The increased legalization of the sale and use of cannabis across the United States has created a significant need for processes to allow growers of medical cannabis to expand their markets. While this is great for the industry, as well as for those requiring medical marijuana in the treatment of health conditions, it has also put pressure on growers to maximize production.
Ineffective Methods
Old, slow, and time-consuming ways of processing the bud are no longer effective. It is simply not possible or cost-effective to trim dry bud by hand with scissors. This has led to the development of round cylindrical types of semi-automated tumbler types of devices.
These tumblers or rotational devices spin and tumble the bud against a wire exterior. While this does remove the undesired stems and material, it also destroys the trichomes, which in turn decreases the therapeutic potential of the plant. In fact, these trichomes contain cannabinoids and essential oils, as well as the flavonoids and terpenes that are essential for the benefits of the use of cannabis.
The Effective Methods
A bud trimming machine that mimics the action of scissor trimming the buds is now available on the market. This is a screen-like type of surface that oscillates, creating a scissoring motion.
The bud is moved across the top, allowing the action of the moving bed of the quality bud trimming machine to remove the stems and outer material on the bud. However, as there is no tumbling or abrasive action, the trichomes are not damaged in the process.
Additionally, the use of the slower moving bud trimming machine prevents any heating of the bud, further preserving the quality of the product. Different sizes and options in these machines are available, allowing premium quality trimmed bud at the rate of up to 10 pounds per hour, ideal for larger volume order processing.
