement confirming the authorization of results by the Laboratory Director.

For your information, there is also a legend to the bottom left of the CoA, defining terms you may observe throughout your completed CoA.

For any questions regarding your sample results, or how to interpret your results further, please do not hesitate to contact Nichole Taylor, our Lab Director, at ntaylor@perennia.ca, or 902-309-0583.

Posted by: Adele @ BloomLabs

Webinar Alert - Energy Alternatives in Protected Production

  Greenhouse Canada is hosting two free webinars on energy that are coming up soon!

Thurs May 5 at 3pm (Atlantic):  Biomass – Fire up the greenhouse

Biomass may be considered a renewable energy source, but where does it fit into Canada’s clean energy future for greenhouse agriculture? Learn about its use, the importance of fuel sources, as well as new developments that could give it a place on the journey towards net-zero emissions. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s8xsNXl7Rd-jNwiaB_tG0A

Wed. May 11 at 3pm (Atlantic): Reducing Carbon Emissions – Now and in the Future

What can greenhouse growers and vertical farming operations do to reduce their carbon emissions both now and over the next decade? This webinar will be centred around three main pillars: natural gas, demand-side management and low carbon solutions. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fVz9J78TS-WX5SlGY1E_aw

Each session will have a live Q&A, where you will have an opportunity to chat to the experts directly! Can't attend the event? Registering for the webinar will give you direct access to the recording afterwards, so it is worth putting your name in!

More info and registration can be found in the links above! See you there

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

2022 Updated Spray Guide

The process of selecting products for pest and disease management can be daunting - not only is there a wide selection of products to chose from, but we have to consider compatibility amongst products, the growing conditions within the production space, as well as the impact of these products on any biological control agents that may have been released into the space.  

Every year Perennia's Protected Crop Specialist takes the time to go through and update the spray guide to account for changes that have happened over the last year. Suppliers can be known to change application rates, recommendations for applications, formulations and REI/PHI values as well, and it is important to make sure that you are up to date on these things to maintain the health of your crop, efficacy of the products, and continued compliance with Health Canada recommendations.  

While this spray guide is no substitute for the actual product label, it can help narrow down the choices of what works best for your grow. Say, for example, you are having an issue with spider mites. You can scroll down to the 'Mites' portion of the guide (or 'control - Find' for the tech savy), and take a look at all of the products that are registered for use in cannabis against mites. 

Some products are going to be more compatible with your production system than others. For example, say you have been applying sulfur to manage powdery mildew. Oil sprays are not going to be your best choice to tackle mites in this case, as these may cause some funky side effects on your canopy. This is a fast way to narrow down your search to a product that will be more suitable. From there, double check the label, and ensure that you are applying based on their recommendations. Product registrations can change any time of year, and our guides, updated every March, are not going to capture things that have taken place in April...May...June etc. 

What are some of the things to look out for this year?

There are a handful of changes to product labels from 2021

• Lalstop is no longer registered for use in cannabis
• the active ingredient Gliocladium catenulatum can still be found in other products, so if this was part of your usual rotation there are alternative products available that should behave the same way
• Milstop has differentiated the application rate to be used depending on where you are growing - ourdoor and indoor rates are no longer the same
• Expansion of the label for Rootshield HC Biological Fungicide, which now can be applied as a foliar spray to tackle botrytis issues
• Bioceres label has been expanded to include use against spider mites 
• Purespray FX and Regalia Maxx were only registered for indoor use, but this year we see that it can be used for field production as well
• Two new active ingredients have been registered for use in cannabis!
• MustGrow Crop Biofumigant, which can be used against species of the Pythium genus, Fusarium genus, Verticillium dahlia and root knot nematode, relies on the active ingredient  oriental mustard seed meal
• Timorex Gold controls botrytis, powdery mildew and white mold via the active ingredient tea tree oil

Interested in learning more about changes to horticultural products for 2022? Check out the recording of our webinar 'Product Changes Impacting Horticulture' for the full list of changes.

Otherwise, be sure to check out the updated spray guide, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! 

Spray happy my friends!

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Upcoming Webinar: Phosphorus and Cannabis - How much is Enough?

April 28, 12:00 - 1:00 pm EST sets the stage for the next webinar in the GrowON series, organized by extension staff at OMAFRA. As the cost of fertilizer increases, greenhouse growers of all shapes and sizes are looking for ways to optimize nutrient use efficiency in order to manage the costs of the inputs. Phosphorus, being an important nutrient for plant production, is the focus of today's talk. Bill MacDonald, the coordinator of the commercial cannabis program at Niagara College, will talk about the results of phosphorus deficiency trials conducted over the last few years in Cannabis. Following this discussion, there will be a review of other nutrition work that has been done to help dial in the ideal recipe for your crop. 

In September 2018, Niagara College became the first post secondary institute in Canada to obtain a Health Canada license specifically to grow cannabis with the intention of training students. Prior to joining Niagara College, Bill MacDonald owned and managed greenhouses, and spent 8 years consulting in the cannabis industry. He has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Science in Plant nutrition from the University of Guelph, so he is well versed in all things cannabis nutrition.

If you are interested in learning more about the role Phosphorus plays in your crop, and getting a better idea of the impact of varying nutrient levels on your crop, click here to register for the session. 

Posted by: Talia Plaskett

Cannacopia – Key Concepts for Cannabis Success

 

Introducing the first official workshop hosted by the BloomLabs team! This presentation can be viewed on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbb-PNiTFpc. Please follow this link if you’re interested!  

Topics of discussion included the following:

Sarah discusses facility and product overview from Olli Brands Inc., a leader in cannabis edibles in Canada, who has tons of great and unique flavours to try! P.S. You may want to try their chocolate brownies or cookies! Sarah outlines new product development processes and how Olli can help you bring your ideas to life.

Mike, from Professional Cleaning Solutions, discussed cleaning in the industry. Sanitation is a key concept for any cannabis producer to mitigate any mould or mildew, including affecting the environment negatively. Mike chats about topics like training, health and safety, environmental impacts, Good Production Practices (in the Cannabis Regulations!), sanitation and environmental programs, and more!

Dr. Punja discusses the various pathogens in greenhouses, which can be compared to indoor growth as well. Diseases infect roots, foliage, as well as flower and are all important when growing cannabis, especially for disease management. Dr. Punja discusses the types of pathogens, as well as biological controls that can mitigate the diseases. If you have powdery mildew, moulds, root rot, etc., check out this presentation! Afterall, it is very common, cannabis is a live flower!

Ricardo, our Senior Microbiologist at BloomLabs, discusses the concerns with bacterial and mould contaminants. Ricardo walks through the types of bacteria and mould we test for at BloomLabs in cannabis. Cannabis can have some anti-microbial properties, but as it is for human consumption, producers must make sure it’s safe for human health. This presentation identifies contamination points during production and discusses services Bloom offers to help mitigate issues, such as air quality testing, environmental swabbing, etc.

Services from the BloomLabs Cannabis Accelerator Team, Talia and Chelsea, include production services, from seed to sale, including irrigation systems, substrate information, pest management practices, and more! We also offer cannabis edible product development, as well as shelf-life studies! We work with clients from start to finish to get their products to the market. BloomLabs can work with you, either on site or online, to grow your company and products

 

BloomLabs had a great time hosting this workshop and we plan to host more of these types of information sessions! We allowed for Q&A period which many viewers got to ask specific questions about products or requirements. Please keep an eye out for our next workshop (we’ll also be sending an email out to our current email list, so please reach out if you’d like to hear from us!)!

Considerations for Cannabis Edible Product Development

 

I think most of us have at moment where we are eating something or see a food product and that little light bulb comes on and we think, “I bet this would make a great edible”. Well, the idea is the easy part, figuring out how to turn that idea into a real product is the challenge. Let’s discuss some of the considerations one must think of when starting the journey of creating a cannabis edible

First here are the product regulations in a nutshell

• A maximum allowable amount of 10mg THC per package

• No regulated limits on CBD

• Products must be shelf-stable – cannot require refrigeration or freezing

• No added caffeine

• No nicotine or added alcohol

• Must be in child-resistant packaging

If you can meet all of these regulations, then you are ready to move onto the next considerations

Typical Forms of Cannabis used in the Development of Edibles

Crude Extract – lower purity range, more of a combination of THC and CBD, more “cannabis flavour,” must use more ingredient to achieve target total mg, therefore, having more of a flavour impact on the product.

Distillate – higher purity as most plant materials and terpenes have been removed, less of a “cannabis” taste. It can have primarily THC or CBD distillate with small percentages of the other present. Do not need as much ingredient to achieve target total mg.

Isolate – a solid crystalline powder that contains 99% purity. The most commonly used isolate is CBD isolate because it allows for products to be made with no THC.

For a cannabis edible you are looking at using a distillate or isolate but it is not as easy as throwing it into your product and calling it a day.

Carriers for Cannabis

Cannabis distillate is quite difficult to work with on its own as it is very thick and sticky at room temperature. For best results, one should heat distillate to between 60-70ºC. In this temperature range, distillate becomes more fluid. For best homogeneity results in the product, distillate should be mixed with a carrier to ensure it is distributed throughout the product evenly.

THC and CBD are both fat-soluble, meaning they mix the best with fats and oils. If you are creating a product with a fat or oil in it, the ideal first step is to mix the cannabis into the fat. If you are not creating a product with a fat or oil (e.g. beverage), you need to find a non-fat based carrier that aids in combining the distillate with a non-fat matrix.

Fat based carrier – ensuring the distillate and fat are at the same temperature when combining is very important. If the carrier is cooler than the distillate, it will immediately seize up when combining with the cooler fat. A sufficient mixing time is required to ensure the distillate has been properly distributed throughout the fat.

Non-fat based carrier – since the distillate is going into a water-soluble product, an emulsion or stable suspension must be created to disperse the distillate into the product evenly. Various methods can be trialed to achieve this:

• High shear mixing with carrier and emulsifier

• Nano-emulsions with oil and water—this requires special equipment

• Sprayed dried water-soluble emulsions–this creates a dry product

• Encapsulation

The most suitable method depends on the product you are developing, the costing, production capabilities and the cannabis’s final efficacy. So, choose wisely.

Considerations During Processing

But, wait there is more. How this product is produced can affect many different aspects of the cannabis and final product.

Homogeneity – during the processing of the product you are creating, it is very important to ensure the cannabis is mixed properly, so it is homogeneous throughout the final product. The method of incorporation of the cannabis will determine the length of time required for mixing. For example, if you are adding distillate straight to a fat, it will take longer to incorporate than if you are adding an emulsion to water.

Heat – THC and CBD degrade in the presence of heat over time. When developing a product, it is important to consider the processing parameters if heat is involved. Ideally, the cannabis should be exposed to the least amount of heat for the shortest amount of time possible to minimize degradation but still achieve product stability. If exposed to heat, additional testing should be completed to ensure it has not degraded the THC level to below the specifications.

Acid – exposure to acids can cause THC and CBD to degrade, which can affect the potency. If you are creating a low pH product, you should ensure cannabis degradation is not occurring. This is an important consideration as cannabis edible products may fall in the high acid range due to the requirement of shelf stability.

Packaging Considerations

Now you have everything sorted with the product you must take some time to figure out the proper packaging.

Regulations state that all products must be in a child-resistant (CR) package. As in all product development, when determining the packaging, it is important to consider how it will affect the product. For example, light and oxygen can affect the product over time, but these can be minimized with the proper packaging. You also want to ensure the packaging does not interact with the cannabis, which could cause potencies to be affected.

Stability and Shelf Life

Finally, one of the last thing to consider is the life span of the product.

Edible products must uphold food safety and quality over time, similarly to non-cannabis food products, however, with the addition of maintaining cannabis potency. The cannabis itself can degrade over time, so the shelf life studies for edibles must also ensure the potency of the product remains within the specifications for the duration of the product’s shelf life.

 

Yes, this is all A LOT! But, that is why the folks at Bloom Labs are here. We can help you take that idea and turn it into reality with our product development services. Take a peek at our website and if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out.

https://bloomlabs.ca/product-development/