By David Sandelman
The cannabis industry’s focus on cultivation is a natural given, considering the history of the plant and the consumer’s familiarity with it. But this obsession with cultivation and the harvest–however well intended– can often come with a price if it leads to neglecting one of the most critical stages of product development: Post-harvest processing.
Because in agriculture, no matter what you are growing, post-harvest processing is where it’s at – and where growers should be focusing more of their attention. Cannabis drying, curing and storage practices are the keys to reducing plant degradation, maintaining quality and extending product shelf life. In short, these comprise the final critical steps before the plant meets the consumer. Ensuring these processes optimize your cultivation success should never be an afterthought.
Rather than be relegated to second billing, post-harvest processing should be the star of the show.
Take the example of wine. Like cannabis, wine is a centuries-old agricultural product that has relied upon time-tested cultivation practices carried on for generations. Unlike the cannabis industry, the wine industry has historically valued post-harvest processing, embracing new practices and technologies that help concentrate flavors, alter chemical composition and stabilize wine to prevent spoilage and oxidation. Though the degree of focus on post-harvest processing can vary by the type and quality of the wine being produced, most modern winemakers pay a great deal of attention to post-harvest processing.
On the other hand, cannabis cultivators rarely provide the same attention and consistency to post-harvest processing that they apply to their cultivation efforts. Post-harvest processing is sometimes considered the “ugly stepchild” of the cannabis industry because it is a complicated, costly and high-risk operation. But once a harvest is complete, maintaining the quality of the final product is a difficult, delicate and unforgiving task. …
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Author: High Times Contributors / High Times
