Hemp production process
By using ethylene or ethylene mixtures to induce natural defoliation, the hemp flower separation process becomes more efficient and cost-effective, promoting uniform flower production while avoiding the risks associated with current methods.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2023012315
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-10
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-16
- Estimated Expiration
- 2033-11-10
AI Technical Summary
Current hemp flower separation methods, such as manual picking and sieving, are labor-intensive and inefficient, while cryogenic methods require specialized equipment and pose risks like frost damage.
Implementing ethylene or ethylene mixtures in neutral gases, such as nitrogen, to induce natural defoliation of hemp plants, promoting uniform and controlled flower production without harming the plant.
This method enhances flower production by redirecting the plant's resources, reduces labor and equipment costs, and ensures a safer, chemical-free process.
Abstract
Description
Title of the invention: Process for producing hemp
[0001] The present invention relates to the field of hemp production processes, whether this cultivation takes place above ground or in the open ground.
[0002] France and Europe in general are preparing for the growing production of unprocessed industrial hemp with a THC content of no more than 0.2 to 0.3% and a cultivation method designed to enhance the flower. This cultivation is envisaged for greenhouses or laboratories.
[0003] Indeed, let us remember that hemp, also known as "cannabis", is a plant that contains chemical compounds called cannabinoids. Some of these cannabinoids, such as CBD (cannabidiol), have been associated with potential medicinal benefits, such as reducing inflammation, pain and anxiety.
[0004] Medical hemp is often grown in controlled conditions, such as greenhouses or laboratories, to ensure the quality and safety of the plant. Special growing techniques may be used to maximize CBD production and minimize the presence of THC.
[0005] However, it has been shown that for therapeutic hemp, it is the flower that plays a crucial role, while the leaves or stems are secondary.
[0006] And so, while legislation regarding hemp cultivation may vary depending on the country and region, in many countries only the hemp flower, which contains a THC level below a certain threshold, is allowed to be harvested. This is because THC is the psychoactive substance present in cannabis that can have adverse effects on health and can lead to addiction. For this reason, most regulations stipulate that the THC level in therapeutic hemp must not exceed a certain threshold, usually between 0.2% and 0.3%.
[0007] The hemp flower is then considered the most valuable part of the plant because it contains the highest amount of cannabinoids, such as CBD, which have potential medicinal properties. Growers may then be allowed to cultivate hemp for its flower, in order to produce products such as oils, tinctures, creams and capsules containing CBD.
[0008] Hemp growers must therefore separate the flower from the leaves and stems, to comply with the regulations for this crop. This is called total defoliation.
[0009] Separating the flower from the hemp plant can be done in different ways, depending on the end goal of the harvest.
[0010] For the valorization of the flower for medicinal purposes, the most used technique is manual picking: This method consists of harvesting the flower from the plant by hand. It is often used for small farms where the harvest can be done manually. However, this method is obviously tedious and requires a lot of labor.
[0011] Separation by sieving is also known: this method consists of shaking the plants so that the flowers fall onto a sieve, which then separates the flowers from the plant. This method is more commonly used for harvesting small quantities of hemp and can be done by hand or with a machine, but its efficiency is quite poor.
[0012] To improve separation by sieving or by mechanical effect, a rapid cooling technique (for example in a cryogenic tunnel) has been mentioned.
[0013] Cryogenics is a separation method that uses very low temperatures to freeze and weaken the parts of the plant to be separated. This technique is commonly used in the food and pharmaceutical industries to separate the components of raw materials, but it can also be considered for separating the flower from the leaves of hemp. To separate the flower from the leaves of hemp using cryogenics, the plant is subjected to very low temperatures, usually between -80 °C and -196 °C, in a freezing chamber. This extreme temperature freezes the plant tissues, making them more fragile and easy to break. Once the plant is frozen, it is subjected to vibrations or shocks to break the tissues and separate the different parts of the plant. The plant parts are then sorted and recovered using sieves or other sorting methods.The advantage of this cryogenic method is that it is fast, efficient and does not use chemicals harmful to health or the environment. However, it requires specialized equipment as well as appropriate safety measures to handle very low temperatures.
[0014] It is also important to take into account, in the overall balance of such a solution, the costs of cryogens and the risks of trapping humidity on the flower by using low temperatures (frost).
[0015] As will be seen in more detail below, the present invention seeks to propose an alternative solution for carrying out this separation, and for this purpose, it proposes the use of ethylene or mixtures comprising ethylene in one or more neutral gases, to carry out natural defoliation of the hemp at the end of cultivation.
[0016] Ethylene is a plant hormone that is known to regulate plant growth and development. It can also be used to induce defoliation, which is the process of removing leaves from plants. Defoliation can help to Increase flower production by diverting the amount of nutrients and energy the plant needs to provide to leaf growth. When the leaves are removed, the plant devotes more resources to producing flowers, which are the most valuable part in the case of the hemp plant.
[0017] The use of ethylene, when used correctly, can induce uniform and controlled defoliation that increases flower production without harming the health of the plant.
[0018] The use of ethylene, pure or mixed in one or more neutral gases, must be carried out under conditions of traditional safety control for the use of flammable gases.
[0019] In the context of the present invention, preference is therefore given to mixtures of ethylene in a neutral gas, particularly in nitrogen.
[0020] We can consider and put forward the following possible technical explanation: plants sensitive to ethylene have cells on the surface of their epidermis which contain specific receptors. In the presence of ethylene in the air, it binds to the receptors and a whole chain of metabolic reactions ensues inside the cell, leading to a particular expression of the genes, the maturation or degradation processes are then triggered.
[0021] The present invention then relates to a method of cultivating hemp for therapeutic purposes, a method which comprises an operation of separating all or part of the flowers from the rest of the hemp plant, characterized in that the separation operation involves bringing the hemp plants into contact with pure ethylene or with a gas mixture comprising ethylene, preferably a mixture of ethylene in nitrogen.
Claims
Claims
1. A method of cultivating hemp for therapeutic purposes, which method comprises an operation of separating all or part of the flowers from the rest of the hemp plant, characterized in that the separation operation involves bringing the hemp plants into contact with pure ethylene or with a gas mixture comprising ethylene, preferably a mixture of ethylene in nitrogen.