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Step by step: Processing medical marijuana

Written in Business, Dispensaries, Health, Legalization, Politics, Science

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Below are excerpts from the Ottawa Citizen posting by James Bagnall ‘From high-tech to pot: the business that might be the next big thing’  showcasing the step-by-step process of Tweed Marijuana inc.

Tweed lists 23 marijuana variants in its online store, although the company expects to have more than 80 available later this year. For the moment, the strains range in price from $5 per gram (for the product called Buddy, also known as L.A. Confidential) to $12 (for Clearwater, or Kali Mist).

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L.A. Confidential, for instance, has a THC concentration of 17.7 per cent, which is reasonably strong, and a relatively high CBD ratio of 0.48. The website notes the product is best consumed on “mellow weekends” and helps to reduce anxiety and nausea.

Kali Mist, on the other hand, uses a slightly lower concentration of THC and comes with a somewhat higher CBD ratio. It helps deal with stress and fatigue, can be used on weekdays. Oh, and it has “a sweet mango flavour.”

Tweed was able to vastly expand its product portfolio during the transition period leading up to the April 1 changeover in rules favouring commercial suppliers.

With approval from Health Canada, Tweed employees criss-crossed the country purchasing seeds and plant materials from home-based growers.

Read more at Home grown: How Tweed Marijuana Inc. could be the next big thing by James Bagnall

Step by step: Processing medical marijuana

STEP 1: CUTTINGS

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 1: CUTTINGS. Take hand-span-sized cuttings from mother plants. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

Hand span-sized cuttings are taken from mother plants.

STEP 2: ROOT PRODUCTION

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 2: ROOT PRODUCTION. The plant cuttings are fertilized until they grow roots. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

The plant cuttings are fertilized until they grow roots.

STEP 3: CLONES

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 3 - CLONES (closeup): When clones of the mother plant have grown sufficiently, they are replanted into larger pots before being placed into a flowering room. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

When clones of the mother plant have grown sufficiently, they are replanted into larger pots before being placed into a flowering room. Here, section grower Morgan Blenk does the replanting.

STEP 4: FLOWERING ROOM

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 4: THE FLOWERING ROOM, where plants will mature over 8-10 weeks. Mother plant clones are put into flowering rooms - where very bright lights run on a 12-hour cycle - to trigger the blooming process. Here, master grower, Ryan Douglas, does an inspection in the room. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

This is where the plants will mature over eight to 10 weeks. Under bright lights that operate on a 12-hour cycle, the blooming process is triggered. Here, master grower Ryan Douglas is on an inspection tour of the room.

STEP 5: HARVEST

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 5: HARVEST. Processing supervisor, Dan Bonneau (right) and production assistant, Stephen Ball, electronically track each plant before harvesting them at soil level and removing the fan leaves. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

Workers harvest the plant at soil level, tag and remove the fan leaves.

STEP 6: DRYING ROOM

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 6: DRY. A worker hangs the plant to dry in the drying room for about a week. The room will hold about a hundred pounds of pot at a time. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

A worker hangs plants to dry in the drying room for about a week. The room will hold about 45 kilograms of pot at a time.

STEP 7: REMOVING BUDS

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 7: REMOVE BUDS. The buds are removed from the stem and rest of the plant (leaves, stem etc.) is destroyed. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

The buds are removed from the stem and the leaves and stem destroyed.

STEP 8: CURING

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 8: CURING. After the buds are removed, they are placed in a temperature-controlled vault for further curing, to improve taste and smell. However, THC levels do not fluctuate at all during this process. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

The buds are placed in a temperature-controlled vault for further curing. This improves taste and smell. However, THC levels do not fluctuate at all during this process.

STEP 9: PACKAGING

SMITHS FALLS, ON. APRIL 29, 2014 --- MANUFACTURING MARIJUANA STEPS. STEP 9: PACKAGING. The process ends with packaging the marijuana into 15 gram and 30-gram plastic jars, ready for shipping. The Tweed marijuana growing plant in Smiths Falls -where the old Hershey's chocolate factory used to be - is up and running. (Julie Oliver/Ottawa Citizen) #116871. OBSR. Bagnall.

The process ends with the marijuana packaged into 15-gram and 30-gram plastic jars, ready for shipping.

Photos by Julie Oliver, Ottawa Citizen

Article source: Ottawa Citizen

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