Business
Cannabis offers cues when it’s time to harvest – along with historical data and testing
Nic Robertson, vice president of operations in Massachusetts for 4Front Ventures, said commercial growers have moved away from eyeballing the color of trichomes and squeezing buds to gauge moisture content in favor of scientific methods to evaluate when cannabis flower has reached an optimal point for harvest.
“Over the last seven or eight years, I have been proven wrong by my aesthetic view of how mature I think that plant is at that time,” Robertson said.
“Getting those test results and showing higher levels of CBGA – the precursor to a number of other cannabinoids – than I would have expected indicates that that plant could have gone another few days or another week before it truly reaches its maximum potential.”
Today’s cannabis cultivators have more scientific approaches to decide when their crops are ready to harvest, such as rigorous data collection, frequent testing and tools such as microscopes and moisture meters.
History as a guide
“Once we first grow something, we figure out how long it takes to finish. Is it eight weeks, nine weeks, 10 weeks?” said Kevin Sparks, lead cultivator for Insa’s operations in Pennsylvania.
Knowing the window when a strain historically finishes helps cultivators plan their harvests months in advance – or even at the start of the growing year, Sparks explained.
Robertson agrees that keeping a detailed history is important, adding, “We are always learning from the crop.”
If a strain from the previous crop finished on day 58, then the strain from the ensuing crop likely will finish on or very close to day 58, assuming “everything goes to plan for the next crop,” Robertson said, “and there were no stressors that would cause the plant to finish early or cause the plant to delay and finish late.”
That’s a big “if,” however.
“Oftentimes those crops are not exactly duplicated. Certain things are out of our control,” Robertson said.
In commercial settings – especially large or medium-sized grows where production schedules require crops to be flipped five or six times per year – cultivators often must decide between the perfect and the good.
“Every harvest that we do is based on the harvest that is right before and the harvest that we’ve scheduled right afterward. So, we only have a small window of time that we can say, ‘OK, we’re going to pull these plants a little early, or we’re going to give them a few extra days without that domino effect being introduced into the rest of the schedule,” Robertson said.
“Some connoisseurs might raise their nose to this, but over time, I have noticed there’s not a massive difference in a two-day window.
“If it works better for our labor scheduling to harvest on a Friday rather than having to call 25 people in on a Saturday, I’m harvesting the room on Friday.”
Sampling and science
For some cultivators, another important method to help decide when plants are ready to be harvested is sampling – or pinching off a small piece of flower and testing its cannabinoid profile and potency at that point in time.
Marco Malatrasi, chief cultivator at Florida-based Fluent Cannabis, uses samples to help determine the “ripening curve” for his crops and evaluate how plants in a certain crop are progressing toward harvest.
“For the ripening curve, you need quantitative measure. From your batch, you pull down one plant in week seven, eight, nine and 10, if you have it … taking samples all through the ripening process as you get closer and closer to that harvest date,” Malatrasi said.
He added that you don’t need to sample whole plants but, rather, small buds from different parts of the grow room (back, front, center, edges) and different parts of the plant (top, middle, bottom).
“I’m testing for what’s going to end up in the jar,” Malatrasi said.
He does the sampling twice a week because “big changes” to the cannabinoid profile and potency can occur in only three days – and changes are more likely as you get closer to the end of the cycle.
By testing those different samples, you can see “how they are doing chemically” Malatrasi said.
“Everything that we’re looking for is in the ripening curve and finding that sweet spot of when to harvest. … If you still have a lot of CBG, a precursor to THC, you’re probably still early. If you have more-than-usual CBN, you’re running late,” Malatrasi said.
His preferred measuring instrument is high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), but that can be expensive. Less expensive tools exist, such as Purpl Pro, a handheld potency tester, and a tabletop potency-testing apparatus from Orange Photonics.
Using these instruments, growers can study marijuana flower’s cannabinoid profile.
“Principally, you’re looking for CBN and CBG, because one’s a precursor and one’s after the fact. That’s cueing my potential. For example, if I do a reading at week seven and I have a certain THCA percentage, that’s great, but how do I know it’s going to increase? Well, that’s where I’m looking at the CBG percentage,” Malatrasi explained.
It’s also important to look at trichome density. For that, Malatrasi likes to use a microscope and a so-called Secchi disc.
“You can use them in the field. They’re good, thorough and quick, which is important when you’re harvesting a few thousand plants per week,” Malatrasi said.
When inspecting trichomes, cultivators favor those with big, bulbous heads and – in terms of extraction purposes – those that have long stems that make them easier to knock off.
It’s also important that there be a high density of trichomes on the flower and that their color be what growers typically describe as “milky.” Too clear, and they are underripe; too milky or amber in color, and they are getting overripe.
For research and development purposes, Malatrasi often will “sacrifice” one or two plants by letting them become overripe because it tells him when “the plant starts to fall off.”
But taking samples to test before harvest might be complicated in some states because of their seed-to-sale tracking systems and compliance requirements.
“We have to track each individual plant separately, so it becomes really hard to, say, take one little chunk off the plant and then weigh that and then track the rest of it separately,” Robertson said.
“It creates this compliance risk, and it’s just a nightmare of data for us to maintain that. So, we harvest the plants full, and we dry those plants in a full-plant hang that are still individually tracked by RFID (radio frequency identification) plant tags.”
Jushi’s evaluation processes at all of its cultivation sites include “harvest walks” throughout the harvest room, bringing together leaders from the site’s cultivation and processing departments “and even maybe a manufacturing individual,” said Ryan Cook, executive vice president of operations at Jushi.
“These reports guide us … so Josh (Malman, Jushi’s head cultivator) and I can have conversations weeks in advance of any harvest and generally know where things are headed,” Cook said.
“We have our own analytical labs and our own microbial labs inside the facilities, so we have the ability to test far in advance. That allows them to gauge the potencies weeks before we’re prepared to harvest.
“We’ve got full-on harvest prediction planners, where we can see from the clones that I took this week when that plant is going to be harvested. And ideally, we’re working in a way that we say, ‘Hey, in 16 weeks, I need half of that product going to flower and half that product only to extraction,’” Cook said.
“We are able to make some adjustments at the end of cycle near harvest based on measurement, but we try to make those determinations earlier.”
Wrapping up
While scientific measurements are a much larger part of cannabis harvesting than they used to be, the old-school tricks that once informed growers aren’t necessarily obsolete.
Whether you’re using an HPLC machine, a microscope or jeweler’s loupe to examine your plants, you are still looking for the same visual cues.
“When you know it’s done, it’s usually by trichrome production,” said Frank Golfieri, chief cultivator for Insa’s Massachusetts operations.
Flower to be used for fresh-frozen extraction is best harvested slightly on the early side, when the trichomes are clear to a little milky. Earlier means that there are more terpenes because fewer terpenes have been lost to heat.
If you harvest for flower, wait a few days longer, when the trichomes are milkier, Golfieri recommends.
All of Jushi’s cultivation facilities are equipped with digital microscopes that can take high-resolution photos of trichome size, shape, color and density.
“The age of the plant and what the trichomes look like is absolutely something we’re going to look at before we harvest,” said Malman, Jushi’s head cultivator.
“We’re looking at pistil retraction near the end of the cycle. You normally see these big, white fuzzy pistils. … As those start to get older and more mature, they will start to retract down into the calyx.
“Sometimes they change color … orange or brown. Sometimes they don’t, they just fully retract. Those are visual cues that we look for.
Jushi also watches “the color of the flower as we’re dropping that temperature near the end of the cycle. Both in a daytime and nighttime period, you start to see more purples, more anthocyanins coming out in the plant. So that’s generally a cue for us,” Malman said.
Golfieri agreed: “If (the hairs) are all white, it’s still too early to cut down. You want them to be orange. And the flower should have a velvety, sticky feel. If the hairs are red and some new white ones are sprouting up, that means you’re feeding it too much nitrogen,” he said.
Off-gassing aroma also is a sign that plants are ready to be harvested.
As the end of cycle approaches, cultivators should lower flower-room temperatures “to preserve as much of that off-gassing as possible,” Malatrasi said.
“If you already have off-gassing, then it’s probably time to get the plants harvested. I want off-gassing to occur in the dry room.”
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/cues-historical-data-and-testing-help-time-cannabis-harvest/
Business
A Tipping Point for Cannabis: President Trump Champions CBD & Cannabis Science on Truth Social
When the President of the United States shares a video about the life changing potential of hemp derived CBD on his personal social media platform, it is more than news, it is a cultural shift.
For decades our government lied to us about cannabis. It demonized the plant, waged war on its users, and filled prisons while allowing pharmaceutical companies to flood the nation with addictive and deadly drugs. For over a century we have been fighting uphill, not just for legalization, but for truth, for science, and for the right to heal ourselves naturally.
Now in 2025, the most powerful political figure on Earth is using his own voice and platform to talk about the endocannabinoid system and the science backed benefits of CBD. That is monumental. It is validation for everyone who has fought, been arrested, been silenced, and been dismissed for telling this truth. The President’s video post is already being described as a pivotal moment in cannabis history, and President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social is trending across platforms as advocates celebrate the breakthrough.
The Science Behind the Endocannabinoid System
The video begins by introducing something most people, including many doctors, still know little about, the endocannabinoid system. Discovered in the 1990s, the ECS is a network of receptors and signaling molecules that works as the body’s master regulator, coordinating communication between major systems like the nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems.
The roots of this discovery go back much further. CBD was first isolated in 1940 by American chemist Roger Adams, but it was Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli organic chemist, who fully elucidated the chemical structure of CBD and identified its stereochemistry in the 1960s. His pioneering work not only opened the door to modern cannabinoid science but also earned him the title “Godfather of Cannabis Research.” It was this foundation that led to the identification of the endocannabinoid system itself decades later, revealing how cannabinoids interact with our physiology on a fundamental level.
The ECS is now widely recognized as a vital part of human biology, with extensive research supported by the National Institutes of Health. When functioning properly, the ECS acts like the conductor of an orchestra, ensuring every section plays in harmony. As we age, the system weakens. That imbalance is linked to inflammation, chronic pain, cognitive decline, sleep problems, and many other conditions associated with aging.
Mainstream medicine often addresses these issues with pharmaceutical band aids, dangerous and addictive drugs that treat symptoms rather than root causes. Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise help, but they only partially support the ECS and do so slowly over time.
Hemp Derived CBD: A Game Changer for Aging
Here is where the science gets exciting. As the video explains, the ECS can be restored much more quickly with hemp derived CBD. Strengthening this system naturally helps the body regain balance, reducing pain, improving sleep, lowering stress, slowing disease progression, and even extending healthy lifespan.
It is not theoretical. One in five seniors is already using CBD to manage pain, arthritis, cancer symptoms, sleep disorders, Alzheimer’s, and more. Despite decades of research and acknowledgment from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, most physicians receive no training on the ECS. There are still no FDA standards for CBD products on the market. If that were the case for any other class of medicine, it would be considered malpractice.
The World Health Organization has confirmed CBD’s excellent safety profile and non addictive nature in its critical review report. The result is that millions of older Americans are suffering unnecessarily when a safe and natural solution exists.
Hemp derived CBD is a powerful first step in restoring balance to the endocannabinoid system, but it is only part of the picture. Research shows that full spectrum cannabis extracts, which include a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes, can work even more effectively. Complete concentrated cannabis oil, containing the full spectrum of natural endocannabinoids, may deliver the most profound results for certain patients. Expanding access to these therapies will be essential if we want to unlock the full healing potential of this plant.
The Economic and Social Impact
The video cites a powerful figure. A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis estimates that fully integrating cannabis into the healthcare system could save the United States nearly 64 billion dollars annually. These savings reflect reduced pharmaceutical dependency, fewer hospitalizations, improved chronic disease outcomes, and enhanced quality of life for aging Americans. You can read more about PwC’s research on healthcare innovation here.
It is a financial argument, but it is also a moral one. Why should our elders endure pain, anxiety, and cognitive decline when nature has given us tools to help them live longer, happier, and healthier lives?
A Call to Action: Finish What the Farm Bill Started
The message concludes by crediting the 2018 Farm Bill, championed by President Trump, for legalizing hemp and laying the groundwork for today’s CBD market. The Farm Bill was just the first step.
Now the call is for bold next moves.
- Educate doctors about the endocannabinoid system
- Include CBD under Medicare coverage
- Provide clear federal standards for CBD quality and dosing
These steps would constitute the most significant senior health reform in modern history, one that would transform aging and cement a powerful legacy for any administration that makes it happen.
What This Means for Future Cannabis Medicine
For those of us who have been in the cannabis community for decades, this is not just another news story. It is a signal that our movement is winning. A conversation that was once criminalized and censored is now being amplified by the President of the United States on his own platform.
It means the science is undeniable. It means the truth can no longer be buried. It means the wall of prohibition is cracking, not just legally, but culturally, scientifically, and politically.
It also means that everything we have been fighting for at 420 Magazine since 1993, education, access, healing, and justice, is finally moving full steam ahead. The President Trump CBD Cannabis Science Truth Social moment is proof that science and policy are finally converging.
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Four marijuana companies, including a multistate operator, have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in which they allege the federal MJ prohibition under the Controlled Substances Act is no longer constitutional.
According to the complaint, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, retailer Canna Provisions, Treevit delivery service CEO Gyasi Sellers, cultivator Wiseacre Farm and MSO Verano Holdings Corp. are all harmed by “the federal government’s unconstitutional ban on cultivating, manufacturing, distributing, or possessing intrastate marijuana.”
Verano is headquartered in Chicago but has operations in Massachusetts; the other three operators are based in Massachusetts.
The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the “Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional as applied to the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of marijuana pursuant to state law.”
The companies want the case to go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
They hired prominent law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to represent them.
The New York-based firm’s principal is David Boies, whose former clients include Microsoft, former presidential candidate Al Gore and Elizabeth Holmes’ disgraced startup Theranos.
Similar challenges to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) have failed.
One such challenge led to a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2005.
In Gonzalez vs. Raich, the highest court in the United States ruled in a 6-3 decision that the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution gave Congress the power to outlaw marijuana federally, even though state laws allow the cultivation and sale of cannabis.
In the 18 years since that ruling, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult-use marijuana and the federal government has allowed a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry to thrive.
Since both Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice, currently headed by Garland, have declined to intervene in state-licensed marijuana markets, the key facts that led to the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling “no longer apply,” Boies said in a statement Thursday.
“The Supreme Court has since made clear that the federal government lacks the authority to regulate purely intrastate commerce,” Boies said.
“Moreover, the facts on which those precedents are based are no longer true.”
Verano President Darren Weiss said in a statement the company is “prepared to bring this case all the way to the Supreme Court in order to align federal law with how Congress has acted for years.”
While the Biden administration’s push to reschedule marijuana would help solve marijuana operators’ federal tax woes, neither rescheduling nor modest Congressional reforms such as the SAFER Banking Act “solve the fundamental issue,” Weiss added.
“The application of the CSA to lawful state-run cannabis business is an unconstitutional overreach on state sovereignty that has led to decades of harm, failed businesses, lost jobs, and unsafe working conditions.”
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