4 Technologies Changing Large-Scale Cannabis Businesses (And How to Learn About Them)

While so many people were blissfully unaware and not focused on it, the legal cannabis industry in the United States has flourished. 38 states have legalized marijuana for at least medical use, and a total of 19 (plus the District of Columbia) have legalized it for recreational use for adults. It is such a powerful and blossoming industry at this time that rapper and entrepreneur Shawn Carter, better known as “Jay-Z”, has created his own holding company that operates in the industry.

With this kind of momentum behind it, it is hardly any wonder that the marijuana industry is in need of more powerful and innovative technologies to help propel large-scale cannabis operations. We wanted to take a few moments today and look at some of those cannabis technologies and how you can find more resources to study them even more in-depth.

Supercritical CO2 Extraction

If you drive around and take a quick look at the various cannabis shops in your city or town, you may notice that most of them advertise products such as edibles and cannabis oils. These delivery methods are increasingly popular with a public that has largely been dissuaded against smoking by successful anti-smoking campaigns waged against tobacco over the years. As such, the industry needs cannabis technologies that can extract the CBD and THC from the marijuana plant without leaving behind traces of the extracting compound.

Supercritical CO2 extraction has proven extremely successful at achieving the goals of the cannabis industry to provide a useful and safe way for THC and CBD to be extracted from the plant. It is seen as the cleanest method of extraction that is currently available on the market. A great place to see the process in action is at the Lucky Leaf Expo where a large number of vendors will be more than happy to put on a demonstration of this method.

Cannabis Apps

In 2021, Apple made a small but hugely impactful change to its App Store policies that sought to clarify its position regarding the use of its store to sell controlled substances. Mjbizdaily.com reports on the change as such:

Apple’s App Store Review Guidelines, updated June 7, ban “facilitating the sale of controlled substances” but make an exception for “licensed or otherwise legal cannabis dispensaries.”

This tweak made it possible for apps that aid or facilitate in the sale of legal cannabis products to be permitted on the Apple App Store platform. It was a change that the companies had been eager to see for a long time, and they were clearly happy with the outcome. It wasn’t long at all before apps such as WeedMaps and Eaze made their way into the store.

WeedMaps is known for helping users local the nearest dispensary to them. Meanwhile, Eaze was able to create an app that allows for the sale and delivery of legal cannabis to the buyer. Both apps, and many others like them, are making life easier for the cannabis buyer. They are also a boon for large-scale cannabis operations that seek to spread their wings and offer their products as far and wide as they possibly can.

Calyx Containers

You cannot just throw some cannabis in a bag and send a customer on their way. Doing so would ruin the integrity of the cannabis and quickly bring your business down with it. Instead, it is important that all cannabis be packed in containers that will allow it to retain freshness and usefulness to the customer at the end of the transaction. That is where Calyx containers come in.

The cannabis industry has grown tired of the negative blowback that it has received over the years for its use of excessive amounts of plastics. The industry feels that it is unfairly scapegoated for the use of plastics when so many other industries are just as guilty of these same practices. However, the cannabis industry decided to do something about it. They began to use Calyx containers as a solution that eliminated plastic from the equation and also created a safe and efficient container for cannabis sales.

A few upsides about Calyx containers include:

• They come in child-resistant jars
• The jars are made of glass, thus eliminating the plastic waste issue
• The containers are pleasing to the eye and can be displayed anywhere
• They keep the product fresh and safe

It was like stumbling onto the answer to all of the industry’s problems in one simple solution. All kinds of industry players have looked at these jars and come to the same conclusion, that they are the way of the future. There is no getting around how innovative and creative this solution is, and that is why the people who make the Calyx containers are tied in so closely with the industry. In fact, there is a good chance that you will see representatives from the makers of these containers at the Lucky Leaf Expo if you attend it.

Nanoencapsulation

Finally, don’t forget to look over the latest Nanoencapsulation technologies when you go to the expo. This technology is being used to serve players in the industry no matter the scale of their operation. It is great because it helps keep the cannabis away from direct contact with water. Keeping cannabis away from water, where it could get damaged or destroyed, is obviously a big deal.

Nanoencapsulation helps to preserve the delicate product so that it is ready for use when it is sold to the customer. This process involves breaking down the oils that make up cannabis products into nano-size before protecting them with an alfalfa protein. This allows for the occasion and inadvertent contact with water to not completely ruin the product. That makes the product more durable, and thus makes it more likely to be able to be sold to the next customer.

There is no better place to go than one of the industry’s leading expos to learn more about all of these technologies and so much more. The Lucky Leaf Expo is where you need to go to check it all out. If you have questions about how to get your ticket to go, please contact us and let us know how we can help you!