Marijuana Business Magazine - March 2018

distillate-infused, unrefined coconut oil.The unrefined oil is also an excel- lent fat carrier, with a faster absorption rate than traditional oil or butter, and it retains a mild coconut flavor, said Dr. Norm’s co-founder Jeff Koz. Another California edibles maker, Kiva Confections, uses distillate for its Petra Mints that deliver 2.5 milligrams of THC.That’s because the company’s preferred method of extraction – a solvent-free, cold-water hash used in Kiva’s chocolate-covered Kiva Terra Bites – led to spotting and discoloration in the mints.The cold-water hash also didn’t flow properly through the equip- ment used to make the mints, according to Kristi Knoblich Palmer, the com- pany’s co-founder. For its Mixed Berry Fruit Snacks with 5 milligrams of THC per serving, Colo- rado’s Sweet Grass Kitchen uses pure- THC distillate, a concentrate that goes through an extraction and refinement process known as short-path distillation. “Quality is central to our product line,” said Jesse Burns, Sweet Grass’ sales and marketing director. “When we decided to expand and create fruit snacks, we determined that distil- late was the best extract we could buy because of its high potency and lack of waste, including plant material or residual solvents.” But Sweet Grass doesn’t use distillate in every low-dose product. The company’s favored method of infusion is full-flower cannabutter. Sweet Grass uses the cannabutter in its low-dose line of Buttermelts butter mints, which offer 2.5 milligrams of THC in a single serving. “We use single-strain full flower to produce the infusion in-house because it allows us to control all steps of the process,” Burns said. “From initial quality control of the plant material to decarboxylation to the infusion, it’s about the consistency of effect across the product line and gaining the trust of our customers, who count on us to be consistent so they’re comfortable with whatever product they’re consuming.” Automate with Caution In manufacturing low-dose products, the allowed margin of error in Colorado for a product with 2.5 milligrams of THC is 0.375 milligrams.That means you can’t cut corners, Burns said. That’s why the company is careful about how it uses automation. Parts of the pro- duction process make sense to automate – when weighing a product, for example. But other steps such as dosing may require a more hands-on approach that relies on testing and crunching the numbers. Jesse Burns is sales and marketing director at Colorado’s Sweet Grass Kitchen. Photo courtesy of Sweet Grass Kitchen Kristi Knoblich Palmer is co-founder of California’s Kiva Confections. Photo courtesy of Kiva Confections EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Low-dose edibles are becoming more popular among consumers who want to ingest THC serving sizes of 5 milligrams or less. Edible manufacturing executives shared the following insights into low-dose products: • Low-dose edibles permit consumers to ingest more accurate doses of THC – versus when people manually cut cookies into quarters or halve gummies themselves. • Low-dose products reduce the risk of overconsumption and offer an avenue to introduce new consumers to cannabis. • Distillate is popular with makers of infused products in part because it permits accurate dosing. • Be careful when introducing automation to your production process. In some cases a more hands-on approach can yield more accurate results. • Branding, direct marketing and education are critical to helping consumers understand that low- dose products offer a controlled, positive experience. Cannamizer – a twist and spray atom- izer – designed to deliver a 1-milligram dose of THC in each spray. Dialing In As with any edible, precise dosing is important. Distillate is popular with makers of infused products in part because it permits accurate dosing. It is a clear, versatile oil, rich in cannabinoids and terpenes, and it doesn’t retain a strong cannabis smell or taste.The isolation of cannabinoids – and the removal of excess lipids and plant matter – lends itself to the infusion process and is criti- cal to producing low-dose products with a better margin of accuracy. When researching how to infuse its Chocolate Chip Therapy cookies with 5 milligrams of THC, Califor- nia-based Dr. Norm’s opted to use 42 • Marijuana Business Magazine • March 2018