Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 2022/232940
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HASHISH PRODUCT AND INDUSTRIAL PROCESS FOR MAKING SAME USING
PRETREATED STARTING MATERIALS
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This application generally relates to the field of hashish products as
well as industrial
methods of manufacturing same.
BACKGROUND
[0002] With stage-wise legalization of cannabis-based consumer products in
Canada and
eventually in various other areas in the world, advancements in extraction
technology, industrial
scale production and accessibility to a wide variety of forms have accelerated
to fulfill emerging
demands. Hashish (or hash) is one example of a cannabis-based product,
typically used for
recreational or medicinal (i.e., health and wellness) purposes, for which
there is an increasing
consumer demand.
[0003] Hashish is a concentrated derivative of cannabis plants, which is
extracted from stalked
resin glands known as trichomes. It contains the same active ingredients as
marijuana ¨ including
tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") and other cannabinoids - yet at higher
concentration levels than the
un-sifted buds or leaves from which marijuana is made, which is tantamount to
higher potency.
The trichomes are usually collected (isolated from the cannabis plant
material) by hand, by
mechanical beating of the plants or by submersing the cannabis plants in icy
water and then using
small sieves to isolate the trichomes. Alternatively, mechanical separation
may be used to isolate
trichomes from the plant, such as sieving through a screen by hand or in
motorized tumblers, as
described for example in WO 2019/161509. Isolated trichomes have a powder
appearance which
is mostly comprised of the bulbous, crystal formations on the tip of the
glands and are typically
referred to as "kief'.
[0004] Traditionally, hashish is obtained by pressing kief manually. In an
industrial setting,
however, manual pressing is hardly scalable and affords poor yield ¨ instead,
hashish is obtained
by pressing kief in a mechanical press.
[0005] Using a mechanical press to press the isolated trichomes into a mold
produces a
cohesive mass from the isolated trichomes (i.e., hashish product) in the form
afforded by the mold.
For example, the isolated trichomes can be pressed in a mold affording the
shape of individual
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"bricks". During pressing, heat may be applied to the isolated trichomes via
the pressing plates to
cause a release of resin from the trichomes and decarboxylate the cannabinoids
(activate the
acid form of the cannabinoids). Alternatively, heat may be applied to the
pressed trichomes after
the pressing step for substantially the same purposes and then, typically,
hashish manufacturers
will perform a second pressing step after such heating to further ensure
cohesiveness of the
hashish product. From a production perspective, this batch-like approach to
manufacturing hash
(e.g., applying heat on a per hashish unit basis after or during pressing) can
be labor intensive,
reduce volume throughput (in terms of hashish units produced) and negatively
affect overall
efficiency of the hashish production process, which increases costs and
complicates production.
[0006] Considering the above, it would be highly desirable to be provided with
a hashish product
having desired properties while being provided with methods of making same
that would at least
partially alleviate the disadvantages of the pressing methods discussed above.
SUMMARY
[0007] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a
simplified form that are
further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not
intended to identify key
aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter.
[0008] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to
a process of
making a hashish product, comprising a) providing pre-treated isolated
cannabis trichomes, the
pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes comprising a cannabis oil layer on at
least a portion of a
surface thereof; and b) pressing the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes
under conditions to
form the hashish product, the hashish product having a cohesive mass of the
pre-treated isolated
cannabis trichomes.
[0009] In some embodiments, the process includes one or more of the following
features:
= the step a) comprises contacting isolated cannabis trichomes with a
solvent under
conditions to obtain at least partial extraction of cannabis oil from the
isolated cannabis
trichomes to form the cannabis oil layer.
= the step a) comprises (i) contacting cannabis plant material with a
solvent under
conditions to obtain at least partial extraction of cannabis oil from the
cannabis material
to form the cannabis oil layer; and (ii) isolating cannabis trichomes
therefrom.
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= solvent comprises ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent, or a combination
thereof.
= hydrocarbon solvent is selected from butane, propane, and a combination
thereof.
= solvent comprises a plurality of solvents.
= further comprising evaporating the solvent.
= evaporating is performed under vacuum.
= the step a) comprises contacting isolated cannabis trichomes with a
cannabis oil
composition under conditions sufficient to form the cannabis oil layer, the
cannabis oil
composition comprising a cannabinoid component and a diluent, wherein the
cannabinoid component comprises a cannabinoid.
= the step a) comprises (i) contacting cannabis plant material with a
cannabis oil
composition under conditions sufficient to form the cannabis oil layer,
wherein the
cannabis oil composition comprises a cannabinoid component and a diluent,
wherein the
cannabinoid component comprises a cannabinoid; and (ii) isolating cannabis
trichomes
therefrom.
= cannabinoid component is in the form of a crude cannabis extract, a
cannabis distillate,
a cannabis isolate, a winterized cannabis extract, cannabis rosin, cannabis
resin,
cannabis wax, cannabis shatter, or any combination thereof.
= diluent comprises a solvent selected from ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent,
and a
combination thereof.
= hydrocarbon solvent is selected from butane, propane, and a combination
thereof.
= solvent comprises a plurality of solvents.
= further comprising evaporating the solvent.
= evaporating is performed under vacuum.
= cannabinoid component further comprises one or more cannabis terpenes.
= cannabinoid component further comprises one or more flavonoids.
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= cannabinoid component further comprises a carrier oil.
= carrier oil is borage oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil,
safflower oil, sunflower
oil, castor oil, corn oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, almond oil, sesame
oil, rapeseed oil,
peppermint oil, poppy seed oil, canola oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated
soybean oil,
hydrogenated vegetable oils, glyceryl esters of saturated fatty acids,
glyceryl behenate,
glyceryl distearate, glyceryl isostearate, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl
monooleate, glyceryl,
monolinoleate, glyceryl palm itate, glyceryl palm itostearate, glyceryl
ricinoleate, glyceryl
stearate, polyglyceryl 10-oleate, polyglyceryl 3-oleate, polyglyceryl 4-
oleate, polyglyceryl
10-tetralinoleate, behenic acid, medium-chain triglycerides, or any
combinations thereof.
= further comprising incorporating water to the pre-treated isolated
cannabis trichomes
prior to step b) to have a water content of about 20 wt.% or less, preferably
between
about 5 wt.% and about 15 wt.%, more preferably from about 10 wt.% to about 15
wt.%.
= water is incorporated in the form of liquid, ice, steam, or a combination
thereof.
= pressing is performed with a single pressing step.
= pressing is performed with a pressure of about 100 psi or more.
= pressure is from about 100 psi to about 3200 psi, preferably from about
300 psi to about
1500 psi, more preferably from about 500 psi to about 1250 psi.
= pressing is performed for a time duration of about 1 minute or more,
preferably from
about 1 minute to about 10 minutes, more preferably from about 3 minutes to
about 7
minutes, even more preferably from about 4 minutes to about 6 minutes.
= pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are from a single cannabis
strain.
= pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are from a plurality of cannabis
strains.
= the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are pre-treated kief.
[0010] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to
a hashish
product comprising a cohesive mass of isolated cannabis trichomes, the
isolated trichomes
having a cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of a surface thereof.
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[0011] In some embodiments, the hashish product includes one or more of the
following
features:
= cannabis oil layer comprises a cannabinoid component, the cannabinoid
component
comprising a cannabinoid.
= cannabinoid component further comprises one or more cannabis terpenes.
= cannabinoid component further comprises one or more flavonoids.
= cannabinoid component further comprises a carrier oil.
= carrier oil is borage oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil,
safflower oil, sunflower
oil, castor oil, corn oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, almond oil, sesame
oil, rapeseed oil,
peppermint oil, poppy seed oil, canola oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated
soybean oil,
hydrogenated vegetable oils, glyceryl esters of saturated fatty acids,
glyceryl behenate,
glyceryl distearate, glyceryl isostearate, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl
monooleate, glyceryl,
monolinoleate, glyceryl palm itate, glyceryl palm itostearate, glyceryl
ricinoleate, glyceryl
stearate, polyglyceryl 10-oleate, polyglyceryl 3-oleate, polyglyceryl 4-
oleate, polyglyceryl
10-tetralinoleate, behenic acid, medium-chain triglycerides, or any
combinations thereof.
= comprising a cannabinoid content of from about 5 wt.% to about 90 wt.%.
= cannabinoid content comprises one or more of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),
cannabidiol
(CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), and any combinations thereof.
= isolated cannabis trichomes are from a single cannabis strain.
= isolated cannabis trichomes are from a plurality of cannabis strains.
[0012] All features of exemplary embodiments which are described in this
disclosure and are
not mutually exclusive can be combined with one another. Elements of one
embodiment can be
utilized in the other embodiments without further mention. Other aspects and
features of the
present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art
upon review of the
following description of specific embodiments.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] A detailed description of specific exemplary embodiments is provided
herein below with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates a non-limiting flowchart example of a process for
making a hashish
product in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0015] FIGs. 2A-B illustrate non-limiting flowchart examples of steps for
obtaining pre-treated
isolated trichomes in accordance with different embodiments of the present
disclosure;
[0016] FIGs. 3A-B illustrate non-limiting flowchart examples of steps to
obtain a cannabis oil
layer on at least a portion of a surface of isolated trichomes in accordance
with different
embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 4 illustrates a non-limiting schematic of a setting for performing
a three-point bend
test;
[0018] FIG. 5 illustrates a non-limiting example of a diagram output from the
three-point bend
test of FIG. 4;
[0019] In the drawings, exemplary embodiments are illustrated by way of
example. It is to be
expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the
purpose of illustrating
certain embodiments and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to
be a definition
of the limits of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] A detailed description of one or more embodiments is provided below
along with
accompanying figures that illustrate principles of the disclosure. The
invention is described in
connection with such embodiments, but the invention is not limited to any
embodiment. The scope
of the invention is limited only by the claims. Numerous specific details are
set forth in the following
description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. These
details are provided for
the purpose of non-limiting examples and the invention may be practiced
according to the claims
without some or all these specific details. Technical material that is known
in the technical fields
related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the
disclosure is not unnecessarily
obscured.
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[0021] The present inventors have developed a hashish product and method of
manufacturing
same that addresses at least some of the above-identified problems.
[0022] For example, it has been observed that the hashish products of the
present disclosure
may present improvement in the textural consistency, pliability and/or
crumbliness of the hashish
product. This in turn, may reduce and/or minimize quality control failures
during large-scale
manufacturing of the hashish product (e.g., quality control based on textural
consistency, pliability
and/or crumbliness). Advantageously, it has been observed that such hashish
product may afford
an enhanced and more consistent user experience in that the reduced
crumbliness leads to better
segmentation during use of the hashish product that results in reduction of
waste material
production.
[0023] For example, the present inventors have surprisingly and unexpectedly
discovered that
pressing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes to obtain a cohesive mass
alleviates the
negative impact of manufacturing hashish products in the batch-like approach
discussed
previously, while achieving the desired hashish physical attributes, e.g., in
terms of malleability,
pliability, and/or crumbliness. Indeed, as discussed previously, the existing
batch-like approach
to manufacturing hash currently requires applying heat during the pressing
step via the pressing
plates or to the cohesive mass after the pressing step. Further, manufacturers
often perform a
second pressing step on the cohesive mass after such heat/press step to ensure
good
cohesiveness of the hashish product. This batch-like multiple steps approach
to manufacturing
hashish can be labor intensive, reduce volume throughput and negatively affect
overall efficiency
of the hashish production process, which increases costs and complicates
production.
[0024] The herein described approach provides the technical advantage of
avoiding this batch-
like multiple steps approach by pretreating the raw materials instead of the
finished product.
[0025] For example, large amounts of isolated trichomes or cannabis material
can be pre-
treated in a single step instead of treating the finished hashish product on a
per unit basis, thus
avoiding the bottleneck of treating the finished product on a per unit basis.
[0026] For example, pre-treatment of isolated trichomes or cannabis material
avoids the risk of
overcooking the more expensive hashish product that may occur in the batch-
like heat treatment
of the prior art, as overcooked isolated trichomes or cannabis material may
still be used in other
applications whereas overcooked hashish products may not.
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[0027] For example, pre-treatment of isolated trichomes or cannabis material
allows better
inventory management as the pre-treated isolated trichomes or cannabis
material can be stored
for later use and may be used in more than one product type.
[0028] Further, it has also been observed that implementing the method of
manufacture herein
described results in the ability for the operator to control the cannabinoid
contents of the hashish
product to desired values or ranges of values. For example, this control of
the cannabinoid
contents may be obtained by providing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes
comprising a
cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of a surface thereof, where the
cannabis oil layer includes
a predetermined cannabinoid concentration. This approach allows controlling
the cannabinoid
contents in the hashish product because the predetermined cannabinoid
concentration in the
cannabis oil layer contributes to the overall cannabinoid content in the
eventual hashish product
and as such, controlling the cannabinoid content in the cannabis oil layer
permits controlling the
cannabinoid content in the eventual hashish product.
[0029] These and other advantages may become apparent to the person of skill
in view of the
present disclosure.
Hashish Product
[0030] The hashish product of the present disclosure comprises a cohesive mass
of isolated
cannabis trichomes.
[0031] As used herein, the term "cannabis trichomes" generally refers to
crystal-shaped
outgrowths or appendages (also called resin glands) on cannabis plants
typically covering the
leaves and buds. Trichomes produce hundreds of known cannabinoids, terpenes,
and flavonoids
that make cannabis strains potent, unique, and effective.
[0032] As used herein, the term "isolated cannabis trichomes" refers to
trichomes that have
been separated from cannabis plant material using any method known in the art.
The details of
various methods for separating trichomes from the cannabis plant are well-
known in the art. For
example, and without wishing to be limiting in any manner, the isolated
cannabis trichomes may
be obtained by a chemical separation method or may be separated by manual
processes like dry
sifting or by water extraction methods. Solvent-less extraction methods can
include mechanical
separation of trichomes from the plant, such as sieving through a screen by
hand or in motorized
tumblers (see for example WO 2019/161509), or by submerging the cannabis
plants in icy water
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(see for example US2020/0261824, which is herein incorporated by reference)
and agitating to
separate the trichomes from the plant and drying the trichomes. Because of
inherent limitations
to existing separation methods, some plant matter or other foreign matter can
be present in
isolated cannabis trichomes.
[0033] Isolated cannabis trichomes obtained by mechanical separation of
trichomes from the
cannabis plant biomass is typically referred to as "kief" (also "keef" or
"kir) and has a powdery
appearance. Typically, some residual plant material remains in the finished
kief and thus in the
resulting hashish product. In preferred embodiments of the present disclosure,
the isolated
cannabis trichomes is in the form of kief.
[0034] The isolated cannabis trichomes forming the hashish product of the
present disclosure
may originate from one or more than one strain of cannabis plant. It is known
amongst consumers
of hashish and other cannabis products that using isolated cannabis trichomes
produced from
more than one strain of cannabis plant allows a user to tune the psychoactive
and/or entourage
effect obtained by consuming the product. The mixing of cannabis plant strains
may also allow to
adjust the final concentration of a component of the product, for example but
not limited to the
cannabinoid content. Additionally, use of more than one strain allows for
improved product and
waste management ¨ important in commercial production.
[0035] As used herein, the term "cannabis" generally refers to a genus of
flowering plants that
includes several species. The number of species is currently being disputed.
There are three
different species that have been recognized, namely Cannabis sativa, Cannabis
indica and
Cannabis ruderalis. Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a strain of the Cannabis
sativa plant species that
is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products. In
terms of cannabinoids
content, hemp has lower concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and
higher concentrations
of cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases or eliminates the THC-associated
psychoactive effects.
[0036] The hashish product of the present disclosure comprises one or more
cannabinoid(s).
As used herein, the term "cannabinoid" generally refers to any chemical
compound that acts upon
a cannabinoid receptor such as CBI and CB2. Examples of cannabinoids include,
but are not
limited to, cannabichromanon (CBCN), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromevarin
(CBCV),
cannabicitran (CBT), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabicyclovarin (CBLV),
cannabidiol (CBD, defined
below), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol monomethylether (CBDM),
cannabidiol-C4 (CBD-
C4), cannabidiorcol (CBD-CI), cannabidiphorol (CBDP), cannabidivarin (CBDV),
cannabielsoin
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(CBE), cannabifuran (CBF), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerol monomethylether
(CBGM),
cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinodiol (CBND),
cannabinodivarin
(CBVD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabinol methylether (CBNM), cannabinol propyl
variant (CBNV),
cannabinol-C2 (CBN-C2), cannabinol-C4 (CBN-C4), cannabiorcol (CBN-C1),
cannabiripsol
(CBR), cannabitriol (CBO), cannabitriolvarin (CBTV), cannabivarin (CBV),
dehydrocannabifuran
(DCBF), A7-cis-iso tetrahydrocannabivarin, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, defined
below), A9-
tetrahydrocannabionolic acid B (THCA-B), A9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A
(THCA-A), A9-
tetrahydrocannabiorcol (THC-C1), tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid
(THCVA),
tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), ethoxy-
cannabitriolvarin (CBTVE), trihydroxy-A9-
tetrahydrocannabinol (tri0H-THC), 10-ethoxy-9hydroxy-A6a-tetrahydrocannabinol,
8,9-
dihyd roxy-A6a-tetrahydrocannabinol, 10-oxo-A6a-tetrahydrocannabionol (OTHC),
3,4,5,6-
tetrahydro-7-hydroxy-a-a-2-trimethy1-9-n-propy1-2,
6-methano-2H-1-benzoxocin-5-methanol
(OH-iso-HHCV), A6a,10a-tetrahydrocannabinol (A6a,10a-THC), A8-
tetrahydrocannabivarin (A8-
THCV), A9-tetrahydrocannabiphorol (A9-THCP), A9-tetrahydrocannabutol (A9-
THCB),
derivatives of any thereof, and combinations thereof. Further examples of
suitable cannabinoids
are discussed in at least W02017/190249 and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No.
US2014/0271940, which are each incorporated by reference herein in their
entirety.
[0037] Cannabidiol (CBD) means one or more of the following compounds: A2-
cannabidiol, A5-
cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropeny1-3-methyl-5-cyclohexen-l-y1)-5-pentyl-
1,3-benzenediol); A4-
cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropeny1-3-methyl-4-cyclohexen-l-y1)-5-pentyl-
1,3-benzenediol); A3-
cannabidiol
(2-(6-isopropeny1-3-methyl-3-cyclohexen-l-y1)-5-pentyl-1,3-benzenediol);
A3,7-
cannabidiol
(2-(6-isopropeny1-3-methylenecyclohex-1-y1)-5-pentyl-1,3-benzenediol); A2-
cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropeny1-3-methy1-2-cyclohexen-l-y1)-5-pentyl-
1,3-benzenediol); Al -
cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropeny1-3-methyl-l-cyclohexen-l-y1)-5-penty1-1,3-
benzenediol); and A6-
cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropeny1-3-methyl-6-cyclohexen-l-y1)-5-pentyl-1,3-
benzenediol). In a
preferred embodiment, and unless otherwise stated, CBD means A2-cannabidiol.
[0038] Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) means one or more of the following
compounds: A8-
tetrahydrocannabinol (A8-THC), A8-
tetrahydrocannabivarin (A8-THCV), A9-cis-
tetrahydrocannabinol (cis-THC), A9-tetrahydrocannabinol (A9-THC), Al 0-
tetrahydrocannabinol
(Al 0-THC), A9-tetrahydrocannabinol-C4 (THC-C4), A9-tetrahydrocannabinolic
acid-C4 (THCA-
C4), synhexyl (n-hexyl-A3THC). In a preferred embodiment, and unless otherwise
stated, THC
means one or more of the following compounds: A9-tetrahydrocannabinol and A8-
tetrahydrocannabinol.
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[0039] In one embodiment, the hashish product of the present disclosure
contains the one or
more cannabinoid(s) in an amount sufficient for the user to experience a
desired effect when
consuming the product. For example, the hashish product may comprise from
about 5 wt.% to
about 90 wt.% cannabinoid or any value therebetween, or in a range of values
defined by any
values therebetween. For example, the hashish product may comprise up to about
90 wt.%, up
to about 80 wt.%, up to about 70 wt.%, up to about 60 wt.%, or up to about 50
wt.%, or up to
about 40 wt.%, or up to about 30 wt.% or any value therebetween, or in a range
of values defined
by the aforementioned values. In another embodiment, the hashish product may
include up to
1000 mg THC per hashish product unit, depending on specific implementations of
the present
disclosure.
[0040] In some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, the hashish product
of the present
disclosure may include one or more cannabinoid, such as THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, or
any
combinations thereof. For example, the THC can be delta-9-THC and/or delta-8-
THC. The
cannabinoids can be in similar or different amounts, depending on specific
implementations of
the present disclosure.
[0041] A cannabinoid may be in an acid form or a non-acid form, the latter
also being referred
to as the decarboxylated form since the non-acid form can be generated by
decarboxylating the
acid form.
[0042] The hashish product can be characterized in several ways, such as in
terms of
cannabinoid content, terpenes content, water content or physical properties.
For example, the
hashish product can be characterized in terms of stiffness, hardness,
toughness, or a combination
thereof, which reflect its malleability, pliability, and/or crumbliness.
[0043] As used herein the term "stiffness" refers to the amount of resistance
with which a
hashish sample opposes a change in the shape under application of a force and
is therefore
representative of the pliability of the hashish product.
[0044] As used herein the term "hardness" refers to the maximum force required
for a hashish
sample to reach the breaking point and is therefore representative of how
easily the hashish
product may be cut or separated.
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[0045] As used herein the term "toughness" refers to the ability of a hashish
sample to absorb
energy and plastically deform without breaking. Toughness is a measure of the
likelihood that the
hashish product deforms rather than fractures under an applied force.
Additional components
[0046] The hashish product according to the present disclosure may also
comprise one or more
additional components.
[0047] In some embodiments, the one or more additional components may be added
to alter
the characteristics of the hashish product, such as cannabinoid content,
potency, entourage
effect, odor, color, consistency, texture, pliability, and the like.
[0048] In some embodiments, the one or more additional components may be
substantially
homogeneously distributed on at least a portion of a surface of the hashish
product, for example
as a coating. For example, the portion of the surface of the hashish product
may include at least
20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at
least 80%, at least
90%, 01100% of the surface of the hashish product. By "substantially
homogeneously distributed",
it is meant that the amount of the one or more additional component is uniform
on the at least
portion of the surface of the hashish product.
[0049] The one or more additional component may be any suitable food grade
and/or non-toxic
composition or component known in the art. As will be recognized by those of
skill in the art, the
toxicity of each type of additional component may be dependent on the method
of consumption
of the hashish product. For example, in applications where smoke! vapor
produced by the hashish
product is to be inhaled, suitable additional components may include, but are
not limited to one
or more cannabinoid, one or more terpene (also referred to herein as a
"terpene blend"), one or
more flavonoid, water, or any combination thereof.
[0050] The one or more additional component may be a cannabinoid. The
cannabinoid may be
extracted from any suitable source material including, but not limited to,
cannabis or hemp plant
material (e.g., flowers, seeds, and trichomes) or may be manufactured
artificially (for example
cannabinoids produced in yeast, as described in WO W02018/148848).
Cannabinoids can be
extracted from a cannabis or hemp plant material according to any procedure
known in the art.
For example, and without wishing to be limiting, a "crude extract" containing
a cannabinoid may
be obtained by extraction from plant materials using for example aliphatic
hydrocarbons (such as
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propane, butane), alcohols (such as ethanol), petroleum ether, naphtha, olive
oil, carbon dioxide
(including supercritical and subcritical 002), chloroform, or any combinations
thereof. Optionally,
the crude extract may then be "winterized", that is, extracted with an organic
solvent (such as
ethanol) to remove lipids and waxes (to produce a "winterized extract"), as
described for example
in US 7,700,368, US 2004/0049059, and US 2008/0167483, which are each herein
incorporated
by reference in their entirety. Optionally, the method for obtaining the
cannabinoid may further
include purification steps such as a distillation step to further purify,
isolate or crystallize one or
more cannabinoids, which is referred to in the art and herein as a
"distillate"; US20160346339,
which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a process for extracting
cannabinoids from
cannabis plant material using solvent extraction followed by filtration, and
evaporation of the
solvent in a distiller to obtain a distillate. The distillate may be cut with
one or more terpenes. The
crude extract, the winterized extract or the distillate may be further
purified, for example using
chromatographic and other separation methods known in the art, to obtain an
"isolate".
Cannabinoid extracts may also be obtained using solvent-less extraction
methods; for example,
cannabis plant material may be subjected to heat and pressure to extract a
resinous sap ("rosin")
containing cannabinoids; methods for obtaining rosin are well-known in the
art.
[0051] The one or more additional component may thus include one or more
cannabinoid in the
form of a crude cannabis extract, a cannabis distillate, a cannabis isolate, a
winterized cannabis
plant extract, cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter,
or any combination
thereof.
[0052] The one or more additional component may be a terpene. As used herein,
the term
"terpene" generally refers to a class of chemical components comprised of the
fundamental
building block of isoprene, which can be linked to form linear structures or
rings. Terpenes may
include hemiterpenes (single isoprenoid unit), monoterpenes (two units),
sesquiterpenes (three
units), diterpenes (four units), sesterterpenes (five units), triterpenes (six
units), and so on. At
least some terpenes are expected to interact with, and potentiate the activity
of, cannabinoids.
Any suitable terpene may be used in the hashish product of the present
invention. For example,
terpenes originating from cannabis plant may be used, including but not
limited to
aromadendrene, bergamottin, bergamotol, bisabolene, borneol, 4-3-carene,
caryophyllene,
cineole/eucalyptol, p-cymene, dihydroj asmone, elemene, farnesene, fenchol,
geranylacetate,
guaiol, humulene, isopulegol, limonene, linalool, menthone, menthol,
menthofuran, myrcene,
nerylacetate, neomenthylacetate, ocimene, perillylalcohol, phellandrene,
pinene, pulegone,
sabinene, terpinene, terpineol, 4-terpineol, terpinolene, and derivatives
thereof. Additional
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examples of terpenes include nerolidol, phytol, geraniol, alpha-bisabolol,
thymol, genipin,
astragaloside, asiaticoside, camphene, beta-amyrin, thujone, citronellol, 1,8-
cineole, cycloartenol,
hashishene, and derivatives thereof. Further examples of terpenes are
discussed in US Patent
Application Pub. No. US2016/0250270, which is herein incorporated by reference
in its entirety
for all purposes. The hashish product of the present disclosure may contain
one or more
terpene(s). The one or more terpene(s) may originate from the hashish, from an
additional
component, or both. In some embodiments, the hashish product of the present
disclosure may
include the one or more terpene(s) in an amount (the "terpene content")
sufficient for the user to
experience a desired entourage effect when consuming the product. For example,
the hashish
product may comprise from about 0.5 wt.% to about 15 wt.% terpene, for example
up to about 15
wt.%, or up to about 10 wt.%, or up to about 5 wt.%, or up to about 4 wt.%, or
up to about 3 wt.%,
or up to about 2 wt.%, or up to about 1 wt.%. For example, the one or more
terpene(s) may include
hashishene. Without wishing to be bound by theory, hashishene is believed to
be a terpene
produced by rearrangement of myrcene that may be found in hashish after
mechanical
processing, and that may be responsible for the typical desirable "hashish
flavour".
[0053] The one or more additional component may be a flavonoid. The term
"flavonoid" as used
herein refers to a group of phytonutrients comprising a polyphenolic
structure. Flavonoids are
found in diverse types of plants and are responsible for a wide range of
functions, including
imparting pigment to petals, leaves, and fruit. Any suitable flavonoid may be
used in the hashish
product of the present invention. For example, flavonoids originating from a
cannabis plant may
be used, including but not limited to: apigenin, cannflavin A, cannflavin B,
cannflavin C, chrysoeril,
cosmosiin, flavocannabiside, homoorientin, kaempferol, luteolin, myricetin,
orientin, quercetin,
vitexin, and isovitexin.
[0054] The reader will readily understand that in some implementations, the
one or more
additional component may include a combination of any one of the one or more
additional
component described herein.
[0055] In some embodiments, the moisture content in the hashish product of the
present
disclosure, achieved through addition of water to the isolated trichomes, can
be of about 5 wt.%
or more. For example, the moisture content can be of from 10 wt.% to about 50
wt.%, or any value
therebetween, or in a range of values defined by any values therebetween, as
described in PCT
Application PCT/CA2020/051733, which is hereby incorporated by reference in
its entirety.
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Consumer use of hashish products
[0056] As is known in the art, hashish is typically used for recreational or
medicinal uses. For
example, hashish products can be used to achieve a desired effect in a user,
such as a
psychoactive effect, a physiological effect, or a treatment of a condition. By
"psychoactive effect",
it is meant a substantial effect on mood, perception, consciousness,
cognition, or behavior of a
subject resulting from changes in the normal functioning of the nervous
system. By "physiological
effect", it is meant an effect associated with a feeling of physical and/or
emotional satisfaction. By
"treatment of a condition", it is meant the treatment or alleviation of a
disease or condition by
absorption of cannabinoid(s) at sufficient amounts to mediate the therapeutic
effects.
[0057] The terms "treating", "treatment" and the like are used herein to mean
obtaining a desired
pharmacologic and/or physiologic effect. The effect may be prophylactic, in
terms of completely
or partially preventing a disease, condition, or symptoms thereof, and/or may
be therapeutic in
terms of a partial or complete cure for a disease or condition and/or adverse
effect, such as a
symptom, attributable to the disease or disorder. "Treatment" as used herein
covers any treatment
of a disease or condition of a mammal, such as a dog, cat or human, preferably
a human.
[0058] In certain embodiments, the disease or condition is selected from the
group consisting
of pain, anxiety, an inflammatory disorder, a neurological disorder, a
psychiatric disorder, a
malignancy, an immune disorder, a metabolic disorder, a nutritional
deficiency, an infectious
disease, a gastrointestinal disorder, and a cardiovascular disorder.
Preferably the disease or
condition is pain. In other embodiments, the disease or condition is
associated with the feeling of
physical and/or emotional satisfaction.
[0059] In the context of recreational use, the "effective amount" administered
and rate and time-
course of administration, will depend on the desired effect associated with a
feeling of physical
and/or emotional satisfaction in the subject.
[0060] In the context of health and wellness use, the "effective amount"
administered and rate
and time-course of administration will depend on the nature and severity of
the disease or
condition being treated and typically also takes into consideration the
condition of the individual
subject, the method of administration and the like.
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Manufacturing process
[0061] FIG. 1 is a non-limiting flowchart of a process 100 for making a
hashish product in
accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process 100
comprises a first step
110 of providing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes (alone or together
with the one or more
additional components).
[0062] In one non-limiting example, the pre-treated isolated cannabis
trichomes may include
trichomes isolated from a single cannabis strain. In another non-limiting
example, the pre-treated
isolated cannabis trichomes may include trichomes isolated from a plurality of
distinct cannabis
strains, which may have different respective cannabinoid(s) and/or terpene(s)
content. The choice
of one over the other may be driven by practical considerations, such as but
not limited to
inventory management considerations, the desired cannabinoid content of the
hashish product,
the desired user experience, and the like. It is known amongst consumers of
hashish and other
cannabis products that using isolated cannabis trichomes produced from more
than one strain of
cannabis plant may allow a user to tune the psychoactive, medical and/or
entourage effect
obtained by consuming the product. The mixing of cannabis plant strains may
also allow
adjustments to the final concentration of a component of the product, for
example but not limited
to the cannabinoid content. Additionally, use of more than one strain allows
for improved product
and waste management ¨ important in commercial production. The isolated
cannabis trichomes
can be kief.
[0063] The pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes may be obtained in several
ways.
[0064] The producer implementing the process 100 may obtain the pre-treated
isolated
cannabis trichomes from another producer. The step 110 may thus include a sub-
step of obtaining
the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes from another producer (not shown
in figures).
[0065] Alternatively, the producer implementing the process 100 may obtain the
pre-treated
isolated cannabis trichomes via at least one of the following variants of step
110.
[0066] FIG. 2A is a first variant 110' which includes starting from cannabis
plant material to
isolate the pre-treated cannabis trichomes therefrom. In this variant, a first
step 210 includes
providing cannabis plant material comprising cannabis trichomes. The cannabis
plant material
may comprise cannabis flowers / buds, cannabis trim, cannabis leaves, or any
combination
thereof. The producer implementing the first variant step 110' may also
produce the cannabis
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plant material or may obtain the cannabis plant material from another
producer. In a second step
220, the cannabis plant material is processed under conditions sufficient to
obtain a cannabis oil
layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof. In a third step 230,
cannabis trichomes are
isolated therefrom, thus resulting in the pre-treated isolated cannabis
trichomes. As discussed
previously, various processes for isolating cannabis trichomes from cannabis
plant material are
known and as such, will not be further described here.
[0067] FIG. 2B is a second variant 110" which includes starting from isolated
cannabis
trichomes to obtain the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes. In this
variant, a first step 210'
includes providing isolated cannabis trichomes. The producer implementing the
second variant
step 110" may also produce the isolated cannabis trichomes or may obtain the
isolated cannabis
trichomes from another producer. In a second step, the isolated cannabis
trichomes are pre-
treated with the processing step 220 described above.
[0068] In some embodiments, the variant steps 110' and/or 110" may be
performed at a first
location while the remaining steps of process 100 may be performed at a second
location, where
the first and second locations may be within the same licensed producer site
or within different
licensed producer sites. In some embodiments, all steps of process 100 may be
performed at the
same location.
[0069] The processing step 220 can be performed in several ways.
[0070] FIG. 3A is a first variant 220' which includes at least partial solvent
extraction of cannabis
oil from selected materials (e.g., cannabis plant material or isolated
cannabis trichomes) and
evaporating the solvent thereafter. In this variant, a first step 310 includes
contacting the selected
material with one or more suitable solvent under conditions sufficient to
obtain at least partial
extraction of cannabis oil therefrom. For example, the one or more suitable
solvent can include
ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent (e.g., butane, or propane, or a combination
thereof), or a
combination thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more solvent is a single
solvent or a
mixture of a plurality of solvents. For example, a mixture of ethanol with
water (e.g., 95% ethanol),
a mixture of ethanol with butane, and the like. Without being bound by any
theory, it is believed
that contacting the selected material with the suitable solvent under
conditions sufficient to obtain
at least partial extraction of cannabis oil therefrom causes the presence of
the desired oil layer on
at least a portion of the surface thereof. In a second step 350, the solvent
is evaporated from the
selected material, thus leaving the extracted oil at the surface thereof. For
example, the solvent
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and selected material mixture can be placed under low vacuum (e.g., < 150
mmHg) and optionally
with heat (e.g., 40 C) for sufficient time to evaporate the solvent (e.g., 2
hours). Several
processes are known in the art for evaporating solvent from materials such as
cannabis plant
material or isolated cannabis trichomes (e.g., with distillation), and for
conciseness' sake will not
be further described here.
[0071] FIG. 3B is a second variant 220" which includes contacting the material
with a suitable
composition under conditions sufficient to obtain the oil layer on at least a
portion of the surface
thereof. This variant includes step 320 of contacting the selected material
with a cannabis oil
composition to obtain the oil layer on at least a portion of the surface
thereof. For example, the
cannabis oil composition includes a cannabinoid component and optionally
includes a suitable
diluent, where the cannabinoid component includes a cannabinoid.
[0072] In some embodiments, the cannabinoid is in the form of a cannabis
extract such as a
crude cannabis extract, a winterized cannabis extract, a cannabis distillate,
a cannabis isolate,
cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter, or any
combination thereof. The
cannabinoid may be an isolated cannabinoid, such as a cannabis extract, having
>75% purity (as
in the case of a crude extract), or > 80% purity (as in the case of a
distillate), or >95% purity (as
in the case of an isolate). For example, and without wishing to be limiting,
the cannabinoid may
have a purity such as > 75%, or > 80%, or > 90%, or > 95%, or > 98%, or > 98%,
or > 99%, or >
99.5%.
[0073] In select embodiments, the cannabinoid component includes one or more
cannabinoid
distillates and isolates, and in particular, the cannabinoid component
includes CBD distillates
and/or isolates; THC distillates and/or isolates; or a combination of THC and
CBD distillates
and/or isolates. In some embodiments, the cannabinoid component includes THC
distillates
and/or isolates. As discussed previously, the cannabis oil layer may include a
predetermined
cannabinoid content.
[0074] In some embodiments, the cannabinoid component may comprise other
ingredients,
including but not limited to one or more carrier oils, one or more terpenes,
or any combination
thereof. For example, such carrier oil may include but is not limited to,
borage oil, coconut oil,
cottonseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, corn
oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut
oil, almond oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, peppermint oil, poppy seed oil,
canola oil, palm kernel
oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oils, glyceryl esters of
saturated fatty
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acids, glyceryl behenate, glyceryl distearate, glyceryl isostearate, glyceryl
laurate, glyceryl
monooleate, glyceryl, monolinoleate, glyceryl palmitate, glyceryl
palmitostearate, glyceryl
ricinoleate, glyceryl stearate, polyglyceryl 10-oleate, polyglyceryl 3-oleate,
polyglyceryl 4-oleate,
polyglyceryl 10-tetralinoleate, behenic acid, medium-chain triglycerides (e.g.
caprylic/capric
glycerides or MCT), and any combination thereof. Preferably the medium-chain
triglycerides is
MCT. For example, the cannabinoid component may include the carrier oil in an
amount such as
to allow incorporating an amount of cannabinoid into the cannabinoid component
of from about
0.001 mg/g to about 100 mg/g, including any amount therebetween or any ranges
therein. For
example, and without wishing to be limiting, the cannabinoid component may
include the carrier
oil in an amount such as to allow incorporating an amount of cannabinoid into
the cannabinoid
component of from about 0.002 mg/g to about 100 mg/g, from about 0.1 mg/g to
about 75 mg/g,
or from about 0.1 mg/g to about 50 mg/g, including any amount therebetween or
any ranges
therein.
[0075] Alternatively, or additionally, the cannabis oil composition may
include one or more
cannabis terpene(s). The reader will readily understand that in some
embodiments, the
cannabinoid component may include other ingredients in addition to the above
described
additional ingredients.
[0076] Optionally, the cannabis oil composition may include one or more
suitable solvent, such
as ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent (e.g., butane, propane, or a combination
thereof), or a
combination thereof. In some embodiments, the solvent is a single solvent or a
mixture of a
plurality of solvents. For example, a mixture of ethanol with water (e.g., 95%
ethanol), a mixture
of ethanol with butane, and the like. In such embodiments when the cannabis
oil composition
includes one or more suitable solvent, the variant 220" includes the
evaporation step 350
described above to evaporate the one or more solvent and leave the cannabis
oil composition at
the surface thereof.
[0077] The reader will readily understand that in some embodiments, the
processing step 220
may include a combination of the first and second variants 220', 220". For
example, the
processing step 220 may include contacting, simultaneously or serially, the
selected material with
a suitable solvent under conditions sufficient to obtain at least partial
extraction of cannabis oil
therefrom, contacting the selected material with the cannabis oil composition
described above,
and performing the evaporation step 350, if relevant.
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[0078] The pre-treatment of the isolated cannabis trichomes can be monitored
in several ways.
[0079] In some embodiments, the pre-treatment of the isolated cannabis
trichomes may be
performed to obtain a transition of color of the isolated trichomes from an
initial blonde appearance
to a desired dark appearance. The pre-treatment can be deemed sufficient when
the transition of
color is substantially maintained after the evaporation step 350. Indeed, when
the cannabis oil
layer is formed on the surface of the isolated trichomes (e.g., with
extraction or by addition as
described in this text), its natural dark colour becomes visible, which is
"tar black". The present
inventors have observed that if after the evaporation step 350 the isolated
trichomes return to a
lighter appearance, such as the initial blonde appearance, then one can
conclude that the pre-
treatment of the isolated cannabis trichomes was insufficient. Conversely, if
the transition of color
is substantially maintained after the evaporation step 350, then one can
conclude that the pre-
treatment of the isolated cannabis trichomes was sufficient.
[0080] The person of skill will readily understand that assessing and/or
measuring the color
and/or transition thereof can be performed quantitatively using a colorimeter,
a
spectrophotometer, or or qualitatively with the human eye. For example, for
quantitative
assessment / measurement, the color can be measured by reflectance
spectrophotometer ASTM
standard test methodology. Tristimulus L*, a*, b* values are measured from the
viewing surface
of the isolated trichomes. These L*, a*, b* values are reported in terms of
the CIE 1976 color
coordinate standard. Color differences can be calculated according to method
ASTM D2244-99
"Standard Test Method for Calculation of Color Differences from Instrumentally
Measured Color
Coordinates", where for example, L* = 0 represents the darkest black and L* =
100 represents
the lightest white.
[0081] The process 100 may further comprises an optional step 115 of
incorporating water to
the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes prior to the pressing step, as
further described below.
Water may be incorporated in the form of steam, liquid, ice, or a combination.
The water
incorporated may be distilled, reverse osmosis and/or microfiltered water. In
some embodiments,
water may be incorporated to have a total water content of about 20 wt.% or
less. For example,
a total water content of from about 5 wt.% to about 15 wt.% or any value
therebetween, or in a
range of values defined by any values therebetween. For example, a total water
content of about
15 wt.% or less, about 14 wt.% or less, about 13 wt.% or less, about 12 wt.%
or less, about 11
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wt.% or less, about 10 wt.% or less. For example, a total water content of
from about 10 wt.% to
about 15 wt.%, from about 10 wt.% to about 12 wt.%.
[0082] It will be readily appreciated that the total water content of the
isolated cannabis
trichomes may be adjusted to any desired/target value, for example to obtain
the desired physical
properties of the hashish product (e.g., in terms of malleability, pliability,
and/or crumbliness), as
further described below. In other words, the relative amount of water being
incorporated into the
pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes at optional step 115 may be dependent
upon several
factors, as further described below, such as the pressing conditions (i.e.,
pressure and/or
duration, as further described below), the conditions for performing step 220
and/or the desired
physical properties of the hashish product.
[0083] Returning to Fig. 1, the process 100 further comprises a step 120 of
forming a hashish
product with the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes. There are several
methods for forming
the hashish product with the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes.
[0084] In one embodiment, step 120 includes pressing the pre-treated isolated
cannabis
trichomes to form the hashish product. For example, such pressing may be
performed
mechanically with an industrial press. The pre-treated isolated cannabis
trichomes are pressed
under conditions to form a cohesive mass of the pre-treated isolated cannabis
trichomes.
[0085] The conditions to form the cohesive mass of the pre-treated isolated
cannabis trichomes
at the pressing step 120 comprise at least a pressure (i.e., the pressure that
is being exerted onto
the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes to form the cohesive mass) and a
duration (i.e., the
time during which the pressure is being exerted).
[0086] For example, the pressure being applied at the pressing step 120 may be
of about 100
psi or more. For example, a pressure of about 3200 psi or less, in some cases
between about
300 psi and about 1500 psi, in some cases between 500 psi and about 1250 psi,
or any other
range or value within such ranges. In some embodiments, the pressure in the
pressing step 120
may be expressed by a certain load (in US tons, for example) exerted on a
surface area
corresponding to a mould dimension. For example, for a 2" by 4" pressing plate
(or mould) having
a pressing area of 8 square inches, a load of 3.9 US tons corresponds to a
pressure of about 975
psi, a load of 5 US tons corresponds to a pressure of about 1250 psi, a load
of 10 tons corresponds
to a pressure of about 2500 psi. Other mould dimensions and loads are possible
and may be
adopted by the person skilled the art without departing from the scope of the
present disclosure.
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[0087] For example, the pressure being applied at the pressing step 120 may be
applied for a
duration of about 1 minute or more. For example, between about 1 minute and
about 10 minutes,
between about 3 minutes and about 7 minutes, between about 4 minutes and about
6 minutes,
or about 5 minutes, or any range or value within such ranges.
[0088] It will be readily apparent to the person skilled in the art that
various combinations and
permutations of pressure and duration can be used to form the cohesive mass
(e.g., a longer or
shorter duration or pressure, a longer duration with a lower pressure, a
higher pressure with a
shorter duration, etc.) and it is well within the skills of that person to
identify such combinations
and permutations. For example, the pressure can be of about 1200 psi and the
duration can be
of from about 4 to about 6 minutes; the pressure can be of about 1200 psi and
the duration can
be of about 5 minutes; the pressure can be of about 600 psi and the duration
can be of from about
4 to about 6 minutes; the pressure can be of about 600 psi and the duration
can be of about 5
minutes, or any range or value within such ranges.
[0089] It will be also readily apparent to the person skilled in the art that
the conditions of the
pressing step 120 may vary according to specifics of the pre-treated isolated
cannabis trichomes
being pressed at step 120, such as but not limited to the strain of cannabis
from which the pre-
treated cannabis trichomes were isolated, the cannabinoid and/or terpene
content of the pre-
treated isolated cannabis trichomes, the overall volume of the pre-treated
isolated cannabis
trichomes being pressed, the water content of the pre-treated isolated
cannabis trichomes, and
the like. Again, it is well within the skills of that person to identify
suitable combinations and
permutations of pressure and duration.
[0090] In other embodiments, the pressing step 120 is a first pressing step
and the process 100
further comprises a second pressing step (not shown) after the first pressing
step 120, although
a single pressing step is preferred. Much like the first pressing step 120,
the second pressing step
can also be performed under conditions to form a cohesive mass of the pre-
treated isolated
cannabis trichomes which comprise a second pressure and a second duration. The
second
pressing step can optionally further include a pressing temperature.
[0091] For example, the second pressure may be of from about 325 psi to about
1,600 psi; in
some cases, the second pressure may be of from about 550 psi to about 1,350
psi; in some cases,
the second pressure may be of about 800 psi to about 1,300 psi, or any other
range or value
within such ranges.
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[0092] For example, the second duration may be of about 1 minute or less; in
some cases, the
second duration may be of about 30 seconds or less; in some cases, the second
duration may be
of about 20 seconds or less, and in some cases even less.
[0093] For example, the optional pressing temperature of the second pressing
step may be of
from about 50 00 to about 80 00; in some cases, the pressing temperature of
the second pressing
step may be of about 70 C, or any other range or value within such range.
[0094] In some embodiments, the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are
pressed at step
120 in a mould having a prescribed shape and/or dimensions to form the
cohesive mass. The
cohesive mass may thus exhibit a shape and/or dimensions that generally
conforms to that of the
mould. Advantageously, the mould may have a desirable shape and/or dimensions,
such as but
not limited to square-like, ovoid-like, tablet-like, ball-like, and the like.
[0095] In some embodiments, the evaporating procedure is performed to obtain a
hashish
product which is substantially free from organic solvents. For example, the
hashish product may
include less than 1000 ppm, or less than 500 ppm of an organic solvent,
including 0. Such virtual
absence of an organic solvent may be advantageous to meet market demand for
more health-
centric products, in which the presence of cancer-causing organic solvents is
to be avoided.
[0096] Without being bound by any theory, it is believed that the herein
described pre-treatment
causes the presence of a cannabis oil layer on a surface of the cannabis
isolated trichomes that
are used for making the hashish. This cannabis oil layer can be qualitatively
observed as the
resulting pre-treated isolated trichomes have a "dark color" appearance
thereafter. It is believed
that this cannabis oil layer may facilitate the adhesion of the isolated
trichomes one to another
during the subsequent steps, which then results in a cohesive mass of isolated
trichomes having
the desired malleability properties. It is believed that causing the presence
of a proper balance of
cannabis oil amounts relative to plant material / isolated trichomes and/or
sufficient surface area
coverage is key to ultimately obtaining the desired hashish malleability
properties. The present
inventors have herein described monitoring the dark color appearance of the
isolated trichomes
after the pre-treatment as one manner of correlating the extent of pre-
treatment to the desired oil
amounts oozing out from the cannabis trichomes.
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Three-point Bend Test
[0097] FIG. 4 is a non-limiting example of a three-point bend test employed to
determine
physical properties of the hash product. During the test, the force applied to
and the displacement
of the probe are recorded. A force-over displacement graph is typically
generated and usually
begins with a linear section that corresponds to elastic (reversible)
deformation, then most
samples show a curved section that shows plastic (irreversible) deformation.
Different samples
will give different load-distance responses ¨ stronger and stiffer samples
show higher forces,
brittle samples break before any plastic deformation occurs and tough samples
show a large area
under the curve corresponding to a large amount of energy required for
deformation.
[0098] The test procedure is as follows:
a. a 20mm by 20mm sample of hashish product 601 having a height of about 5-6
mm was
placed on two support anvils 602/603 of a Texture analyzer, which anvils were
distanced
by a predetermined length (L),
b. a gradually descending probe 604 attached to a 100kg load cell was landed
on the center
point 605 of the sample 601 while exerting a controlled vertical force F on
the sample 601
until the sample 601 started to bend (elastic deformation) followed by a
plastic deformation
and eventually broke apart. A force-over-displacement graph was generated by
the
Texture analyzer software
[0099] A non-limiting example of a force-over-displacement graph obtained from
the three-point
bend test is shown in FIG. 5, where the applied force F (expressed in grams)
is plotted against
the probe displacement (expressed in mm). The resulting graph includes a
linear elastic
deformation zone and a plastic deformation zone. The slope of the curve in the
linear elastic
deformation zone is equivalent to Stiffness (as shown by "S" in FIG. 6). The
maximum force
beyond which the sample breaks (breaking point) is equivalent to Hardness (as
shown by "H" in
FIG. 6). The area under the curve (expressed as gram*mm) is equivalent to
Toughness (as shown
by "T" in FIG. 6).
[0100] The three-point bend test can be performed with a Texture analyzer,
such as the TA.XT
Plus or TA.XT2 available from Stable MicroSystems (Surrey, United Kingdom),
the TA-XT2i / 5
texture analyzer from Texture Technologies Corp. (Scarsdale, N.Y), or any
other texture analyzing
instrument known to a person of skill in the art.
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EXAMPLES
[0101] The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not
meant to limit the
scope of the compositions and methods described herein.
Example 1
[0102] In this example, a batch of isolated cannabis trichomes was contacted
with a cannabis
oil composition under conditions sufficient to obtain a cannabis oil layer on
a surface thereof.
[0103] A 41.1g batch (BBI-031) of isolated cannabis trichomes (NLxBB cannabis
strain) having
a THC content of 28.9 wt.% was contacted with 22g of the cannabis oil
composition to form a
mixture. The cannabis oil composition contained 11g of 83.3 wt.% THC
distillate and 11g of 95%
food grade ethanol. The mixture was mixed by hand and formed into a 5mm patty
inside a glass
dish. The glass dish was then immediately put under low vacuum (<150mmHg) in a
vacuum
chamber at 40 C for 2 hours.
[0104] The resulting pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes formed a hard and
clumpy mass
of dark color. A blender was used to break the hard and clumpy mass apart into
small material
particles, although this step can be performed by hand.
[0105] Distilled water was then added to the mass particles to have a total
moisture of 10 wt.%.
The moistened mass particles were then placed in a 3 x 5 inches mould and
pressed under
conditions sufficient to obtain a hashish product having a cohesive mass of
isolated trichomes.
The pressing conditions were 9200 lbs at 25 C for 5 minutes. The resulting
hashish product was
malleable and had a THC content of 34.8 wt.%.
Example 2
[0106] In this example, a batch of isolated cannabis trichomes was contacted
with a suitable
solvent under conditions sufficient to obtain a cannabis oil layer on a
surface thereof.
[0107] A 25g batch (BBI-031) of isolated cannabis trichomes (NLxBB cannabis
strain) was
contacted with 25g of 95% food grade ethanol to form a mixture. The mixture
was mixed by hand
and formed into a 5mm patty inside a glass dish. The glass dish was then
incubated at room
temperature for 5 minutes to allow at least partial extraction of the cannabis
oil from the cannabis
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trichomes and then put under low vacuum (<150mmHg) in a vacuum chamber at 40
C for 2
hours.
[0108] The resulting pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes formed a hard and
clumpy mass
of dark color. A blender was used to break the hard and clumpy mass apart into
small material
particles, although this step can be performed by hand.
[0109] Distilled water was then added to the mass particles to have a total
moisture of 10 wt.%.
The moistened mass particles were then placed in a 3 x 5 inches mould and
pressed under
conditions sufficient to obtain a hashish product having a cohesive mass of
isolated trichomes.
The pressing conditions were 9200 lbs at 25 C for 5 minutes. The resulting
hashish product was
malleable.
[0110] Other examples of implementations will become apparent to the reader in
view of the
teachings of the present description and as such, will not be further
described here.
[0111] Note that titles or subtitles may be used throughout the present
disclosure for
convenience of a reader, but in no way these should limit the scope of the
invention. Moreover,
certain theories may be proposed and disclosed herein; however, in no way
they, whether they
are right or wrong, should limit the scope of the invention so long as the
invention is practiced
according to the present disclosure without regard for any particular theory
or scheme of action.
[0112] All references cited throughout the specification are hereby
incorporated by reference in
their entirety for all purposes.
[0113] Reference throughout the specification to "some embodiments", and so
forth, means that
a particular element (e.g., feature, structure, and/or characteristic)
described in connection with
the invention is included in at least one embodiment described herein, and may
or may not be
present in other embodiments. In addition, it is to be understood that the
described inventive
features may be combined in any suitable manner in the various embodiments.
[0114] It will be understood by those of skill in the art that throughout the
present specification,
the term "a" used before a term encompasses embodiments containing one or more
to what the
term refers. It will also be understood by those of skill in the art that
throughout the present
specification, the term "comprising", which is synonymous with "including,"
"containing," or
"characterized by," is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude
additional, un-recited
elements or method steps.
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[0115] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used
herein have the same
meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which
this invention
pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions
will control.
[0116] As used in the present disclosure, the terms "around", "about" or
"approximately" shall
generally mean within the error margin generally accepted in the art, such as
for example +1- 20%,
+1- 15%, +1- 10%, or +1- 5%. Hence, numerical quantities given herein
generally include such error
margin such that the terms "around", "about" or "approximately" can be
inferred if not expressly
stated.
[0117] As used throughout the present disclosure, the terms "concentration"
and "content" are
used interchangeably and refer to the weight or mass fraction of a
constituent, i.e., the weight or
mass of a constituent divided by the total mass of all constituents, and is
expressed in wt.%,
unless stated otherwise.
[0118] Although various embodiments of the disclosure have been described and
illustrated, it
will be apparent to those skilled in the art considering the present
description that numerous
modifications and variations can be made. The scope of the invention is
defined more particularly
in the appended claims.
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