I begin this piece by channelling my internal Victor Kiam. After first hearing about extractX (eXi) from Albert and Collin in 2021, I liked the company so much I joined the Board.

This is not cheerleading or politesse. eXi’s value proposition was compelling then and continues to this day – maybe even more so. Simply put, the Company is in the right place at the right time. Let me explain.

Capital can get spread too thin and banking rules can make working capital more difficult to access in the Cannabis Industry. You may be aware of SAAS (software-as-a-service) that has transformed the business world and helped reduce the upfront capital investment in software design and hardware. With the rise of vertical integration in Cannabis (mandated in some states) the question arises, ‘How can I raise the capital and expertise required to compete within all levels of the cannabis supply chain’? One possible solution which greatly reduces capital requirements and leverages an expert partner is ‘extraction-as-a-service’.

Let’s start with what vertical integration means in the context of cannabis.  The 4 stages of Vertical Integration in cannabis are often referred to as ‘seed to sale’, including: 

1) Cultivation 

2) Extraction 

3) Product manufacturing 

4) Retail distribution 

To be considered vertically integrated a business needs to own every stage within the supply chain, including for example, growing the biomass, extracting the THC/CBD, formulating and packaging a product, such as gummies, and ensuring the product is distributed legally through properly managed dispensaries according to state rules.  

In some states regulators suggest that vertical integration ensures better oversight and control throughout the supply chain and reduces the risk of unregulated products entering the supply chain at any point.  Yet, regulators in other states ban vertical integration as it reduces competition through barriers to entry and gives a smaller number of industry players too much control. Regardless, vertical integration requirements will raise the cost and complexity of market entry.  

Whether you are a large multi-state operator or a smaller start-up, choosing extraction-as-a-service and bringing in an expert partner to manage the entire extraction process will reduce the cost of capital for extraction and the complexity of operation.  You will receive a fully-tested, fully-managed pharma-grade mobile lab solution into your facility, so that you can focus your capital and expertise on what you do best – cultivation, product formulation or distribution.

To find our more about how extractX partners with you to remove the barriers to vertical integration, click here.

Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter for company updates and more content like this.

First, flavonoids affect the coloration, flavours, and aromas in cannabis. Certain flavonoids are responsible for the deep purple colours found in some cannabis strains, similar to the dark colours evident in berries. Flavonoids are also thought to interact with terpenes in cannabis to influence the odour and flavour of the strain.

In addition to their colouring and flavouring properties, flavonoids are considered “pharmacologically active” compounds, which means they are thought to provide medicinal benefits to consumers. Though further research is required to empirically prove how flavonoids interact with terpenes and cannabinoids, and are absorbed by the body, it is thought that they play an important role in the entourage effect – a term used to describe the synergistic nature of the many active compounds found in cannabis, and how they are absorbed through the body’s endocannabinoid system.

While we’ve learned a lot about flavonoids in recent years, the general consensus in the cannabis community is that there’s a lot more left to discover about these interesting compounds. Though cannabinoids have taken centre stage in cannabis research, with terpenes playing the supporting role, scientists, industry professionals, and consumers alike are gaining a better understanding of the role flavonoids play in cannabis products. From dried flower to extracts, concentrates, edibles, and vape products, a deeper understanding of these compounds will lead to better recreational and medicinal products, and more benefits to end consumers.

If you’re a hemp or cannabis cultivator, processor, or product formulator hoping to produce high-quality cannabis distillate, we walk to talk! Our turnkey mobile labs arrive at your facility within 4-6 months and require a $0 lab CAPEX. Please contact us to learn about becoming an extractX partner.

Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter for company updates and more content like this.

A pump will push the sample at incredibly high pressure through a column with chromatographic packing material (which could be very small polymer or glass beads, or silica, resin, alumina, etc.) via a stream of helium or nitrogen gas (the solvent). Through this process, the sample separates into its individual compounds, which can then be analysed to ensure correct concentrations of desirable compounds are present, and no foreign particles or substances are present in the substance. While manual intervention was previously required, most modern HPLC machines are fully automated and can adjust pump pressures, reservoir contents, and content analysis.

Why is HPLC so important for cannabis extraction? As this industry continues to develop its legitimacy in the eyes of national regulatory bodies and end-users, we must do our part to ensure cannabis products are safe to use, free from contaminants or foreign substances, and meeting the concentrations of active ingredients found on their labels. In cannabis distillate, concentrations to look for include cannabinoids and terpenes (ensuring you have the right concentrations of each) and pesticides and heavy metals (ensuring you don’t have these harmful compounds in your distillate).

Part of our commitment at extractX as we move from food-grade to pharma-grade across the board is HPLC testing at multiple stages throughout the extraction process to ensure our partners are getting the highest-quality distillate output from their cannabis biomass.

Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter for company updates and more content like this.

Despite the challenges imposed by the restrictions on the digital marketing of cannabis products, here are some major opportunities you and your brand can take advantage of:

• Build a great brand – just because you can’t aggressively advertise on social media and digital platforms, it doesn’t mean you can’t still have great content. You want to create a brand presence across your website, social media, and other marketing channels that draws people in and makes them remember you.
• Become a thought leader – in this emerging industry, people will give their trust to companies that are able to organize the new information and research in a way that educates them and provides value. This builds trust, which turns into brand loyalty, traffic, and business. This also helps you capitalize on SEO (search engine optimization) opportunities.
• Leverage word of mouth – create and empower brand ambassadors by giving them a reason to share your offers and content. Make your logo something that looks good on a shirt, hat, or other piece of merchandise so that customers can proudly display your brand in public. Host contests and events that get people talking about you to their friends.
• Work with media partners – find a cannabis blog or news outlet that aligns with your brand and your goals and form a mutually beneficial partnership with them. These organizations are constantly looking for content, and if you’re doing something innovative in this industry, the right partners will want to share your story with their audience.
• Leverage technology – ensure you’re making use of marketing technology to create a great experience for your customers. Loyalty programs, special offers, customer databases, and text message and email campaigns are all easy to organize and execute through the use of affordable marketing tools.

You want to partner with organizations along every stage in your journey that are willing to share your success with their audiences. Cannabis product companies can partner with their cultivators, extraction partners, sales channels, and even local businesses to create cross-promotional opportunities that benefit both parties.

At extractX, we love showcasing the success of our partners. Here’s an example of a post on our company’s LinkedIn page where we highlight a huge update from one of our partners in Franklin, Kentucky:

One of the biggest obstacles in creating cannabis beverages is that cannabinoids are fat-soluble. “Fat-soluble” means the molecules can only be stored in fatty tissues and compounds, rather than in water. This means that cannabinoids pulled out of the cannabis plant through an extraction process must be stored within some type of fatty compound, like MCT oil or olive oil. These oils containing suspended cannabinoids don’t mix well with water-based beverages – like putting an eye-dropper full of olive oil into a glass of pop or juice, it will just float to the top.

The key to properly integrating cannabinoids into a beverage that’s pleasurable to drink is a process called emulsification. Throughout this process, a cannabis distillate is rapidly mixed to turn the oil into tiny droplets, which are then combined with a blending agent to create a water-soluble product that can be mixed into a beverage without separating (learn more about emulsification here).

In addition to the health benefits of serving as an alternative way to enjoy cannabis without having to smoke or vape (which can have negative impacts on lung health), one of the biggest benefits that cannabis beverages offer pertains to the social aspect of cannabis use. Previously, when engaged in a social outing, cannabis users had to separate themselves to go outside and smoke. Now, recreational users who may prefer cannabis to alcohol can sip beverages alongside their counterparts. While this small step may seem insignificant, it contributes to the de-stigmatization of a product that has much less harmful societal and physiological impacts than alcohol.

A key consideration in creating amazing cannabis beverages is the quality of the distillate being emulsified and combined into the drink. If you’re a hemp or cannabis cultivator, processor, or product formulator hoping to produce high-quality cannabis beverages, we walk to talk! Our turnkey mobile labs arrive at your facility within 4-6 months and require a $0 lab CapEx, and produce some of the highest-quality cannabis distillate in the world. Please contact us to learn about becoming an extractX partner.

Cannabinoids interact with your endocannabinoid system by binding with endocannabinoid receptors, just like the endocannabinoids produced naturally by your body. They are then broken down by the enzymes and processed by the body once their jobs are done. There are two types of endocannabinoid receptors found within your body. CB1 receptors are found mainly within the central nervous system (brain cells, etc.), and CB2 receptors are found mainly in your peripheral nervous system (immune cells, etc.)

Though our understanding of how cannabinoids like THC and CBD are processed by the ECS is still incomplete, recent studies spurned by the legalization and decriminalization of cannabis in jurisdictions throughout the world have helped us gain a better understanding in recent years of this remarkable system. The more we learn, the further we are able to develop cannabis products that can do a lot more than cause inebriating and euphoric effects.

As research continues to prove the positive health effects cannabinoids can produce within the body thanks to the ECS, more and more doors are opening to use cannabis for much more than recreational use. The more we learn, the better we can understand the benefits of specific cannabinoids (like THC, CBD, CBG, etc.) and develop processes and technologies to isolate these compounds into products that can be ingested, vaped, or used topically. (Learn more about some exciting progress in the future of ECS research here.)

Cannabis distillate products have opened a new market for people that want to experience the benefits of this remarkable plant, without wanting to start smoking or get “high”. As we dive further into the ECS, we learn more and more about how our body processes these compounds and can produce better products to treat a range of human health issues.

If you’re a hemp or cannabis cultivator, processor, or product formulator in need of high-quality cannabis distillate, we walk to talk! Our turnkey mobile labs arrive at your facility within 4-6 months and require a $0 lab CAPEX. Please contact us to learn about becoming an extractX partner.

Trichomes in the cannabis plant contain the highest concentrations of terpenes and cannabinoids. Because of this, they play a major role in defining the psychoactive effects and health benefits that a strain provides. Recent studies have tried to prove that the specific terpene concentrations found in a strain are what can cause strains of similar cannabinoid levels to produce different effects when processed by the body’s endocannabinoid system (a phenomenon referred to as the “entourage effect”).

Since trichomes are the main source of terpenes and cannabinoids within the cannabis plant, cultivators, extractors, product formulators, and even average consumers should understand what healthy, ripe trichomes look like. Trichomes that are a milky white colour contain the highest potencies of terpenes and cannabinoids, whereas amber coloured trichomes have aged past their peak potency.

Plants with more trichomes will have higher concentrations of cannabinoids like THC and CBD. The extraction process pulls these desirable compounds from the plant’s trichome glands. By dissolving the trichomes and harvesting the subsequent cannabinoids through a solvent extraction process (like ethanol or supercritical CO2 processes), extractors can produce high-quality cannabis distillates in large quantities.

Trichomes are essentially cannabinoid factories, and are incredibly sensitive to factors such as heat, light, time, and physical contact. For this reason, cannabis extractors must be in communication with their cultivators and processors to ensure these parts of the plant remain undamaged and intact until it’s time for the extraction process to begin.

If you’re hoping to produce high-quality cannabis distillate, an extractX mobile lab could be right for you! Our labs are built off-site to the highest compliance standards, installed at your facility within 4 months of contract for $0 lab CAPEX. Reach out to extractX today to learn more about our extraction-as-a-service partnership model.

Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter for company updates and more content like this.