Cleanliness, Precision, and Safety in Cannabis Extraction

With the cannabis extraction industry rapidly evolving commercially, the process of making extracts has gone from the basement to the scientific confines of the modern laboratory.

The Importance of a Laboratory In Cannabis Extraction

As government standards and regulations set the tone for legal marijuana, extraction producers are crafting their products in hi-tech, gleaming, clean environments using equipment from leading companies like PolyScience and Summit Research.

Not only is it a clean environment, where flower is turned into highly sought cannabis concentrates, it’s also a safe one, and that’s important when it comes to working with the required high temperatures used in the extraction process.

“In the cannabis industry, there can be inherent risks in working with any heated product,” says Elliot Kremerman, president and CEO of Summit, a company that produces hi-tech extractors and distillation equipment. “You can’t get away with just working in your garage anymore. You have to have a safe environment. The machines are much larger. They can be more dangerous. And knowing that the PolyScience equipment is agency approved to rigorous standards will give our customers peace of mind.”

That’s why Summit partnered with PolyScience, a leading producer of liquid temperature control hardware, in the first place: because of PolyScience’s quality, reliable chillers, environmental control products, and other extraction products, which are all made in the US. The two firms teamed up to a new probe configuration on PolyScience’s low-temperature coolers that facilitates getting the probe in the cold trap to perfectly fit the application.

The partnership confirms how extraction has entered a realm of precise control in order to get a much better finished product.

“It’s been really exciting to see the cannabis industry being taken very seriously by the laboratory market,” Kremerman says. “And we’re seeing major manufacturers of equipment offering solutions to support the needs of this specific market.”

Philip Preston, president of PolyScience, agrees, saying producers want precise control of their extraction equipment.

“There are some very sophisticated users and people that will understand simple things such as using a correct low-temp fluid, don’t freeze up your chillers, and clean the condenser filter periodically so you actually have a place to move the heat energy,” notes Preston, whose company has a 50-year history of botanical extraction.

A large element of extraction is temperature control and it can make all the difference between a great final product and an average cannabis concentrate.

“High-quality temperature control is absolutely essential to botanical extraction,” says Kremerman. “It’s the difference between a high-quality product, getting the right end result, and also getting the right throughput.”

The Right Equipment Is Key

And when it comes to precise and reliable equipment, PolyScience is a leader in quality, which is key because precision is what counts the most.

“PolyScience started producing products for the cannabis industry a little less than a decade ago,” says Preston. “And the industry was really seeking a very high-quality product and something that covered the temperature ranges and precision that was required for this application.

“I think what really differentiates PolyScience is the fact that this equipment is extremely reliable, built under our ISO 9001 guidelines, manufactured in the United States. And so, not only do you have the highest quality product available, but you also have the support necessary. And when people are making the investment in this type of equipment for botanical extraction, they need to be able to count on it to give them productivity every day.”

Because much of the cannabis extracted is used for medicinal purposes, having a clean environment is essential and Preston doesn’t hesitate to acknowledge the reason he got into the business was because of the health benefits.

“These advances in cannabis extraction have led to helping people with a myriad of health issues, and it is becoming more and more accepted as a solution to cancer patients, to a wide array of diseases,” Preston says. “And it’s something that is only possible because of people leading the charge to provide a high-quality solution, so you get an excellent end result.”