In this chapter of The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Extraction, you’ll learn what to look for when sourcing cannabis and hemp biomass to turn into various cannabinoid derivatives. You’ll also learn a little about the cannabis and hemp biomass markets, and what you can expect to pay for the raw plant material that you’ll transform into high value end-products.
Most cannabis connoisseurs focus their passion on the flowers produced by mature female cannabis and hemp plants. That’s because these plants produce the majority of their cannabinoids, like THC and CBD, in the central flower cluster that forms along the upper portion of the main stems and large branches in a mature, female cannabis plant.
Cannabinoids are produced by the trichomes that coat hemp or cannabis flowers. So if cannabinoids are your goal, the easiest place to find them is on the flower. But it’s not the only place.
Trichomes often coat the tiny protective leaves that are cut—or trimmed—away during the early stages of processing. Smaller trichomes can be found on stems, fan leaves, and more. They’re just smaller and not as pleasant to smoke. But that doesn’t mean they’re not valuable. Which brings us to biomass.
Simple question, right? Well, terminology in the cannabis industry is not at all regulated. In fact, there are actually three different products that people mean when they refer to “biomass”:
Biomass, in the first two instances above, contains desirable compounds such as cannabinoids and terpenes. These compounds can be extracted, though you need to process more plant material to produce a comparable amount of cannabinoids to extracts made with only flower. Many processors’ only goal is to extract CBD and/or THC, and biomass is perfect for these purposes.
The difference between the first two types of biomass comes down to the concentration of cannabinoids.
As the market gets more competitive, processors have looked to more cost-effective ways of producing bulk THC and CBD products—rather than the use of high-priced ‘buds’. This has most predominantly taken the form of purchasing and extracting the biomass that results from large-scale agriculture or is the byproduct of the smoke-able cannabis ‘flower’ industry.
Therefore, for most cannabis (and hemp) processors, when we discuss ‘good’ cannabis, we are really talking about ‘good’ biomass.
Many of the factors you’d consider when purchasing cannabis or hemp flower are the same you should consider when sourcing cannabis or hemp biomass. Your aim is to extract the highest quality cannabinoid derivatives that are possible from whatever you buy. But extraction isn’t magic. If you start with low-quality biomass, you’ll end up with low-quality product: it’s the old “crap in, crap out” or CICO formula.
The exact make-up of the biomass you end up buying will depend on how it was grown and harvested, and what the grower considers to be biomass (see the three definitions of “biomass” above). Be sure to carefully examine the plant material before you buy it to figure out what’s in it: caveat emptor or “buyer beware” is critical in the cannabis industry.
You should also ask about how it was grown to make sure the growing practices are in line with your business (e.g. don’t buy biomass that was grown with synthetic fertilizers if you’re selling organic-like extracts). Information on harvest practices can clue you in to potential contaminants as well as what components form any specific lot of biomass.
Generally, biomass contains:
It sometimes also contains:
Almost every part of biomass has the potential to contain cannabinoids. Taking a close look at each of the constituents in a lot of biomass will tell you a lot about its value. Regardless of what constituents compose your biomass, the very first thing you should look for is trichomes.
Almost every part of biomass has the potential to contain cannabinoids. Taking a close look at each of the constituents in a lot of biomass will tell you a lot about its value. Regardless of what constituents compose your biomass, the very first thing you should look for is trichomes.
Just like in cannabis and hemp flower, the magic of biomass is in the trichomes.
Trichomes are the tiny, hair-like outgrowths that cover cannabis and hemp flower. They’re what makes the flower look like it was dusted in sugar or sand. Trichomes produce the valuable cannabinoids and terpenes, like THC and CBD, that drive the cannabis and hemp markets.
Cannabis and hemp produce several types of trichomes. The most sought-after type, and the only one you can see with your naked eye, is the capitate-stalked trichome.
If you look at them with a magnifying glass they look like little mushrooms with a stalk and head. That head, the gland head, is where the majority of cannabinoids and trichomes are produced in cannabis.
There are, however, other types of trichomes produced by the cannabis plant. Bulbous trichomes and capitate-sessile trichomes are both invisible to the naked eye, but also produce cannabinoids. These trichomes are frequently found on less-desirable parts of the plant like fan leaves and stalks.
While the highest concentration of trichomes are found on the flower itself, they are also found in many other parts of the plant. Each plant has differing densities of trichomes on the flower, sugar leaves, fan leaves, and stalks. The more trichomes there are on the constituents of your cannabis or hemp biomass, the better.
Quality Trichomes: What to look for
Trichomes are incredibly fragile structures. The most valuable part of capitate-stalked trichomes is the cannabinoid- and terpene-rich gland head. The structure of these trichomes means that the head falls off easily during handling. So bring along a magnifying glass to make sure most of the heads are still there.
Remember, the trichome heads contain what you want to extract. So, unlike royalty in the French Revolution, look for intact heads. No trichome heads means no cannabinoids. No cannabinoids means low-quality derivatives.
Your nose can tell you a lot about the quality of the biomass you’re looking at. Especially if you’re interested in extracting the aromatic terpenes that give cannabis and hemp its distinctive scent, and are associated with the differing effects that the plants can have.
The highest quality and most prized forms of cannabis are actually most prized for their terpene content. There are many strains of cannabis that produce high levels of cannabinoids like THC and CBD, but terpene content is what causes the smell and taste of the bud that appeals to the consumer.
Researchers are also beginning to study how terpenes could contribute to the psychological effects, or high, that is recognizable from smoking high-grade cannabis flower. The terpene profile is what growers and connoisseurs fall in love with, and will inspire them to go back and grow that specific plant again and again.
However, these terpene compounds are very fragile. The reason you smell them so prominently is because their vapors are ‘boiling’ off the plant at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Due to this effect, old cannabis, or improperly dried and cured cannabis, will be devoid of a lot of terpenes and lose its complexity of smell and taste.
However, these terpene compounds are very fragile. The reason you smell them so prominently is because their vapors are ‘boiling’ off the plant at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Due to this effect, old cannabis, or improperly dried and cured cannabis, will be devoid of a lot of terpenes and lose its complexity of smell and taste.
Just like cannabinoids, terpenes are produced by trichomes. ‘Good’ and ‘dank’ smelling samples of cannabis (or hemp) biomass tell you two things:
The biomass should smell dank, citrusy, floral, fruity, gassy, and/or chocolatey. If your biomass smells like grass, hay, pickles, or anything repugnant, consider what you’re interested in producing. These are signs of old and low quality cannabis which may not be suitable for cannabinoid extraction. However, even old stale cannabis or hemp may be useful for the production of cannabinol (CBN) so don’t be too quick to throw it out with the compost.
Like any high-quality leafy plant, the color of your biomass should be a deep and vibrant green. Although some cannabis plants have lighter and darker greens, oranges, and purples, what you don’t want to see are yellows, browns, and whites. These colors indicate old, mishandled, burnt (chemical or solar), and/or improperly dried or cured cannabis.
The orange color you see in good cannabis are the stigmas, the hairs that come out of each individual cannabis flower to catch pollen. However, the buds and leaves should not be orange. Orange coloring on the leaves is the same as browning and usually indicates old, burnt, or very improperly dried material.
The popular major cannabinoids THC and CBD, while not as sensitive as terpenes, are still relatively delicate compounds. When biomass is brown or yellow and has been dried or stored improperly, it’s more likely that the THC and CBD has begun to degrade into other compounds such as CBN (although you may still use old biomass quite effectively for extracting CBN).
While you can use the previous four points to quickly assess the likely potency of the biomass, this final point is just as important, and allows you to assess the biomass for common contaminants such as mold and pests.
This is a vital step in assessing the quality of your biomass because pests and mold can lead to unusable product, or worse still, a product that makes people sick.
Luckily, it’s quite easy to notice the most common types of pest and mold. If you notice any of these, your biomass is probably sliding quickly from the ‘good’ range to the ‘terrible’ end of the spectrum.
Finally, you should always take a sample of any biomass you’re considering purchasing to an analytical lab for analysis. It is incredibly important to take a representative sample from any biomass you’re considering extracting, meaning several samples randomly pulled from throughout the entire lot. Send these samples to a third-party-certified lab to be evaluated for:
Learn to read a Certificate of Analysis, commonly referred to as a CoA, before you send off your first sample. This document details all of the test results from your sample. If you have questions, ask your lab to explain. Being able to fully interpret the results means smarter buying decisions.
All of these factors need to be carefully weighed against your extraction costs. If you buy biomass that has too low of a cannabinoid content, for example, you could spend more on extracting all of that material than just buying biomass with a higher cannabinoid content. Ultimately, you need to make sure you know how much your processing costs are before deciding on any particular biomass.
Obviously, before you purchase hemp biomass, you should know what you want to make with it. And the answer to that question will arise from careful market research so that you can confidently decide on your target product. This decision will in turn help you narrow down your choices when looking for high-quality hemp biomass.
If, for example, you’re going to churn out cannabinoid isolates such as CBD isolate, you can use mid-to-lower quality biomass. Though it’s worth doing a cost-benefit analysis due to the increased amount of labor it is to process large amounts of lower-cannabinoid biomass. In short, do your homework to maximize your chances of success.
The amount of CBD you can extract from a pound of hemp biomass varies based on the percentage of CBD in the original starting material. This is why it’s so important to test your plant material before purchasing.
It’s also important to note that different extraction methods will range in efficiencies. A range of 50-85% of total cannabinoids accounted for in end product is an ideal range of efficiencies across different methods.
For example, if you take one pound (~453.6g) of hemp biomass that contains 15% CBD and extract it perfectly, you will end up with ~68 grams (~2 oz) of purified, isolated CBD (minus any losses from the extraction process). Your exact final output depends on what you put in and how well you extract it.
Some approximate estimations for different percentages:
There is an upside to the currently supersaturated hemp market: extraordinarily low hemp biomass prices.
From April 2019 to August 2020, the aggregate price per pound of hemp CBD biomass dropped from $38 to $8.10 per pound. While the crashing price of hemp biomass could put some hemp growers out of business, there is some indication that hemp biomass prices have stabilized.
Lest you fear the low prices will force you to lower the price of your derivatives, the price of isolate, distillate, and crude have remained relatively stable. That stability could be due to the huge increase in hemp and cannabis product sales associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and/or new states legalizing medical and/or adult use.
Cannabis biomass is essentially the same as hemp biomass—they are the same plant after all. The only difference is that cannabis biomass contains ＞0.3% THC by weight. That said, cannabis biomass is still federally illegal, and each state regulates cannabis in a unique way. Make sure to familiarize yourself with your state’s cannabis laws before growing, buying, or selling cannabis biomass.
Cannabis biomass can be used to make a wide variety of products. Generally, cannabis biomass is used as material for extraction. This means that cannabis biomass can be used as the starting material for anything that is made using cannabis extracts. Some of the products you can make from cannabis biomass are:
The amount of THC that can be extracted from a pound of cannabis or cannabis biomass varies widely based on the quality of the starting material and extraction method. You can estimate how much THC is in your starting material using a little simple math:
It’s also important to note that extraction methods will range in efficiencies. A range of 50-85% of total cannabinoids accounted for in end product is an ideal range of efficiencies across various different extraction methods.
A pound is roughly 454 grams. By multiplying the percentage of THC by the gram amount of a pound of cannabis, you’ll end up with a good approximation of how many grams of THC there would be in a perfect extraction. For example:
Cannabis biomass prices vary widely based on location and quality. You can only buy cannabis biomass in states where cannabis is legal, and you should expect to pay much more for cannabis biomass than hemp biomass. In general, the higher the level of THC in the cannabis biomass, the higher the price.
Cannabis biomass is most often in the form of trim—the trimmed off parts of the cannabis flower. This is because, somewhat unlike hemp, the cured and trimmed buds of the cannabis plant themselves fetch a much higher price alone. So most cannabis extractors are in the market of extracting trim and not flower.
Because each adult-use state has a specialized regulatory environment, there is no standard for cannabis biomass prices. In Oregon in February 2020, trim prices averaged $150-200/lb, but averaged $500/lb for high-quality tested trim. As of October 2020 in Colorado, cannabis trim averaged $350/lb.
Cannabis trim prices fluctuate widely depending on your state and its local market. Legislation and quality impact price, so you’ll need to do some research in your area to figure out what a good price is for you.
Choosing the right starting material is critical. When the CBD zeitgeist arrived tens of thousands of enterprising people were eager to get in on the next big thing. After the Farm Bill of 2018 legalized hemp, there was a massive boom of interest. And a consequent bust in hemp prices across the globe. Timing is everything and so is the challenge of finding the right biomass.
Hemp growers have a few options when figuring out how to sell their hemp biomass. A lot depends on what the chemical constituents of their product is. They can charge more for biomass that has higher levels of CBD or up-and-coming minor cannabinoids like CBG (cannabigerol).
In order to determine what they’re selling, growers will have to get their biomass tested. Asking to view their test results is an excellent first step for a buyer, but you should also insist on getting the biomass tested at your lab (and at your expense).
Here are some ways that hemp growers sell their biomass:
There are other methods that growers use to sell their biomass—hemp trade shows, online marketplaces, and social media sites like LinkedIn and Instagram have all been used as platforms to attract buyers. As the market becomes more and more saturated, people are getting creative with their sales efforts. So it’s worth taking a look around and seeing if there’s anything that catches your eye.
According to Hemp Benchmark‘s January 2020 report, hemp biomass generally sells for ~$1.31/lb per percentage point of CBD. That said, the price can vary greatly depending on what the chemical make-up is worth. It can be as low as $7/lb or as high as $41/pound, depending on the quality. Generally, the higher the CBD percentage, the higher the cost.
The total amount of hemp biomass and acre of hemp can produce is highly variable. One of the biggest factors is whether or not the hemp is allowed to go to seed. Seeds greatly increase the total weight in hemp biomass but are undesirable for extracting as they contain no valuable cannabinoids or terpenes.
For low-seed hemp, an acre of land can produce between 1400 and 3500 pounds of hemp, depending on the variety of hemp planted, growing practices, and climate. Those number double for hemp biomass allowed to go to seed. You don’t want to pay premium prices for product that won’t help your bottom line, so carefully check hemp biomass for seeds before purchasing.
The billion-dollar question. Since 2018, the number of hemp growers in the US alone has increased by 476% to 21,496 licensed growers. That sort of growth, and the inexperience of many of these new hemp growers, means a tight bottom line.
Hemp farming, like any business, is only profitable for people who know how to run a business. Growers need to carefully evaluate start-up costs, maintenance, and infrastructure development before they begin planting, and make sure that their overall costs don’t exceed what they are likely to make by selling hemp.
If you have skilled extractors and best-in-breed extraction equipment and technologies, extracting cannabinoids isn’t magic. In order to produce a high-quality output, you need to start with high-quality input. You may have heard the old adage “crap in, crap out”, this is always true for any form of cannabis or hemp extraction. If you start with high quality biomass you increase your chances of a high quality end product that will be in demand in the marketplace.
So before you buy cannabis or hemp biomass, be sure to check its quality, and insist on third-party lab testing from a homogenized sample. If everything looks good, you’re ready to move on to the extraction process.
Address
Delta Separations
525 Portal St.
Cotati,
CA
94931
(707) 222-6066
sales@deltasepaprod.wpengine.com