Dr. Allison Justice will help lead the Science of Smokeability research project, conducted through a partnership between the Cannabis Research Coalition, the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy and Custom Cones USA.
When it comes to scientific studies regarding cannabis and cannabis cultivation, the discussion always seems to center on ways to increase the cannabinoids and yield of any given plant. And while that’s important, it doesn’t really provide anything useful for the consumer.
In fact, no study to date has ever evaluated how cultivation practices or post-harvest processing impacts the smokeability of the final product.
Until now.
At Custom Cones USA and DaySavers, we are partnering with the Cannabis Research Coalition (CRC) and the Network of Applied Pharmacognosy (NAP) on a first-of-its-kind study called The Science of Smokeability. It’s a series of scientific experiments focusing on analyzing cultivation and processing metrics to evaluate which variables produce the most pleasant and least harmful smoking experience.
It’s all part of our commitment to producing the most transparent, scientifically tested pre-rolled cones and rolling papers on the market. We already test all of our pre-rolled cones, hemp wrap blunt cones and other products like the Smoke Temple Cross Cone to the highest industry standards for pesticides, heavy metals and microbials, so joining this study just made sense for us.
Led by Dr. Allison Justice and Dr. Markus Roggan (known for their groundbreaking work in exploring the hypotheses behind the color change of ash in cannabis smoking), the SOS study promises to provide actionable insights that link cultivation and manufacturing practices to consumer experiences.
This research not only has the potential to improve product quality and consistency, but also promote sustainability, profitability and a deeper scientific understanding of cannabis as a medicinal and recreational product.
We will be conducting both quantitative and qualitative research to get a full 360 degree understanding of the science of smokeability. We are using a high-tech smoking machine, which smokes the pre-rolls, then measures the temperature and volume of the smoke, and captures the constituents of the smoke, which we send to a lab for analytical testing. There might be strong correlations between what we will be able to see from the lab, but it is important for us to get real consumers to help provide the qualitative metrics they report from their real-life smoking experience.
That’s why we’re selecting 200 randomly selected people to receive and smoke two hemp pre-rolls and tell us what they think. And we’re going to pay each person $4.20 for their help.
You read that right; we’re paying people to smoke pre-rolls for science. If you want to be part of it, sign up here.
The data and insights we glean from this study are going to be extremely valuable and interesting. From a public health perspective, we will be looking into if cannabis smoke contains nitrosamines, which are some of the harmful compounds found in tobacco. We will also be analyzing how moisture content and nutrient content effect the smoke, which will be useful for both consumers and cannabis companies.
The answers will not only help cannabis companies create better products for their customers, but potentially change their growing and production methods, which can save them hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We have multiple phases planned for this study over the next two years with some exciting research ahead of us.
The first phase of findings are expected to be published in the coming months and will demonstrate how to optimize cultivation metrics to save time, money and resources and enhance product quality. This phase aims to foster greater brand loyalty and improve sustainable growing methods that maximize profitability for growers.
Moreover, many states are hesitant to permit smokable flower due to uncertainties about the substances produced in cannabis smoke. The findings from the SOS study will be shared with ASTM Cannabis, an organization that establishes widely recognized industry standards, and will provide regulators with a solid basis for informed cannabis policy decisions.
In latter phases, we have experiments planned that are aimed at infused pre-rolls, testing different types of infusion processes and analyzing which ones burn the hottest, as well as which convey the most cannabinoids and terpenes.
Sponsorship proceeds for the SOS study will be reinvested into the nonprofit Network of Applied Pharmacognosy and the Cannabis Research Coalition to support further cannabis research.
Governmental regulations have hindered so much scientific research and progress, so we are really excited to be part of this first of its kind study in the science of cannabis smoke. There are thousands of papers and decades of research into tobacco products, but almost nothing when it comes to cannabis, especially on its smokeability.
The future, particularly in this industry, is always a mystery, but with the research we are conducting, the one thing that is certain is the quality of cannabis products — and pre-rolled joints and blunts in particular — will continue to get better.