Tissue Culture: Quality Assurance to Maintain a Healthy Cannabis Supply Chain

Presentation

A crucial and often underestimated aspect of the cannabis industry is the necessity for a clean, efficient supply chain. In industries such as food production and drug development, Quality Assurance systems are used to ensure established standards are met throughout the supply chain. GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), ISO (International Organization for Standards), and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) are all QA systems that have been developed to maintain quality, mitigate risk at potential failure points, and improve consumer safety. With the exploding demand for CBD, THC, and other cannabinoid-based products, there is a significant need for QA systems throughout the cannabis supply chain.

The challenge with implementing a QA system starts at the very beginning of the supply chain. The potential for disease to wipe out a harvest, or for plant material to be deemed unsuitable for human consumption due to pesticide use, can significantly set back growers, processors, and manufacturers throughout the supply chain. Tissue culture is one of several tools used to support a reliable QA system for early stage plants at the beginning of a cannabinoid-based product lifecycle. Tissue culture is used to propagate plants in a sterile environment, remove pathogens, and maintain the highest quality nursery standards with certified disease-free, pesticide-free, genetically consistent plants. This process ensures that plants do not carry on diseases and hereditary defects, creating a strong foundation for large scale production of uniform product.

 

The Self-Regulation Panel: Taking Care Of (Our Own) Business

Panel Discussion

The government has its standards. But to stake its identity, the industry must self-regulate. And it’s responding on multiple fronts, adding consumer-first issues like quality claims and standards to the government’s priority of safety issues. There’s the CannabisWise certification, a voluntary testing program announced by the National Institute for Cannabis Health and Education. And with an eye on the world market, testers are seeking ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, from the International Organization for Standardization. There’s even an emerging GQA (Growers Quality Assurance) based on the wine industry’s Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA). This panel features key players in quality control and testing, who envision a future where “buyer beware” is not an option.

Moderator: Barinder Rasode, Niche Canada

 

Good Neighbours: Cannabis Scent Control Regulations

Presentation

Cannabis scent control regulations present a unique challenge for entrepreneurs that might be otherwise unfamiliar with the engineering required to meet regulatory standards. Dan Gustafik, President and Founder of Hybrid Tech, will provide an overview of relevant scent control regulations and the techniques and equipment which can help ensure that your facility meets and exceeds requirements

 

 

How the Cannabis Act and the Legalization of Marijuana Affect Travel to the US

Presentation

This session will explore the criminal and immigration ramifications to those working in the cannabis industry, when entering the US or Canada.

In particular we will discuss:

What will the impact of the new marijuana legislation on legalization on travel to the United States and Canada?

• What happens now if you are asked about whether you have used marijuana in the past?

• What can you do if found criminally inadmissible in Canada or the US because of pot use or DUI?

• How do the new laws affect those who are associated with the marijuana industry?

 

 

 

Natural Insect Control: Prevention The Key to Success For Your Bio Control Program

Presentation

Prevention of pests can be the key to managing your crop successfully and yes this can be done using beneficial insects.  The key pests for medical crops are Spider mite, Thrips and Fungus gnats, all of these pests have beneficial insects that can be established on the plants or in the soil to help manage them.  This seminar will explore the use of beneficial insects preventively and the role of monitoring in your crop. Beneficial insects should be considered an insurance policy for your crop!

 

Bright Ideas: What Light-Science is Revealing About LED, HPS, HID & Yield

Panel Discussion

In Drug War days, scientists could only do “Reefer Madness” research. Now we’re seeing the first peer-reviewed scientific research into cannabis yields and growth techniques, as colleges and universities train the a generation of legal cultivators. Among these: Laval University, which has partnered with Green Seal to research the ROI between various lighting products. This session will reveal the first round of results of the largest lighting experiment ever conducted (500 plants from eight companies), comparing the ROI between horticulture LEDs, regular LEDs and HPS (High Pressure Sodium lights). It’ll follow up with a discussion of the future of grow-lighting, growth tips and the part natural light could play.

Moderator: James Eaves, Laval University

 

Cannabis: An Exit Drug

Cannabis: An Exit Drug

Presentation

  • Former BC Health Minister and current Vice-President of Corporate and Social Responsibility at HEXO, Dr. Lake will discuss the critical role of legal cannabis for managing the opioid crisis.

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Based in Quebec, Hydropothecary / HEXO creates and distributes innovative, easy-to-use and easy-to-understand products to serve the Canadian cannabis market. One of the country’s lowest-cost producers, HEXO is rapidly increasing its production capacity in the lead up to the adult-use cannabis market. The Company currently operates with 310,000 sq. ft. of production capacity with construction on another 1,000,000 sq. ft. expansion set to be complete by year end. HEXO will serve the adult-use market under the HEXO brand, while continuing to serve its medical cannabis clients through the well-known Hydropothecary brand.  

 

Best HIGH for Cannabis Companies? Strong IP Protection

Presentation

The impending legalization of cannabis will increase the market value substantially. As a result, it is increasingly important that companies producing cannabis, cannabis products and devices seek to protect their Intellectual Property (IP) in Canada in order to increase their market share.

This session will focus on the protection of cannabis and related products through patents and Plant Breeders’ Rights(PBRs). A patent is a very important asset as it provides a monopoly to the owner to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention during the term of the patent, which is 20 years from the filing date. The session will discuss the types of cannabis related products that can be protected by patents. Plant Breeders’ Rights are also important as they give the cannabis breeder the exclusive rights to the propagating material of their novel cannabis variety for a period of 20 years including the right to sell, produce and reproduce, import and export propagating material of the variety as well as the right to authorize others to do the same.  Both patents and PBRs have very specific timing requirements and missing critical deadlines can put your rights up in smoke.

 

 

Probiotics and BioStimulants for Loud and Proud Cannabis

Presentation

A rapid rise in cannabis literacy has increased consumer attention to the importance of a robust cannabinoid and terpene profile.  Whether using soil or a soilless mix, growers are benefiting from the inclusion of various soil microbes and “foods” to heighten the plant response in the production of secondary metabolites like cannabinoids and terpenes.  Join Dr. Av Singh on best practices of matching the microorganism to what your plant needs and what your grower wants.