Research and Development

R&D testing is performed in order to gain a better understanding of how growing and processing conditions affect the quality and yield of materials, such as verifying the cannabinoid profiles of young plants and optimizing the drying, decarboxylation and extraction processes.

Much like craft beer brewers, cultivators use knowledge of the distinct characteristics of the plant to create special strains of cannabis that may be differentiated by consumer branding. New products will leverage a proprietary mix of terpenes and cannabinoids for specific medical and recreational uses.  And as new applications emerge, these new strains will require comprehensive testing.  Companies will continue to innovate and invest in new technologies that demonstrate great potential to sustain the rapid growth in the industry.

R&D References

Namdar D., Mazuz M., Ion A., Koltai H., Variation in the compositions of cannabinoid and terpenoids in Cannabis sativa derived from inflorescence position along the stem and extraction methods Industrial, Crops and Products 2018 113, 376-382

Bourmaud A., Beaugrand J., Shah D.U., Placet V., Baley C., Towards the design of high-performance plant fibre composites, Progress in Materials Science, Volume 97, 2018

Wang S., Gusovius H.-J., Lühr C., Musio S., Uhrlaub B., Amaducci S., Müssig J., Assessment system to characterise and compare different hemp varieties based on a developed lab-scaled decortication system, Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 117, 2018

Amaducc S., Scordia D., Liu F.H., Zhang Q., Guo H., Testa G., Cosentino S.L., Key cultivation techniques for hemp in Europe and China, Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 68, 2015, pp. 2-16

Cosentino S.L., Testa G., Scordia D., Copani V., Sowing time and prediction of flowering of different hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) genotypes in southern Europe, Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 37, Issue 1, 2012, pp. 20-33

Müssig J., Amaducci S., Scanner based image analysis to characterise the influence of agronomic factors on hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fibre width, Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 113, 2018

Wróbel T., Dreger M., Wielgus K., Słomski R., The application of plant in vitro cultures in cannabinoid production, Biotechnology Letters 2018 40 (3), 445-454

Aizpurua-Olaizola O., Soydaner U., Öztürk E., Schibano D., Simsir Y., Navarro P., Etxebarria N., Usobiaga A., Evolution of the Cannabinoid and Terpene Content during the Growth of Cannabis sativa Plants from Different Chemotypes, Journal of Natural Products 2016 79 (2), 324-331

Amaducci S., Zatta A., Pelatti F., Venturi G., Influence of agronomic factors on yield and quality of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) fibre and implication for an innovative production system (2008) Field Crops Research, 107 (2), pp. 161-169

Hädener M., Kamrath M.Z., Weinmann W., Groessl M., High-Resolution Ion Mobility Spectrometry for Rapid Cannabis Potency Testing, Analytical Chemistry Article ASAP DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02180

Ross S.A., ElSohly M.A., The Volatile Oil Composition of Fresh and Air-Dried Buds of Cannabis sativa, Journal of Natural Products 1996 59 (1), 49-51

Smith B.C, Lewis M.A., Mendez J., Optimization of Cannabis Grows Using Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy, Perkin Elmer, 012596_01