Page 12 - 2020 February E-issue

The Cannabis Industry in the United States

by Brett Eliasz, PE, Bergmann

Im still wondering what it would be like to walk in a store today and buy products from a Cannabis Plant, or of course, just go and look. Im
also wondering what the future holds for the general population. It was illegal back in the 60s and 70s, however, nobody seemed to care if it
was being used according to a select few baby boomers I have spoken with. It seemed, during my younger years anyways (90s and 00s) that
it was classified as a gateway drug, easy to get a hold of, minimal effects but penalties were much stricter. Now look at today where some
states have legalized medicinal use as well as recreational use!

The intent of this article is to brush up on some facts about the Cannabis Industry. It seems like a good time as this Industry has really taken
off over the past few years. No, this is not a Scratch and Sniff article and free samples wont fall out of the magazine, but hopefully I can
retain your attention.

Definitions and slang terms:
Pot and Weed and Whacky-tobacky are some popular slang terms.

THC (Tetrahydorcannabinol) is the main ingredient in Cannabis which causes the high.

Marijuana is the term given to the leaves and flowers of the Cannabis plant. Also, typically referred to as a “drug” plant and grown to solely
deliver high amounts of THC.

Cannabis is the official scientific name of the plant. It includes both hemp and marijuana plants.

Hemp is the term given to the
stems, stalks and seeds and roots of
the Cannabis plant. Typically grown
for the purpose of making hemp and
CBD oils due to its low THC content.

CBD is found throughout all parts
of a Cannabis plant but typically
derived from hemp plants since
marijuana plants are used for their
high THC content.

Concentrations of THC per product type:
Anything greater than .3% is considered to have a psychoactive effect on the user.

Marijuana strains are usually between the 5% and 35% THC.

Hemp strains are always less than .3%.

CBD oil is always less than .3%

It is important to note that Marijuana plants or drug plants are mostly
female that contain the flowers which contain the most THC. Hemp plants
look like female plants minus the flowers or “buds” and they are used to
derive hemp and CBD oils due to their low (<.3%) THC content.

The photo to the right represents a bud which is used to obtain high
amounts of THC content as well as insulation material made from hemp.

As more states legalize marijuana for recreational use, mfg. companies are

12 | The ROCHESTER ENGINEER FEBRUARY 2020 cover article