As it does in most other modern industries, technology plays a crucial role in cannabis, driving innovation, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. From seed to sale and even in consumers’ hands, software and hardware—alone and in combination with artificial intelligence (AI), automation, computer vision, and machine learning (ML)—are transforming the value chain, enhancing productivity, optimizing processes, and increasing the “wow” factor of products and services.

What started out as a byproduct of cannabis cultivation and processing, residual kief is now a valuable asset to cannabis brands across the nation. How so? In the form of kief-coated pre-rolls. Out of pure necessity, operators try to turn any part of the plant into profit—and kief is no different.  Just look at the popularity of so-called “fuzzy” joints.

In light of cannabis’ potential federal reclassification under the Controlled Substances Act, BudsFeed has partnered with Cannabis NewsHub to chat with successful leaders in the cannabis sector to weigh in on the following question:
“If cannabis is reclassified as a Schedule III drug, Section 280E would no longer apply. What advice would you offer cannabis businesses to maximize the potential advantages of this change?”

To automate or not to automate cannabis pre-roll production?

It’s a tricky question for cannabis operators already struggling with tight margins and intense regulations.

And even when an operator has enough demand to justify an investment in pre-roll automation, how do they know which machine to trust?

The short answer: they don’t. Not without doing some serious homework and firsthand research

The natural maturing of a new cash crop with medicinal and intoxicating properties such as cannabis has revealed discoveries and raised questions about not only how to be more efficient in growing and processing a safer cannabis product, but also about creating a safer workplace.

Los Angeles, CA, April 23, 2024 — Sorting Robotics, the leading provider of industrial automation technology for the cannabis industry, is proud to announce the appointment of Patrick DeGrosse Jr. as the company’s Director of Engineering. Over nearly two decades as a Senior Mechatronics Engineer for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Patrick has led diverse technical teams towards putting robots on Mars across multiple flagship flight projects for NASA, including the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers and the Mars Sample Return Lander. In addition, Patrick led the design of NASA’s FDA approved VITAL pneumatic ventilator during the pandemic, deployed at low-cost to multiple countries and providing life-saving technology to underserved populations.