Entrance to the Lift 7 Co. Expo.
An Old Saying Turned New
The old saying is a rising tide lifts all ships. It means that when something beneficial gains widespread use, everyone’s life improves. Take the internet. Almost everyone has some sort of access and it truly lifts and enriches us all. The same is true for marijuana legalization, advocates claim.
Research has shown that cannabis use is far less dangerous for one’s health than drinking alcohol. Alcohol is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the US each year. Marijuana hasn’t caused one. Another difference, alcohol is highly addictive. Marijuana addiction however, effects a small number, only 9% of all users. That means most aren’t drug addicts. Rather, they’re productive citizens who prefer cannabis’s calming effects. Despite all this, alcohol is legal. Marijuana is not.
The US Drug War has broken up communities, ruined careers, imprisoned people, denied potential students financial aid, and for some, has even blocked them from housing or employment. As the result of the damage it’s caused, today, many American cities and states are expunging prior marijuana convictions. This is lifting folks out of potential trouble. Now, Canada has gone one step further and the echoes of its move are reverberating everywhere.
Canada’s Big Move
On June 20, the Canadian Parliament approved recreational marijuana country-wide for adults ages 21 and older. The measure passed by a 52-29 vote. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed a nationwide, legalized market by October 17. “We will soon have a new system in place,” Trudeau said, “one that keeps cannabis out of the hands of our kids and keeps profits away from organized crime.”
With this, Canada becomes the second country worldwide to legalize marijuana, after Uruguay. It’s also the first G7 nation to do so. Experts say, the move may encourage more countries to legalize. What’s next for the Canadian market? We caught a glimpse recently at the third annual Lift & Co. Cannabis Business Conference. It was held this year at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, on May 25-27. This is Canada’s top cannabis-related conference.
The sold-out event included many industry leaders. The expo had keynote speakers who talked about inventory, regulation, marketing, and more. There were networking events, panel discussions, and over 200 exhibitors from all over North America and Europe. One exhibitor was AiVacuum, the industry leader in botanical refinement equipment.
AiVacuum
AiVacuum offers an entire catalog of laboratory grade equipment perfectly suited to meeting the needs of the cannabis industry. Extracts are projected to dominate the industry. These are used in vape pens and edibles. Our product line can create the highest-grade extracts and concentrates with little waste, mess, or clean up. One of the most popular pieces is our 20-liter jacketed glass reactor. How does it work?
First, plant material and ethanol are placed within the inner chamber. The alcohol pushes the desired cannabinoid out of the plant. This is usually THC—the psychoactive ingredient. CBD is another popular choice. It’s considered to have a wide variety of healthful properties and there’s anecdotal evidence that it can soothe the symptoms of certain conditions. In the outer chamber, chilled ethylene glycol, also known as antifreeze, is placed. This cools the inner chamber, which is kept under vacuum.
The plant material and ethanol are mixed under cold temperature and pressure, which extracts THC and CBD, collected as a pure, rich oil at the bottom of the inner chamber. Some alcohol is bound to evaporate during the process. One sustainable feature is that evaporated alcohol is reconstituted and added back in. This saves the environment and reduces overhead, too.
Want to make cannabis oil without a solvent? We have an entire line of rosin presses which can do the job, chemical free. One of the most popular is the Ai 3X2″ pneumatic heat press. To use it, place wax paper on the machine. Add another layer and then place cannabis flowers on top. Using high heat and pressure, the machine presses cannabis oil right out of the plant matter. Not only can manufacturers advertise a greener process, it’ll save them money on solvents. Simply hook up an air compressor and you’re on your way.
AiVacuum doesn’t only provide equipment for extraction, but storage as well. Check out our line of ultra-low freezers. The Ai 27 cu ft. -86°C freezer is our most popular unit. One problem growers and processors have is a high electric bill. Each of our models have a single compressor, which means low power consumption. The 18 and 27 cu ft. models come with a 7″ LCD touchscreen to control all functions. All models have a 72-hour backup battery in case of power failure, and a stainless-steel interior for easy cleanup.
