Access to better technology is opening up opportunities for extractors and edibles manufacturers.
The increasing accessibility of advanced pharmaceutical-grade technology is giving small and medium-sized businesses the ability to facilitate precision dosing and bypass white-label sourcing like never before, offering a business model previously out of reach for smaller extractors and producers.
Thanks to advancements in planetary mixing technology and the introduction of precision devices from the pharmaceutical industry into the cannabis space, small and medium-sized businesses can now bring critical manufacturing capabilities in-house and save substantial amounts of time and money that used to be spent on white labeling.
Planetary mixing technology refers to the specific manner in which substances are mixed. While the beater(s) revolve in one direction, the socket turns in the opposite direction, ensuring all of the mixture is picked up from around the side, bottom and center of the mixing container. The result is a highly homogeneous blend.
Small and medium-sized businesses are taking back techniques for processes like cartridge filling, cool-temperature trichome collection and compound mixing. The ability to scale — coupled with the time and money saved — are game-changers for cannabis businesses that regularly struggle to operate in the black.
Elevated Standard Operating Procedures
The standard operating procedures that come with pharmaceutical technology are also disrupting the white labeling process. Leveraging in-house technology and standardized SOPs gives brands full ownership of production from extract to commercial product, allowing brands to better maintain control and oversight throughout the entire process. And when regulatory bodies inspect facilities, companies working with SOPs based on pharmaceutical consistency standards give regulators confidence that they are operating safely and in full compliance.
Accessible Tech for Boutique Cannabis Brands
In-house planetary mixing technology substantially increases the return on each product by eliminating the need for various third-party services. Small and medium-sized businesses can bring the technology in-house initially with a minor investment in a smaller machine and quickly move to a larger device as the financial returns from not outsourcing manifest. Devices that employ planetary mixer technology for homogenous ingredient mixing empower cannabis brands to handle their own research, development and production at scale. Whether producing strain-specific rosin gummies, powders for topicals or custom formulations for novel administration methods, these types of devices save immense amounts of time in product development as well as manufacturing.
Critically, this technology also gives brands the ability to ensure accurate dosing and consistency throughout each batch thanks to the high level of homogeneity of the compounds produced. The advanced precision technology effectively addresses the issue of “hot spots” in their edibles, which refers to areas where excessive concentrations of THC or other active compounds can accumulate. Hot spots can be problematic because they lead to inconsistent dosing, which can result in unpredictable and potentially adverse effects for consumers.
Maintaining precision processes not only helps ensure consistent dosing but also assists producers in remaining compliant with regulatory standards. The strict regulations regarding the potency and labeling of cannabis products mean that any deviation from the standards can result in severe legal and financial consequences.
A Foundation For the Future
As noted above, brands can access this technology that allows for the decrystallization of compounds and removal of granulation from cream and topicals with a relatively minor investment. As mergers and acquisitions continue apace across the cannabis industry, it is critical for businesses to future-proof their operations with in-house technology and vertical integration to continue moving forward.
Small and medium-sized businesses will better handle market price fluctuations and industry uncertainties if they can control the entire production process from start to finish. They will not be beholden to a third party that, unbeknownst to them, in an industry with little transparency, might be suffering financially and potentially fail to honor their contract.
And as regulatory bodies increase their oversight of the cannabis supply chain, businesses operating with proven SOPs will be in the best position to weather scrutiny without having to alter their business model.