Hemp production process
Ethylene-based gas treatment induces controlled defoliation in hemp plants, addressing inefficiencies of existing methods by ensuring efficient and safe flower separation for THC compliance.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- FR2023012315
- Authority / Receiving Office
- FR · FR
- Patent Type
- Utility models
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-10
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2033-11-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing methods for separating hemp flowers from leaves, such as hand-picking and sieving, are labor-intensive or inefficient, while cryogenic methods require specialized equipment and pose risks, necessitating an alternative solution for efficient and safe defoliation.
Utilizing ethylene or ethylene mixtures in neutral gases, particularly in nitrogen, to induce controlled defoliation of hemp plants by binding to specific receptors, triggering metabolic reactions for uniform flower separation.
Achieves efficient and controlled separation of hemp flowers from leaves without harmful chemicals, reducing labor and equipment costs, and ensuring compliance with THC regulations.
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 without soil or in open ground.
[0002] France and Europe in general are preparing for the increasing production of unprocessed industrial hemp with a THC content not exceeding 0.2 to 0.3%, cultivated using methods that maximize the value of the flower. This cultivation is planned for greenhouses or laboratories.
[0003] Indeed, let us recall 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] Hemp for medical use is often cultivated under controlled conditions, such as greenhouses or laboratories, to ensure the quality and safety of the plant. Special cultivation techniques may be used to maximize CBD production and minimize the presence of THC.
[0005] However, it has been shown that for therapeutic hemp, the flower plays a crucial role, while the leaves or stems are secondary.
[0006] Thus, while legislation regarding hemp cultivation may vary from country to country and region to region, in many countries only the hemp flower, which contains a THC level below a certain threshold, is permitted for harvesting. This is because THC is the psychoactive substance in cannabis that can have adverse health effects and lead to addiction. For this reason, most regulations stipulate that the THC level in medicinal hemp must not exceed a certain threshold, generally between 0.2% and 0.3%.
[0007] The hemp flower is therefore considered the most valuable part of the plant because it contains the highest quantity of cannabinoids, such as CBD, which have potential medicinal properties. Growers may therefore be authorized 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 governing this crop. This is referred to as total defoliation.
[0009] The separation of the flower from the hemp plant can be carried out in different ways, depending on the final objective of the harvest.
[0010] For the medicinal use of the flower, the most common technique is hand-picking: This method involves harvesting the flower from the plant by hand. It is often used on small farms where harvesting can be done manually. However, this method is obviously labor-intensive and requires a lot of manpower.
[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 mainly used for harvesting small quantities of hemp and can be done manually or with a machine, but its efficiency is rather poor.
[0012] To improve separation by sieving or by mechanical effect, a rapid cooling technique (for example in a cryogenic tunnel) has been suggested.
[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 hemp flowers from leaves. To separate hemp flowers from leaves by cryogenics, the plant is subjected to very low temperatures, generally between -80°C and -196°C, in a freezing chamber. This extreme temperature freezes the plant tissues, making them more brittle and easier 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 and appropriate safety measures to handle very low temperatures.
[0014] It is also important to take into account, in the overall assessment of such a solution, the costs of cryogens and the risks of moisture trapping on the flower when using low temperatures (frost).
[0015] As will be seen in more detail below, the present invention aims to offer an alternative solution for carrying out this separation, and for this purpose, it proposes the use of ethylene or mixtures containing ethylene in one or more neutral gases, to carry out a natural defoliation of hemp at the end of cultivation.
[0016] Ethylene is a plant hormone known to regulate plant growth and development. It can also be used to induce defoliation, which is the process of plant leaf removal. Defoliation can help to Increase flower production by utilizing the amount of nutrients and energy the plant would otherwise dedicate to leaf growth. When the leaves are removed, the plant devotes more resources to flower production, which is the most valuable part of the hemp plant.
[0017] The use of ethylene, when used correctly, can induce uniform and controlled defoliation which 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 control of the traditional safety of the implementation of flammable gases.
[0019] Therefore, within the framework of the present invention, mixtures of ethylene in a neutral gas, particularly in nitrogen, are preferred.
[0020] The following possible technical explanation can be considered and put forward: plants sensitive to ethylene possess cells on the surface of their epidermis that bear specific receptors. In the presence of ethylene in the air, it binds to the receptors, and a whole chain of metabolic reactions ensues within the cell, leading to a specific expression of genes; the maturation or degradation processes are then triggered.
[0021] The present invention relates to a method of cultivating hemp for therapeutic purposes, a method which includes 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 gaseous mixture containing ethylene, preferably a mixture of ethylene in nitrogen.
Claims
Demands
1. A method for cultivating hemp for therapeutic purposes, a method which includes 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 gaseous mixture containing ethylene, preferably a mixture of ethylene in nitrogen.