CANNAHealthcare Magazine Volume 5, 2nd Quarter, 2018 | Page 46

Take the coffee bean for example, both in its initial and roasted form it is full of potent antioxidants like chlorogenic acid and bioactive compounds like caffeine. Unfortunately, the proposition of consuming coffee beans directly is rather unappealing. Every morning when a pot of coffee is made, that coffee is being processed with two goals in mind. First, is to convert the coffee beans into a form that is attractive for consumption. Second, is to extract the target compounds from the coffee beans in a ratio identical to the ratio that exists in the beans, a “nature-identical” extraction. While most coffee brewers likely don’t think in these terms, imagine the disappointment of a fresh cup of coffee that somehow didn’t have any of the aroma compounds that make coffee smell so enticing, or unintentionally brewing a pot of coffee that didn’t extract any of the caffeine from the beans. While a simple example, it illustrates just how important the concept of a nature-identical process can be.

Cannabis processing is quite unique due largely to the biochemical complexity of the cannabis plant. If the processor only truly cared about a single molecule from cannabis like THC, a straightforward process could be developed to extract, purify, and isolate THC. Ethan Russo, one of the cannabis industry’s greatest thought leaders, posed the question “Is cannabis merely a crude vehicle for delivery of THC? Might it rather display herbal synergy encompassing potentiation of activity by active or inactive components, antagonism, summation, pharmacokinetic and metabolic interactions [1]?” In the last 7 years since that question was posed, signs continue to point toward an entourage effect of numerous bioactive compounds from cannabis working harmoniously to result in varied positive efficacies in humans.

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By Christian Sweeney,

Director of Science and Technology, Cannabistry Labs

In The LAB

Christian Sweeney, Director of Science & Technology

Christian Sweeney is the director of science and technology at Cannabistry Labs and is responsible for developing top-of-the-line extraction methods and processes as well as analytical tools used for cannabis extracts. He has nearly ten years of experience in optimizing solvent-free extraction methods, analytical food research, product development and quality assurance. Prior to joining Cannabistry Labs, Sweeney served as a scientist at Synergy Flavors, Inc., the leading supplier of flavors, essences and extracts

for the global food and beverage industry. Sweeney is a certified

food scientist, trained food research chemist and earned his

master’s degree in food science and technology from The Ohio

State University, and his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.

Nature Identical