Understanding Solventless Extraction

As consumers become more conscious of the purity and quality of their cannabis products, solventless options are gaining popularity for their natural extraction methods and rich flavor profiles. Let’s dive into the world of solventless extractions – defining this concentrate type and highlighting various types of concentrates available, plus the best ways to enjoy them.

 

Defining Solventless Extraction

The solventless extraction process uses advanced techniques that include high pressure, critical temperatures, and a filtration system to concentrate and collect these essential compounds (cannabinoids, terpenes, and plant compounds) from the plant material.

This solventless extraction process may vary depending on the specific type of concentrate being produced, but in all cases, no additional solvents or chemicals are added to the process.

Without the use of harsh solvents or chemicals, solventless extracts are often more favorable due to their more natural extraction method, which involves no purging or dissolving of residual gases.

 

Solvent vs. Solventless

While following a similar process to solvent-based extractions, the key difference with solventless extractions is the absence of solvent chemicals.

Solvent extractions in cannabis involve the use of chemicals such as ethanol, butane, or CO2 to dissolve and extract cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. This method can yield high concentrations of active compounds, but the additional steps of purging residual chemicals may affect the essence, purity, and flavor of the final product.

 

Types of Solventless Cannabis Concentrates

Especially in Massachusetts, there are plenty of solventless concentrates available on the market. Some of the most common solventless cannabis concentrates include:

 

1. Ice Water Hash

Created through ice water extraction, this type of hash is made by agitating the plant material in ice water, allowing trichomes to break off and be filtered out through a series of screens.

 

2. Rosin

This is a solventless concentrate made by applying heat and pressure to cannabis flower or hash. It creates a sticky, sappy, concentrated substance rich in cannabinoids and terpenes.

 

3. Live Rosin

Similar to rosin, but made from fresh frozen cannabis plants, meaning the whole plant is harvested, flash frozen, and then endures the solventless extraction process. Live rosin is a concentrate known for preserving more of the plant’s terpenes and flavor.

 

How to Consume Solventless Concentrates?

Just like the many different solventless cannabis products out there to try, so are the various ways to consume them!

 

  • Dabbing

One of the most common methods of cannabis consumption is dabbing. This is typically done by vaporizing the concentrates from a quartz, titanium, or ceramic nail of a dab rig.

Place a small amount of the solventless concentrate on the heated nail using a dab knife or tool. It quickly vaporizes and can then be inhaled for instant effects.

 

  • Vaping

For quick onset, potency, and discreet consumption, vaping is a great way to enjoy solventless cannabis. All cannabis vape cartridges consist of a concentrate that is housed in a glass or ceramic case and then connected to the vape’s battery chamber to heat and vaporize the concentrate without combusting it.

Options for vaping solventless concentrates include disposable or all-in-one vapes, 510-thread cartridges, and dry herb vaporizers.

 

Topping a Joint or Bowl

To enhance your average joint or bowl, add a solventless concentrate on top of a packed bowl or pipe. You can also explore wrapping the concentrate around or inside a joint – this is a popular method known as “twaxing.”

The flower acts as a base, while the concentrate increases the potency and flavor of the overall experience.

 

Dab Devices & Nectar Collectors

There are just as many devices and accessories for dabbing as there are types of cannabis concentrates. Dab straws or nectar collectors are portable devices specifically designed for the efficient dabbing of concentrates.

Some accessories consist of a glass or silicone straw with a heated tip, allowing users to dab directly onto the concentrates and inhale them simply. Some more technology-forward devices include electronic dab rigs and portable vaporizers.

 

Shop Massachusetts’ Craft Cannabis Brand: Root & Bloom

At Root & Bloom, we’re humbled by our Massachusetts roots and driven by a simple philosophy: craft cannabis with care, community, and quality.

Every product and Root & Bloom brand is a reflection of our commitment to purity and flavor. From plant whisperers to compliance gurus, our Root & Bloom team comprises passionate plant enthusiasts and experts who believe that craft starts with connection, not shortcuts.

Taste the full-spectrum pure quality, passion, and purpose behind every cannabis product – find Root & Bloom products near you and read our Blog for more consumer education and brand updates! 

The contents of this blog are intended for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Peter Sison

VP, Sales

Peter Sison has spent much of his career in education, from Merrimack College to The College Board, and there is one thing he is excellent at spotting: potential.  As a director of recruitment and enrollment, Peter believed in making higher education accessible to all students, helping them to realize their dreams.   As our sales manager, that means he’s not only interested in selling our products, but also supporting our clients and customers.  Peter builds the comprehensive partnerships essential for distributing our gorgeous flower and extracts, and his mission is to get Root & Bloom on a shelf near you.

Peter Deacon

Director of Facilities

We’ve brought Nature Herself indoors in our facility, and you can imagine that would require a lot of upkeep.  Peter Deacon is tasked with keeping our utopian microcosm in top notch shape, from the misters to the ventilation to the lights to the extraction equipment.  Our commitment to sustainability and low impact on our community means we built our facility to spec and to scale, and Peter knows it all back to front, bringing more than a decade of experience of lead tech and maintenance management experience.  With an impeccably maintained facility, Peter makes sure we grow impeccable plants. 

Brad Kutcher

Founder

With decades of experience building companies, Brad is a steady and seasoned businessman with deep roots in the community.  Brad is the president of his own general contracting and development firm (BradKu) with over thirty years in business.  He works extensively in residential and commercial development and specializes in large, multi-faceted projects; he has successfully developed commercial projects such as national pharmacy chains, local banks, healthcare offices, and commercial office space build-outs.  Brad’s revenues in 2018 topped $5.4 million and he employs and manages over 100 workers and subcontractors on a weekly basis.

With a reputation for going beyond cookie-cutter basics and being dedicated to his craft, Brads business acumen, sense of fairness, and quality of work has led him to successful partnerships with local communities and municipal boards, who all know that when Brad makes a promise, he keeps it.  His steadfast integrity is the backbone for Root & Bloom, allowing our innovation and creativity to flourish.

George Haseltine

Founder

George is a natural-born entrepreneur and disruptor looking to expand the cannabis industry, and he has been dreaming about opening Root & Bloom for a long time.  Fascinated by the power and potential of cannabis since childhood, George was ready to go when cannabis legalized and cultivation and production hit the mainstream. 

Having founded two residential construction and development companies that have yielded over $100 million in revenue, and always staying at the forefront of technology and innovation, George was able to use his knowledge and experience to have a hand in building our facility from the ground up. And George doesn’t only build companies, he builds- and retains- teams of smart, motivated, successful employees.

Cannabis cultivations and manufacturing is on the brink of leaping from old-fashioned farming to state-of-the-art production.  With his finger on the pulse of technology, and with a passion for sustainability and innovation, Root & Bloom is poised to capitalize on this unique moment with George at the helm.

Jennifer Kealy

Compliance

In the honeymoon after legalization, cannabis regulations have been changing constantly.  From expanding their reach to becoming more minute and specific, here in Massachusetts keeping track of compliance regulations is a full-time job.  Good thing we have Jennifer Kealy, who stays so on top of legislation that regulators call her for advice.  Compliance doesn’t just mean licensing, Jennifer makes sure that our equipment and products are up to code, every day.  Strict regulations means strict oversight, but it also means constant improvement through data analysis and collaboration between teams. Having served as the vice president of operations at Mindful and going on to helm her own consulting firm, Jennifer has truly found her place in the cannabis world and has earned respect in the industry. With her holistic approach to our multi-faceted business, she makes it all look easy. 

Raysa Mateo

Human Resources

Whatever our team has going on, they can rest easy knowing they have Raysa in their corner!  She brings an exceptional history as a senior human resources generalist in the food industry, and has been integral in establishing our inclusive and equitable workplace culture.   From settling in new hires to being an advocate, Raysa takes care of our team so that they can focus on their cannabis artistry.  We want our headquarters to be the best place to work, a place where we celebrate each other’s skills and aspirations; Raysa makes that happen.

William Windham

VP of Cultivation

William’s expertise spans all facets of cultivation, but for all his large-scale experience at Mindful in Colorado, he stays plant-focused, making sure they each get personal attention.  At Mindful, William tended 80,000 square feet of canopy, harvesting 3,700 plants every week; that’s a LOT of nurturing, and it results in extraordinary flower.  But his mastery doesn’t end with the harvest; William has been developing a data-driven process for drying and curing, and focuses on trichome production, development, and preservation. Trichomes are what hold the delicious terpenes and soothing cannabinoids, and can get lost in the preservation process; by focusing on containing their goodness, William maximizes the capabilities of our cannabis.  We asked William what his absolute ideal growing facility would have and look like, and then we went ahead and built it to coax him out here to New England.  You’ll love the difference his trichome treatment makes in our products!

Spencer Sovik

Cultivation Manager

You may know Spencer by reputation from his work in the legacy and underground markets, but it when he became the head of cultivation at Bask in 2014 that he really became known in his field. He took Biodiesel, the hybrid strain highly-prized amongst cannabis connoisseurs, and made it even more dependable: he grew it with a THC level of 27.6% over the course of two years, with a variance of 3.7%. That is the level of knowledge and precision we get to enjoy with Spencer around. He tends to his plants with as much love as cutting-edge research, infusing his propagation methods with knowledge of genetics, cannabis tissue culture, and phenotype selection. He’s got curiosity, drive, initiative and experience. 

We snapped Spencer up and gave him the freedom to be our plant-whisperer as only he can be.  Spencer hand-selects our species and strains for terpenes, cannabinoids, and exquisite sensory experience; and he knows how to bring out their best.  If you know him, you’re excited we’ve got him. If you don’t know him yet, try his flower and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without him.

Angelo Pietrosanti

Extraction/Manufacturing

Angelo is an award-winning cannabis extractor and product manufacturer with a background in biotech. He had our ear when designing and installing our state-of-the-art labs, and with his nearly a decade of lab management experience he’s ready to take the abundance of our raw plants right down to their most basic components and oils. Crafting products that deliver consistent experiences is his specialty, and it all comes down to his fine-tuned process. With a history of upgrading labs for compliance and building and leading round-the-clock teams, Angelo’s approach is based in creativity and building a community and culture. 

Justin Hunt

Manufacturing Manager

Justin started his career in cannabis in an entry level position with both feet on the ground, but it wasn’t long before rocketed to the top of the class. In a small growing facility, he quickly tripled their yield and stood out with his imaginative products. Rising through the ranks to production manager, he led teams to first place in 2020 in The Rooster THC Classic and received other accolades for his products. Justin’s knowledge of cannabis extraction and processing is encyclopedic and always growing. From solventless extractions to inhalable concentrates to edibles, Justin knows just the right way to bring out the potential in our plants. You’ll be delighted with what he puts on the menu, stay tuned!

Katie Bell

Financial Controller

Katie is an obvious choice to take care of our finances: as an avid thrift-store treasure-seeker, she lives and breathes frugality, creativity and sustainability.  But don’t be fooled by the steez, Katie has 15 years of hardcore accounting experience under her belt, and her put-together nature also applies to managing our money, keeping those growlights on, and generating revenue for more.  Growth-oriented and a veteran of both start-ups and established corporations, Katie brings the creativity and savvy we need to navigate the market and our aspirations as we revolutionize the cannabis industry.

Kyle Teixeira

Chief Operating Officer

We didn’t just hire Kyle because he’s had an outstanding career at Cedars Foods and Nestlé and therefore knows snacks.  We love him because he was able to manage over 700 people across three different facilities, taking it upon himself to ensure that everyone knew they were a valued member of the team, because good business thrives in good relationships.  Supervision at that level takes extraordinary management skills and heart, which is exactly what we need to take our concepts and ideas and bring them to market as products and experiences tailored just for you.  Under his leadership in his previous position, 6 operations he commissioned resulted in 900,000 saleable units every single week, so he’s ready to take on our own aspirations here at Root & Bloom. He’s an expert in food-grade manufacturing techniques and regulations and is ready to oversee our state-of-the-art production lines.  Kyle’s not just the guy that looks after day-to-day operations and maximizes our operational functions, he’s the guy that makes sure everyone at the table gets heard.   He’s constantly looking for new ways we can improve our production and our business, but Kyle believes the key strategy is in managing our teammates; he always brings out our best.

Zoë Cohen

VP, Marketing/Communications

Zoë is passionate about making the magic of cannabis accessible to everyone – and ensuring that opportunities in the industry are open to all. Cannabis is an industry that is still taking shape, and Zoë is taking the lead by building change into the very culture of Root & Bloom, taking it upon herself to obliterate the notion that cannabis production will always be a “boys’ club.”  With vision and dexterity, Zoë is using her 20 years of experience helping innovators and disruptors find their voices and their markets to stamp our own brands and identity with a singular vibe. 

With her background in non-profits and education, Root & Bloom’s place in the community is particularly important to her. Cannabis should never be intimidating, and when it comes to bringing our products to the masses, Zoë is all about the goods, not the hype.

Corey Smigelski

President

Our industry depends on nature, which can never be completely controlled; with so many moving parts and variables, you need someone in leadership with a cool, level head, like a pilot.  Corey is our guy.  His track record includes not only over a decade in executive leadership, but also making time to give back to his community as a volunteer.  He cares, and not just about the bottom line.   

With a passion for product development, Corey’s expertise includes strategic financial leadership, cultivating outstanding sales and marketing teams, and driving business growth.  He comes to us after being a general manager and partner in Goddard Inc, where they specialize in the design of medical equipment and industrial robots, giving him a keen eye for our lab equipment, its function in testing and production, and the future of cannabis and biotech.  Corey is an innovator and entrepreneur who sees endless potential in cannabis and was ready to get involved on the ground floor.  

In his decade with Goddard, Corey’s guidance facilitated their growth from $1.8 million to $8 million; you can’t do that without building strong relationships and trust with your team, your clients, and your community.  He’s also an actual pilot. A real one, with the attention to detail and accuracy that comes with that title. With our very own facility built to scale, Corey is just the one to guide our growth as a company, setting the standard for excellence.

Tom Regan

CEO

Tom understands where we’re coming from, where we’re headed, and what we’ve got to do to get there. While his specialty is helping businesses create lasting ties with their communities and consumers while achieving their growth objectives, it’s his generosity with his own knowledge and experience that truly makes him an outstanding leader. He’s innovative; he’s grounded; of course he is; he’s a New Englander.

Coming from a career in tech startups and Cisco Systems, and with a passion for building teams and growing companies, Tom was excited to learn cannabis inside and out. You might think the architect of billion-dollar deals might not be interested in things like extraction techniques or beneficial bugs, but Tom is committed to balancing the corporate world with a deep appreciation of the craft. 

A pioneer in his field, Tom took Mindful in Colorado from growing and extracting to distributing and retailing. It is a testament to his knowledge and passion for the industry that he became a consultant for aspiring growers, and after selling Mindful to a large national cannabis company, we were honored to have him join Root & Bloom.

Devoted to his team, Tom celebrates their knowledge of cultivation, nutrition, organic practices and data analysis and is always eager to dispel myths about his industry. If there can be a corporate CEO with a startup spirit, that’s Tom Regan. His strategic vision will position us for success, but it’s his passion for the industry, process and people that will put our stamp on the market as the purveyor of the finest cannabis products available.