# Patent

## Title
Packaged raw cannabis powder

## Abstract

A raw cannabis powder is formed and packaged for convenient and low-cost access to raw cannabis. First, raw cannabis material having a pre-determined ratio of cannabinoids is collected. Next, the raw cannabis material is dried. Next, the dried raw cannabis material is grinded to obtain a finely ground powder. Next, the raw cannabis powder is packaged into a container. High concentrate cannabis extract is optionally added to increase potency of cannabinoids. Instructions are provided that instruct a consumer on amounts and types of cannabinoids, dosing and serving sizes for consuming the powder in its raw non-decarboxylated form, dosing and serving sizes for a decarboxylated (heated) version of the powder, and how to decarboxylate the cannabinoids within the powder. A consumer purchases the container of raw cannabis powder and adds the raw cannabis powder to food or beverages, consumes the powder directly, or decarboxylates the powder and consumes the decarboxylated powder.

## Background
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of, and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 from, nonprovisional U.S. Pat. Application Serial No. 15/213,334, entitled “Packaged Frozen Cubes Of Cannabis Juice Purée That Are Non-Psychoactive”, filed on Jul. 18, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9956173. U.S. Pat. Application Serial No. 15/213,334 claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 of U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Sserial No. 62/292,732, entitled “Dietary Supplement and Method of Production”, filed on Feb. 8, 2016. The subject matter of each of the foregoing documents is expressly incorporated herein by reference.


TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates generally to methods for manufacturing and packaging dietary supplements, and more particularly to manufacturing and packaging cannabinoid products.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The cannabis plant genus is known to produce over four hundred and eighty different chemical substances, and at least eighty of these chemical substances are classified as cannabinoids. Many cannabinoids have been found to have diverse medicinal uses which include analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibioitic, anti-anxiety, and anti-oxidant properties. There are now thousands of strains of the cannabis plant that have evolved naturally or have been developed through hybridization. The different strains of cannabis tend to contain different combinations of these cannabinoids in varying amounts.
Cannabinoids found in their natural state typically are in a non-decarboxylated form. Cannabinoids can be converted into a decarboxylated form by a process referred to as decarboxylation. Decarboxylation is a chemical reaction that removes the carboxyl group from a compound. In the case of cannabinoids, decarboxylation involves removing the carboxyl group from the cannabinoid compounds. One common technique for performing decarboxylation is by heating cannabis material to 240° F. or higher for ten minutes to a few hours. Decarboxylation also occurs in cannabis material if the material is allowed to be dry cured. These cannabinoids provide different medicinal benefits when they are in their ‘raw’ or non-decarboxylated form, compared to their properties after they are decarboxylated.
Two cannabinoids that show tremendous medicinal potential are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the decarboxylated cannabinoid that is considered to be psychoactive. However, if the cannabis material is never heated, ‘decarboxylated’, the cannabinoid will remain in its acid form, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa). THCa is not considered to be psychoactive. THCa also provides many medicinal benefits without causing psychoactive effects for the user. Most notably, THCa has many anti-inflammatory and cancer cell fighting properties while not being psychoactive. The cannabinoid CBD also is present in the acid form, cannabidiolic acid (CBDa), if the raw cannabis material is not decarboxylated. But when decarboxylated, the CBDa is converted to CBD. Both CBDa and CBD have a different set of medicinal properties.
Because decarboxylation occurs when the cannabis material is dried or heated, it is challenging to find methods for consumers to have access to the ‘raw’ non-decarboxylated cannabis material. Raw cannabis leaves and flowers will begin to spoil or decarboxylate after a few days of being removed from the living plant. As a result, commercial distribution of raw non-decarboxylated cannabis material has been commercially unfeasible. A solution that overcomes these challenges is desired.
SUMMARY
Methods of manufacturing, packaging, and storing cannabis products are provided. In one embodiment, a plurality of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée that comprises a pre-determined amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids is packaged and stored. In one example, the frozen structures of cannabis juice purée are frozen cubes of cannabis juice purée. The frozen cubes are also referred to as “frozen cannabis juice purée cubes” or “cubes” due to their cubic shape. The frozen structures of cannabis juice purée can be made to form shapes other than cubic shaped structures. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are administered to individuals desiring the pre-determined amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. A user can combine the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes with other juices, fruits, vegetables, or supplements for consumption, for example, by adding a desired number of the cubes to a “smoothie” blend. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes do not include any decarboxylated cannabinoids.
Decarboxylated cannabinoids are formed by heating raw cannabis material thereby converting THCa to THC. THC may have psychoactive properties. Because the non-decarboxylated frozen cannabis juice purée cubes do not include such decarboxylated cannabinoids, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are generally non-psychoactive. Thus, a person can consume the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes and obtain therapeutic benefits while still retaining his/her faculties to perform his/her ordinary daily routine.
The non-decarboxylated cannabinoid frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are frozen thereby extending the shelf life of the cannabinoids within the cubes to at least six months. In conventional techniques used to collect and store non-decarboxylated cannabinoid material, the non-decarboxylated cannabinoid material lasts only between two and three days before spoiling. Due to the known shelf life limitations, packaging and distributing the non-decarboxylated cannabinoid material is not practical or commercially feasible. Unfortunately, individuals who require the non-decarboxylated cannabinoids for treating illnesses or health conditions do not have ready access to a consistent supply of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids, especially cannabis material which contains the optimal levels and ratios of cannabinoids. The novel packaged frozen cannabis juice purée cubes overcome this shortcoming by extending shelf life resulting in consistent and reliable access to cannabinoids in specific dosage amounts for individuals who require the cannabinoids to treat various medical conditions and to live more comfortably than they would be able to otherwise.
In a first step, raw cannabis material is collected by trimming leaves or flowers of a cannabis plant. The raw cannabis material includes leaves, flowers, stems, trichomes, and other plant material from the cannabis plant. The trimmed cannabis material has a particular cannabinoid profile that has desired therapeutic qualities. The cannabinoid profile indicates types and proportions of cannabinoids present in the cannabis material. Different types of cannabis plants exhibit different cannabinoid profiles that are beneficial for certain types of medical conditions. The cannabinoid profile for a specific plant can be determined by a laboratory capable of performing a full spectrum cannabinoid profiling and analysis. Such laboratories often employ High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC/UV) to conduct the analysis.
In one example, the cannabis plant is selected such that the cannabinoid profile has tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) such that the THCa to CBDa ratio is 3 CBDa to 2 THCa. This means that for every 3.0 milligrams of CBDa in a unit of cannabis material, there is approximately 2.0 milligrams of THCa. In another example, the cannabis profile is taken from the group consisting of: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa).
In a second step, a cannabis juice purée is formed from the collected raw cannabis material by blending the collected raw cannabis material along with water and a thickening agent. The resulting cannabis juice purée has a liquid composition and is also referred to as “a uniform purée” or “a liquefied cannabis juice purée”. The water is filtered water, unfiltered water, ice formed from filtered water, or ice formed from unfiltered water. Alternatively, fruit juice or vegetable juice can be used in addition to or instead of water. The thickening agent aids in suspending the cannabis material thereby aiding in a uniform distribution of cannabinoids throughout the cannabis juice purée. A uniform distribution of cannabinoids throughout the cannabis juice purée is desired to ensure that each cube has a consistent dose of cannabinoids. In one example, the variation in amount of cannabinoids in each cube is 10%. Without the thickening agent, the resulting mixture would have an upper layer with the water and a bottom layer with the cannabis material rather than a uniform mixture. The thickening agent may be banana, avocado, psyllium husk, tapioca, or any food-grade thickening agent.
In accordance with one novel aspect, the cannabis juice purée is formed without a juicing process. In a juicing process, a portion of the cannabis plant material is separated from the juice of the cannabis plant. At least part of the separated cannabis plant material is treated as waste and is disposed. To form the cannabis juice purée, however, all of the cannabis plant material is converted into the cannabis juice purée. The resulting cannabis juice purée includes all of the cannabis plant material placed in the blender and all of the extracted cannabis juice that is extracted in the blending process. No waste product is generated in forming the cannabis juice purée. Accordingly, the cannabis juice purée has all of the cannabis plant material and is rich in dietary fibers and non-cannabinoid components that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, and flavonoids.
In a third step, the cannabis juice purée is deposited into molds of a tray. The tray has a plurality of molds each having a substantially identical size, shape, and volume. Depositing the cannabis juice purée into similar molds results in each cube having a substantially similar amount of cannabinoids. An individual tends to prefer reliable and consistent doses, thus similarly sized cubes with substantially the same cannabinoid profiles are desired. In addition, by using a tray with the same size of molds, the cubes can be effectively mass produced thereby reducing the overall cost of cubes to the consumer.
In a fourth step, the tray of molds having the cannabis juice purée is frozen to form the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes. In one example, the tray having the cannabis juice purée is placed in a freezer having a temperature less than 5.0° F., or alternatively less than 0.0° F. Freezing the cannabis juice purée results in a shelf-life of more than six months if the cubes are properly stored in a freezer. The cannabis juice purée used to form the cubes does not contain any dairy product, milk-based product, or cream type of product, such as coconut milk. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are in a solid state and are frozen, solid structures that maintain their structure when placed next to each other. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes do not have a soft, malleable consistency such as a sorbet-type consistency or ice cream-type consistency.
In a fifth step, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes having the non-decarboxylated cannabinoids are packaged into a package. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are packaged in a vacuum sealed package, a bag, or a container having a detachable lid. A label identifying the contents can be placed onto the outside of the package. No additional packaging material is placed inside the package. The cubes are loosely packed so that they do not touch, or are tightly packed so that each cube contacts at least one other cube. Because the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are frozen prior to packaging and the purée recipe freezes to a hardness similar to ice (not a soft malleable texture like ice cream or sorbet), the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes can contact each other inside the package without damaging their integrity or dosage amount per cube. Each cube has at least one surface that directly contacts a surface of the package. Each cube is adjacent to at least two other cubes. The cubes within the package consume over 95% of the total volume of package. In addition, the package of cubes has at least two flat surfaces thereby providing optimal storing and transporting characteristics. In another example, the cubes are stacked so that not all of the cubes contact the package.
In accordance with another novel aspect, a plurality of packages having frozen cannabis juice purée cubes with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids is stored. The packages are stored in a freezer by stacking each package above another package. Each package has at least two flat surfaces due to the uniform size and shape of each cube. Accordingly, the packages stack compactly in the freezer. In one example, a manufacturing entity manufactures and provides the packaged frozen cannabis juice purée cubes with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids to a dispensary entity. The dispensary entity handles storing the packaged cubes until the packaged cubes are provided to end consumers.
In a second embodiment, the packaged frozen cannabis juice purée cubes comprise non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids in each frozen structure is at least 5 mg. A structure with less than 5 mg is not considered to be a therapeutic dose of decarboxylated cannabinoids because consuming less than 5 mg decarboxylated cannabinoids has negligible, if any, effects on the user. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids may include one type of decarboxylated cannabinoid (such as CBD) or more than one type of decarboxylated cannabinoid (such as CBD and THC).
The packaged frozen cannabis juice purée cubes with both non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids provides consumers with a full spectrum of THCa, THC, CBDa, CBD, and all of the other cannabis compounds in both the non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated forms, in one easy-to-consume frozen purée cube. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes include at least one cannabinoid taken from the group consisting of: cannabigerolic acid (CBGa), cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabivarin carboxylic acid (THCVA), cannadidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidivarin acid (CBDVA), cannabichrome carboxylic acid (CBCA), cannabichrome varinic acid (CBCVA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabidivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabivarin acid (THVA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinerolic acid (CBNA), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBNVA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), and cannabicyclol acid (CBLA).
In a first step, two separate portions of raw cannabis material are collected. The first portion of raw cannabis material may come from a strain of cannabis with a unique cannabinoid ratio (for example, 3 CBDa to 2 THCa). This first portion will remain in its non-decarboxylated state. Other cannabinoid ratios in the first portion include: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa). The second portion of cannabis is collected from a different strain of cannabis plant with a different unique cannabinoid profile (for example, 30 CBDa to 1 THCa). This second portion will later be decarboxylated. When this second portion is decarboxylated, the ratio of the decarboxylated cannabinoids becomes 30 CBD to 1 THC. Other cannabinoid ratios in the decarboxylated second portion include: 20 CBD to 1 THC, 10 CBD to 1THC, or 5 CBD to 1 THC.
In an alternative step, the first portion (non-decarboxylated portion) of raw cannabis material and the second portion (to be decarboxylated) of raw cannabis material are collected from the same strain of cannabis plant with the exact same cannabinoid profile. In one example, the first portion Is 3 CBDa to 2 THCa, and the second portion is also 3 CBDa to 2 THCa. Once decarboxylated, the second portion will convert to a ratio of 3 CBD to 2 THC. Other combinations of cannabinoid materials having different cannabinoid profiles can be selected depending upon the desired therapeutic effects or medical conditions being targeted. An artisan of ordinary skill would appreciate the vast number of combinations of types and amounts of cannabinoids that can be used to create the cubes.
In a second step, a non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée is formed from the first portion of raw cannabis material and a decarboxylated cannabis infusion is formed from the second portion of raw cannabis material. The non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée is formed by blending the first portion of collected raw cannabis material along with water and a thickening agent. The decarboxylated cannabis infusion is formed by heating the second portion of collected raw cannabis material. Decarboxylating cannabis material can be achieved through heating the cannabis material at a temperature of 240° F. for 30 minutes or longer in a mixture of fatty oil. Decarboxylating cannabis material can also be achieved through heating the cannabis material in an oven without any oil or substance.
In a third step, the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée and the decarboxylated cannabis infusion are deposited into molds of a tray such that each mold has non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids. The non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée is deposited into each mold to fill approximately half of the mold. Next, the decarboxylated cannabis infusion is deposited at a center location on the top surface of the half-filled mold. Next, the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée is deposited above the decarboxylated cannabis infusion to fill the rest of each mold.
Alternatively, the decarboxylated cannabis infusion is deposited into the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée during the blending process. By adding the decarboxylated cannabis infusion during the blending process, the decarboxylated cannabinoids are uniformly distributed throughout the cannabis juice purée resulting in a uniform distribution of cannabinoids in each cube after the freezing process.
In a fourth step, the tray of molds having the cannabis juice purée is frozen to form the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes having non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids. The cannabis juice purée used to form the cubes does not contain any dairy product, milk-based product, or cream type of product, such as coconut milk. The tray of molds having the cannabis juice purée is placed in a freezer having a temperature less than 5.0° F., or alternatively less than 0.0° F. Freezing the cannabis juice purée results in an extended shelf-life of at least six months if the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are properly stored in a freezer. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are in a solid state and are frozen, solid structures that maintain their structure when placed next to each other. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes do not have a soft, malleable consistency such as a sorbet-type consistency or ice cream-type consistency.
In a fifth step, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes having the non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids are packaged into a package. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are packaged in a vacuum sealed package, a bag, or a container having a detachable lid. A label identifying the contents can be placed onto the outside of the package. No additional packaging material is placed inside the package. The cubes are loosely packed so that not all of the cubes contact each other, or are tightly packed so that each cube contacts at least one other cube. Because the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are frozen prior to packaging and the purée recipe freezes to a hardness similar to ice (not a soft malleable texture like ice cream or sorbet), the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes can contact each other inside the package without damaging their integrity or dosage amount per cube. Each cube has at least one surface that directly contacts a surface of the package. Each cube is adjacent to at least two other cubes. The cubes within the package consume over 95% of the total volume of package. In addition, the package of cubes has at least two flat surfaces thereby providing optimal storing and transporting characteristics. In another example, the cubes are stacked so that not all of the cubes contact the package.
In accordance with another novel aspect, a plurality of packages having frozen cannabis juice purée cubes is stored. The packages are stored in a freezer by stacking each package above another package. Each package has at least two flat surfaces due to the uniform size and shape of each cube. Accordingly, the packages stack compactly in the freezer. In one example, a manufacturing entity manufactures and provides the packaged frozen cannabis juice purée cubes to a dispensary entity. The dispensary entity handles storing the packaged cubes until the packaged cubes are provided to end consumers.
In a third embodiment, a method of manufacturing and packaging frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée is provided. The resulting packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée are also referred to as a “frozen cannabis to go pack”, “frozen cannabis on the go pop”, “frozen cannabis icicle”, or “frozen cannabis popsicle”. In one specific embodiment, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and is non-psychoactive. In another specific embodiment, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids.
In a first step, a cannabis juice purée is formed. To form a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée that is non-psychoactive, raw cannabis material having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids is collected but never heated. The amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids is blended together with a thickening agent and a sweetening agent such as honey, stevia, fruit juice, sugar, or corn syrup. The sweetening agent is optional and is not included in some embodiments. Flavoring agents are included in other embodiments, such as fruit flavor or spice (apple, cherry, mint, tart, etc.). Fruit juice, fruit, or vegetable material may also be added, such as blueberries, blueberry juice, carrots, or carrot juice. Non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract may also be added to the cannabis juice purée prior to freezing to increase the amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids in each ice pop.
To form a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée that has decarboxylated cannabinoids, a portion of the collected raw cannabis material is heated to obtain an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids are added to the cannabis juice purée prior to freezing. Non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, decarboxylated cannabis infusion, or heated cannabis material may also be added to the cannabis juice purée prior to freezing to increase the amount of non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids in each ice pop.
In a second step, the cannabis juice purée is deposited into a container. In one example, the container is a tube shaped container made of a flexible material. The container is a tube shaped container formed from a thermoplastic polymer such as polypropylene plastic resin. In one example, the tube shaped container has a resealable end. In another example, the tube shaped container is not resealable and a user must permanently tear a portion of the container to access the frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée.
In a third step, the container having the cannabis juice purée is frozen to form a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée. The container having the cannabis juice purée is placed in a freezer so that the cannabis juice purée in the container (along with any added cannabis infusion or high concentrate cannabis extract) can freeze. The temperature within the freezer is typically between 0.0° F. and 5.0° F., but may be less than 0.0° F. The resulting frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée assumes the shape of the container. In one example, packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée is a cylindrical tube shaped structure.
In a fourth embodiment, a method of manufacturing and packaging a cannabis juice purée is provided. In one specific embodiment, the packaged cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and is non-psychoactive. In another specific embodiment, the packaged cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids.
In a first step, a cannabis juice purée is formed. To form a packaged cannabis juice purée that is non-psychoactive, raw cannabis material having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids is collected but never heated. The raw cannabis material is blended together with a thickening agent and a sweetening agent such as honey, stevia, fruit juice, sugar, or corn syrup. Non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract may also be added to the cannabis juice purée to increase the amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids in each container.
To form a packaged cannabis juice purée that comprises decarboxylated cannabinoids, a portion of the collected raw cannabis material is heated to obtain an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids are added to the cannabis juice purée. Non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, decarboxylated cannabis infusion, or heated cannabis material may also be added to the cannabis juice purée to increase the amount of non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids in each container.
In a second step, cannabis juice purée is deposited into a container. The container is a cylindrical shaped structure having a lid. The container is formed from a glass material, a plastic material, or a paper-based material. The cannabis juice purée is deposited into the container through an opening.
In a third step, the container having the cannabis juice purée is packaged. In one example, the cannabis juice purée is processed using high pressure processing (HPP). In HPP, the cannabis juice purée is loaded into a high pressure chamber filled with pressure transmitting fluid, such as water. The pressure is applied to the cannabis juice purée. A lid is used to seal the opening of the container.
HPP allows the mixture to be pastuerized without applying heat. HPP extends shelf life of the cannabis juice purée to several weeks to months without applying heat that could undesirably decarboxylate the cannabinoids present in the cannabis juice purée. Thus, shelf life is preserved while providing a liquid beverage form of cannabis juice purée.
Forming the cannabis juice purée and freezing cannabis juice purée into serving size cubes or ice pops is a significant improvement over the conventional art. Significant research and testing was involved to ascertain the optimal process and technique. For example, this development process involves selecting the most effective strains of cannabis having optimal cannabinoid profiles, determining the effective proportions and amounts of materials to combine to ensure a consistent dosage amount of cannabinoids per serving, and selecting the optimal technique for creating the cannabis juice purée,selecting the size and shape of the cube, and determining the most efficient and convenient packaging for the end consumer.
In particular, the invention yields significant advantages over prior attempts of forming mixture via juicing machines or wheat grass juicers. For example, prior attempts using conventional juicing machines or wheat grass juicers resulted in very little juice and substantial leaf pulp. The conventional juicing machines or wheat grass juicers were not powerful enough to blend the raw cannabis leaves into the smooth purée consistency that is desired for the cannabis juice purée. Such conventional blenders generated leaf pulp that was too thick and abrasive for consumption. However, a high powered juice blender (such as a Vitamix blender) with water and banana achieved the most desirable cannabis juice purée having the proper texture and purée composition. In addition, without the banana, the cannabis juice purée separated into raw cannabis material on bottom and water on top.
In addition, conventional techniques did not have the proper size and shape to achieve a dosage of over 20 milligrams of cannabinoids per cube. The recipe, cube size, and technique for creating the cubes resulted from substantial laboratory testing to achieve the desired results. Consequently, one of ordinary skill will appreciate that the various novel embodiments allow the mass market to have reliable and cost effective access to non-decarboxylated cannabis material which contains consistent levels of THCa, CBDa, and all of the other non-decarboxylated cannabinoids present in raw cannabis material.
One technique for making “marijuana juice” ice cubes is known. To make “marijuana juice” ice cubes, a juice extractor is used to extract “marijuana juice” from leaves of cannabis plants. The extracted “marijuana juice” is used to make ice cubes. Several shortcomings exist with this technique. First, using a juice extractor removes many non-cannabinoid components present in the cannabis plant material (stems, leaves, flowers, etc.) that offer significant nutritional value. Second, juice extractors tend to emit heat during use, especially extended use, and this emitted heat may undesirably decarboxylate the cannabinoids present in the leaves. Such overheating also renders juice extractors inefficient for commercial production. Third, the “marijuana juice” ice cubes do not have consistent doses of cannabinoids in each ice cube. One ice cube may have more cannabinoids than another ice cube. Consistent dosage is essential for consumers who require specific amounts of cannabinoids to treat illness and who also require consistent doses to monitor progress and adjust cannabinoid intake as needed. Additionally, many consumers require specific ratios of one cannabinoid to another cannabinoid for achieving desired medical benefits. The “marijuana juice” ice cubes do not yield consistent doses of cannabinoids or specific ratios of cannabinoids. Fourth, the “marijuana juice” ice cubes are not packaged and are meant to be removed from an ice cube tray to be consumed by the user. Typical consumers require consistent access to cannabinoids. Packaging the “marijuana juice” ice cubes is difficult because the ice cubes can meld together causing additional inconsistencies in dosage amounts. No effective way to package, store, and commercially distribute the “marijuana juice” ice cubes is known. Consequently, the “marijuana juice” ice cubes are not a commercially viable technique for administering cannabinoids along with cannabis plant material rich in nutrients that are stored and packaged for mass distribution. Lastly, no technique is known for adding high concentrate cannabis extract or cannabis infusion to the “marijuana juice” ice cubes. Many consumers require high amounts of specific non-decarboxylated or decarboxylated cannabinoids which is not feasible to achieve by consuming the “marijuana juice” ice cubes. The novel packaged frozen cannabis juice purée cubes solve all of these shortcomings.
In a fifth embodiment, a raw cannabis powder is formed and packaged. In a first step, raw cannabis material is collected. The raw cannabis material is selected to have a cannabinoid profile with a pre-determined ratio of cannabinoids. For example, the raw cannabis material has a desired ratio of CBDa to THCa. In a second step, the raw cannabis material undergoes a drying process to obtain dried raw cannabis material. The raw cannabis material is dried in the sun, air dried, or using a food dehydrator. In a third step, the dried raw cannabis material undergoes a grinding process to obtain a finely ground raw cannabis powder. In one example, the raw cannabis powder is ground to 60 mesh. In another example, the raw cannabis powder is ground to between 10 mesh and 300 mesh. In a fourth step, the raw cannabis powder is packaged into an airtight container to prevent oxidation and minimize decarboxylation. Dried high concentrate cannabis extract is optionally added to increase potency of cannabinoids within the raw cannabis powder. The high concentrate cannabis extract comprises decarboxylated cannabinoids, non-decarboxylated cannabinoids, or both decarboxylated cannabinoids and non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. An amount of instructions is provided with the container that instructs a consumer about the amounts and types of cannabinoids, and provides instructions for consuming the raw cannabis powder and for decarboxylating cannabinoids within the raw cannabis powder.
By providing a cost effective raw cannabis powder, a consumer is able to choose if they wish to consume the cannabis powder in its raw form, or they can choose to decarboxylate the cannabis powder themselves by heating in oil or butter, boiling in a beverage, such as tea, or via another heating technique. Because decarboxylated cannabis is likely psychoactive, it is important that consumers understand that there are different serving sizes whether the consumer is consuming the cannabis in its raw (non-psychoactive form), or in its decarboxylated psychoactive form. To assist consumers in determining the proper dosage, two separate serving instructions are provided. For example, one set of instructions instructs a consumer to use a raw cannabis serving of one (1) Tablespoon. One Tablespoon of the raw cannabis powder will provide 120 mg of cannabinoids. A second set of instructions instructs a consumer to use a decarboxylated cannabis serving of a half (1⁄2) Teaspoon. A half teaspoon of the raw cannabis powder will provide 20 mg of cannabinoids. The raw cannabis powder provides the consumer with flexibility to create their own cannabis recipes while also taking the uncertainty away of the dosage of cannabinoids.
The raw cannabis powder delivers all the nutrients of the cannabis plant which is not found in most cannabis products that are available. The raw cannabis powder comprises cannabis plant material which is rich in dietary fibers and has non-cannabinoid components that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, and flavonoids. Conventional cannabis products do not include plant material. Typical food items that comprise cannabis, commonly referred to as ‘edibles’, include brownies, cookies, and candies. These ‘edibles’ typically contain cannabis extract which does not include cannabis plant material. Thus, the cannabis food products that are available to consumers lack the nutrients and the non-cannabinoid compounds found in the cannabis plant which provide substantial health benefits. Also, many consumers would prefer to create their own healthy recipes rather than eating an unhealthy baked good, such as a cookie or brownie. Furthermore, baked cannabis goods also have limited shelf life and do not last long periods of time. Most cannabis products that are available are provided in the form of cannabis flowers due to their high cannabinoid concentration. However, such sources of cannabis are prohibitively expensive. Accordingly, novel packaged raw cannabis powder provides affordable access to raw cannabis with flexibility to incorporate cannabis as needed, the option to decarboxylate the cannabinoids as required, proper dosing measurements and instructions, and an efficient technique of storing raw cannabis material with optimal shelf life.
In accordance with another novel aspect, a cannabis mixture is formed to have a pre-determined cannabinoid profile by blending together at least two different cannabis mixtures each having different cannabinoid profiles. Although creating specific THC to CBD ratios by blending different strains together is known, no process is known to effectively blend strains together in a manner that will yield consistent and uniform mixtures. Conventional techniques do not provide a way to obtain a mixture having a uniform cannabinoid profile throughout. Such consistency is essential for providing consistent dosages to consumers. Instead, the consumer is expected to take whole quantities of two different strains to achieve a desired synergistic effect which is cumbersome and inflexible. The novel blending process, on the other hand, provides a simple and cost effective way of providing a mixture to a consumer with a consistent cannabinoid profile throughout that can be used in any desired quantity without having to cultivate a strain of cannabis having the desired cannabinoid profile.
In the novel blending process, two or more cannabis mixtures are obtained. A cannabis mixture is selected from the group consisting of: a raw cannabis powder, a cannabis tincture, a cannabis infused oil, or cannabis extracts. Various combinations of cannabis mixtures can be used, including cannabis mixtures having decarboxylated cannabinoids and non-decarboxylated cannabinoids, depending on the cannabinoid profile that is desired. By combining at least two cannabis mixtures in this way, there is no need to breed or cultivate a specific cannabis plant to have the desired cannabinoid profile. Rather, the novel technique allows a mixture to be obtained by mixing two or more cannabis mixtures to obtain a cannabis mixture having the desired cannabinoid profile.
In one example, a raw cannabis powder is desired having a specific cannabinoid profile, for example, 10 CBDa to 1 THCa. A first raw cannabis powder having a cannabinoid profile of 15 CBDa to 1 THCa is mixed with a second raw cannabis powder having a cannabinoid profile of 5 CBDa to 1 THCa. By mixing appropriate quantities of the first raw cannabis powder with appropriate quantities of the second raw cannabis powder, the desired raw cannabis powder with the desired cannabinoid profile is obtained. In another example, a first raw cannabis powder is mixed with a second raw cannabis powder, where the first raw cannabis powder has cannabinoids not present in the second raw cannabis powder. The resulting raw cannabis powder has all of the cannabinoids present in the first and second raw cannabis powders. In yet another example, a first raw cannabis powder is mixed with a second raw cannabis powder, where the first raw cannabis powder has decarboxylated cannabinoids and the second raw cannabis powder has only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. The resulting raw cannabis powder has decarboxylated cannabinoids and non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. In yet another example, a first raw cannabis powder is mixed with a second raw cannabis powder, where the first raw cannabis powder has high concentrate cannabis extract and the second raw cannabis powder does not have any high concentrate cannabis extract. The resulting raw cannabis powder has high concentrate cannabis extract. By combining at least two or more raw cannabis powders, a raw cannabis powder can be obtained that has a desired cannabinoid profile.
The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity, simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail; consequently it is appreciated that the summary is illustrative only. Still other methods, and structures and details are set forth in the detailed description below. This summary does not purport to define the invention. The invention is defined by the claims.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, where like numerals indicate like components, illustrate embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method 100 in accordance with one embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram showing how raw cannabis material 112 is collected by trimming leaves 113 from the cannabis plant 111.
FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram showing how the cannabis juice purée is formed.
FIG. 4 is a perspective diagram showing how the cannabis juice purée 131 is deposited into molds 132.
FIG. 5 is a perspective diagram showing how the tray 133 is placed in a freezer 141.
FIG. 6 is a perspective diagram showing how the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 are removed from tray 133 and placed on vacuum sealed bag 152.
FIG. 7 is a perspective diagram of a package 154 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151.
FIG. 8 is a side view of the package 154 with the cubes 151.
FIG. 9 is top view of the package 154 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151.
FIG. 10A is a perspective diagram of frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 10B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of the frozen structures where an amount of non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract has been added to the cannabis juice purée prior to freezing.
FIG. 10C is a diagram of a female cannabis plant with flowers 165 having trichomes 164.
FIG. 10D is a table 170 showing various non-cannabinoid components and cannabinoid components that are obtainable from cannabis plant material.
FIG. 11 is a table 163 showing two general types of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method 200 in accordance with a second embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a perspective diagram showing how raw cannabis material 211 is collected from a first cannabis plant 212 and a second cannabis plant 213.
FIG. 14 is a perspective diagram showing how the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée is formed.
FIG. 15 is a perspective diagram showing how to make a decarboxylated cannabis infusion.
FIG. 16 is a perspective diagram showing how the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée 231 and the decarboxylated cannabis infusion 234 are deposited into molds 232.
FIG. 17 is a perspective diagram showing how the tray 233 is placed in a freezer 242.
FIG. 18 is a perspective diagram showing how the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 are removed from the tray 233 and placed on vacuum sealed bag 252.
FIG. 19 is a perspective diagram of a package 254 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251.
FIG. 20 is a side view of the package 254 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251.
FIG. 21 is top view of the package 254 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251.
FIG. 22A is a perspective diagram of frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 22B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated cannabis infusion and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 22C is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 22D is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 23 is a table 263 showing two general types of decarboxylated cannabinoids, THC and CBD, along with their chemical names and structural formulas.
FIG. 24 is a flowchart of a method 300 in accordance with another novel aspect.
FIG. 25 is a perspective diagram showing how a plurality of packages 311 is stored in a freezer 312.
FIG. 26 is a perspective diagram of a tray 400 having a plurality of molds 401.
FIG. 27 is a top view of the tray 400 having a plurality of molds 401.
FIG. 28 is a top view of a tray 403 having a plurality of cylindrical shaped molds.
FIG. 29 is a top view of a tray 404 having a plurality of rectangular shaped molds.
FIG. 30 is a top view of a tray 405 having a plurality of hexagonal shaped molds.
FIG. 31 is a top view of a tray 406 having a plurality of triangular shaped molds.
FIG. 32 is a top view of a tray 407 having a plurality of star shaped molds.
FIG. 33 is a top view of a tray 408 having a plurality of trapezoidal shaped molds.
FIG. 34 is a top view of a tray 409 having a plurality of concave shaped molds.
FIG. 35 is a top view of a tray 410 having a plurality of parallelogram shaped molds.
FIG. 36 is a top view of a tray 411 having a plurality of leaf shaped molds.
FIG. 37 is a diagram of a conventional coconut milk based cannabis ice cream 420.
FIG. 38 is a diagram showing how the container 421 is placed onto a container holder 423.
FIG. 39 is a diagram showing how the container holder 423 having six containers is placed into a package 425.
FIG. 40 is a diagram of the package 425 containing the container holder 423 having the six containers with coconut milk based cannabis ice creams.
FIG. 41 is a table 500 showing the advantages of novel package 154 (shown in FIG. 7) and novel package 254 (shown in FIG. 19) over the conventional package 425 shown in FIG. 40.
FIG. 42 is a flowchart of a method 600 in accordance with a third embodiment.
FIG. 43 is a perspective diagram showing how the cannabis juice purée 621 is deposited into container 622.
FIG. 44 is a perspective diagram showing how the container 622 having the cannabis juice purée 621 is placed in a freezer 631.
FIG. 45A is a perspective diagram of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632 with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 45B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 46A is a perspective diagram of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 634 with added decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 46B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated cannabis infusion and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 46C is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 46D is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 47 is a diagram of a user 635 consuming the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634.
FIG. 48 is a diagram of a side view of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634.
FIG. 49 is a diagram of a top view of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634.
FIG. 50 is a diagram of a side view of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 650 having a container 651 that is not resealable.
FIG. 51 is a flowchart of a method 700 to package a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purées.
FIG. 52 is a perspective diagram showing how a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purées 711 is placed inside a package 712.
FIG. 53 is a flowchart of a method 800 to store packages comprising a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée.
FIG. 54 is a perspective diagram showing how a plurality of packages 811 are stored in a freezer 812.
FIG. 55 is a flowchart of a method 900 in accordance with fourth embodiment.
FIG. 56 is a perspective diagram showing how the cannabis juice purée 921 is deposited into a container 922.
FIG. 57 is a perspective diagram of performing high pressure processing (HPP) during the packaging of the cannabis juice purée 921.
FIG. 58A is a perspective diagram of the packaged cannabis juice purée with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 58B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 59A is a perspective diagram of a packaged cannabis juice purée having decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 59B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated cannabis infusion and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 59C is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 59D is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 60 is a flowchart of a method 1000 to store packaged containers having a cannabis juice purée.
FIG. 61 is a perspective diagram of containers 1011 each having a cannabis juice purée that are stored on a shelf 1012.
FIG. 62 is a table 1100 that shows the therapeutic benefits of various types of cannabinoids.
FIG. 63 is a flowchart of a method 1200 in accordance with fifth embodiment.
FIG. 64 is a perspective diagram showing how raw cannabis material 1212 is collected.
FIG. 65 is a perspective diagram showing how the raw cannabis material 1212 is sun dried.
FIG. 66 is a perspective diagram showing how the dried cannabis material 1231 is deposited into a grinding instrument 1232.
FIG. 67 is a perspective diagram showing how the raw cannabis powder 1241 is deposited into a container 1242.
FIG. 68 is an expanded view of the container 1242. The container 1242 comprises a first opening 1243 and a second opening 1244.
FIG. 69 is a perspective diagram of the packaged raw cannabis powder with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 70 is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged raw cannabis powder with added non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 71 is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged raw cannabis powder with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 72 is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged raw cannabis powder with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 73 is a flowchart of a method 1300 to store packaged containers having raw cannabis powder.
FIG. 74 is a perspective diagram showing how packaged raw cannabis powder containers are stored on a shelf.
FIG. 75 is a flowchart of a method 1400 in accordance with another novel aspect.
FIG. 76 is a perspective diagram showing how two or more cannabis mixtures having different cannabinoid profiles can be combined to obtain a cannabis mixture having a desired cannabinoid profile.
FIG. 77 is a perspective diagram showing how the combined cannabis mixtures are mixed so that a cannabis mixture having a uniform cannabinoid profile is obtained.
FIG. 78 is a perspective diagram showing how the cannabis mixture having the desired cannabinoid profile is packaged into a container.
FIG. 79 is a perspective diagram of the packaged cannabis mixture having the desired cannabinoid profile.
Reference will now be made in detail to some embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method 100 in accordance with one embodiment. The method 100 is a method of manufacturing and packaging a plurality of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée that comprises a pre-determined amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
In a first step (step 110), raw cannabis material is collected. The raw cannabis material includes an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. The term “non-decarboxylated” means that the cannabinoids are in their acid form. Non-decarboxylated cannabinoids are not considered to be psychoactive. For example, in FIG. 2, raw cannabis material 112 is collected by trimming leaves 113 from the cannabis plant 111. The cannabinoid profile indicates types and proportions of cannabinoids present in the cannabis material. An example of a cannabinoid profile is shown in FIG. 10A where the cannabinoid contents of the cubes is shown.
The cannabis plant 111 is cultivated to have a specific cannabinoid profile. Different cannabinoid profiles yield different therapeutic benefits appreciated by an artisan of ordinary skill. In this example, the cannabis plant 111 has a cannabinoid profile that includes tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). The cannabis plant 111 is selected having a cannabinoid profile where the amount of THCa and CBDa is present in a desired ratio. In the example of FIG. 2, the ratio is 3 CBDa to 2THCa. In other examples, the ratio is taken from the group consisting of: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa).
For additional information on cannabinoid profiles, their therapeutic benefits, and techniques for delivering the cannabinoids to a user, see: (1) U.S. Pat. No. 9,220,294, entitled “Methods and Devices Using Cannabis Vapors”, filed Apr. 29, 2014 by McCullough; (2) U.S. Pat. No. 9,205,063, entitled “Cannabinoid-containing Plant Extracts As Neuroprotective Agents”, filed Jan. 24, 2014 by Guy et al.; (3) U.S. Pat. No. 9,186,386, entitled “Pharmaceutical Composition And Method Of Manufacturing”, filed May 28, 2015 by Speier; (4) U.S. Pat. No. 9,155,767, entitled “Essential Element Management”, filed Oct. 18, 2012 by Hospodor et al.; (5) U.S. Pat. No. 9,149,499, entitled “Cannabis Based Therapeutic And Method Of Use”, filed May 19, 2014 by Robinson; (6) U.S. Pat. No. 9,095,563, entitled “Topical Treatments Incorporating Cannabis Sp. Derived Botanical Drug Product”, filed Sep. 26, 2014 by Sekura et al.; (7) U.S. Pat. No. 9,095,544, entitled “Breeding, Production, Processing and Use of Specialty Cannabis”, filed Mar. 17, 2014 by Lewis et al.; (8) U.S. Pat. No. 9,078,838, entitled “Cosmetic or Dermatological Compositions Comprising A Mixture Of Essential Oils, And Its Uses Thereof, Particularly For The Care Of Sensitive Or Sensitized Skin”, filed Sep. 3, 2009 by Andre et al.; (9) U.S. Pat. No. 9,066,910, entitled “Methods and Compositions of Cannabis Extracts”, filed Apr. 15, 2010 by Rosenblatt et al.; (10) U.S. Pat. No. 9,050,631, entitled “Apparatus and Related Methods For Extracting Resins From Cannabis”, filed Feb. 6, 2013 by Raichart; and (11) U.S. Pat. No. 9,044,390, entitled “Pharmaceutical Composition And Method Of Manufacturing”, filed Apr. 17, 2014 by Speier (the subject matter of these patent documents is incorporated herein in its entirety).
In a second step (step 120), a cannabis juice purée is formed from the collected raw cannabis material. The cannabis juice purée has a liquid composition and is also referred to as a uniform purée. For example, in FIG. 3, the raw cannabis material 112 is blended in a blender 121 with water 122 and a thickening agent 123 to form a cannabis juice purée. In one example, 210.0 grams of fresh cannabis leaves, 200.0 grams of banana, and 20.0 ounces of filtered water are combined in blender 121 and blended together. The blender 121 is not a juicing machine. Both the shredded cannabis plant material and the extracted cannabis juice remain in the blender after the blending process and become part of the resulting cannabis juice purée.
In accordance with one novel aspect, the cannabis juice purée is formed without a juicing process. In a juicing process, a portion of the cannabis plant material is separated from the juice of the cannabis plant. At least part of the separated cannabis plant material is treated as waste and is disposed. To form the cannabis juice purée, however, all of the cannabis plant material is converted into the cannabis juice purée. The resulting cannabis juice purée includes all of the cannabis plant material placed in the blender and all of the extracted cannabis juice that is extracted in the blending process. No waste product is generated in forming the cannabis juice purée. Accordingly, the cannabis juice purée has all of the cannabis plant material and is rich in dietary fibers and non-cannabinoid components that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, and flavonoids.
The water 122 may be filtered water, unfiltered water, ice formed from filtered water, or ice formed from unfiltered water. Alternatively, fruit juice or vegetable juice can be used in addition to or instead of water. The thickening agent 123 aids in suspending the cannabis material throughout thereby yielding a more uniform distribution of cannabinoids than would otherwise be achieved without the thickening agent 123. If no thickening agent 123 is used, then blending the cannabis material 112 and water 122 results in a mixture having the cannabis material sinking to the bottom with water disposed above the cannabis material. The thickening agent 123 may be banana, avocado, psyllium husk, tapioca, or any other food-grade thickening agent.
In a third step (step 130), the cannabis juice purée is deposited into molds of a tray. The tray has a plurality of molds each having a substantially identical size, shape, and volume. Depositing the cannabis juice purée into similar molds results in each cube having a substantially similar cannabinoid profile. For example, in FIG. 4, the cannabis juice purée 131 is deposited into molds 132 of a tray 133. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the tray 133 has fifteen cubic shaped molds that each holds one fluid ounce. The size, shape, and volume of each mold and the number of molds on the tray are selected depending on the desired size of the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes and amount of cannabinoids to be delivered in each dose.
In a fourth step (step 140), the tray of molds having the cannabis juice purée are frozen to form frozen structures of cannabis juice purée. In one example, frozen structures of cannabis juice purée are frozen cannabis juice purée cubes. In FIG. 5, for example, the tray 133 of molds 132 having the cannabis juice purée 131 is placed in a freezer 141 so that the cannabis juice purée 131 in each mold of tray 133 can freeze. The temperature within freezer 141 is typically between 0.0° F. and 5.0° F., but may be less than 0.0° F. Freezing the cannabis juice purée promotes preservation because harvested raw cannabis material is not acceptable for consumption after three days, even when the cannabis material is stored in a refrigerator. However, by freezing the cannabis juice purée to form frozen cannabis juice purée cubes, the shelf-life is extended for at least six months if the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are properly stored in a freezer.
In a fifth step (step 150), the frozen structures of cannabis juice purée are packaged into a package. The frozen structures of cannabis juice purée are packaged in a vacuum sealed package, a bag, or a container having a detachable lid. The frozen structures may be loosely packed or may directly contact each other. In the example of FIG. 6, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 are removed from the molds 132 of the tray 133 and are placed on vacuum sealed bag 152. The vacuum sealed bag 152 is sealed by vacuum sealing machine 153 to form a vacuum sealed package having the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151.
FIG. 7 is a perspective diagram of a package 154 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 have non-decarboxylated cannabinoids because the cannabis material 112 involved in forming the cubes 151 has not been heated. The package 154 delivers the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 cheaply because the only packaging material involved is the vacuum sealed bag. The package 154 provides for optimal storing, packing, and transporting because the packages are rectangular or square and have flat surfaces that allow the packages to be stacked above each other. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 consume over 95% of the total volume of package 154 allowing for maximum delivery of frozen cannabis juice purée cubes per shipment of packages.
FIG. 8 is a side view of the package 154 with the cubes 151. The package 154 has an upper portion 155 and a lower portion 156. Each of the cubes 151 has an upper surface 157 and a lower surface 158. Each upper surface 157 of the cubes contacts the upper portion 155 of the package 154 and each lower surface 158 of the cubes 151 contacts a lower portion 156 of the package 154. No packaging material is disposed within the package.
FIG. 9 is top view of the package 154 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 are packaged in an array formation. Each of the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 has a substantially identical shape and each cube is adjacent to at least one other cube. Reference numeral 159 identifies a surface of one cube adjacent to a surface of another cube. Each cube has at least two surfaces that are adjacent to surfaces of at least two other cubes.
Reference numeral 160 identifies a cube along a corner of the array of cubes 151 having a first surface that is adjacent to a surface of a second cube and a second surface that is adjacent to a surface of a third cube. Cube 160 has two surfaces each of which contacts a surface of one of two other cubes. Reference numeral 161 identifies a cube along an edge of the array of cubes 151 having a first surface that is adjacent to a surface of a second cube, a second surface that is adjacent to a surface of a third cube, and a third surface that is adjacent to a surface of a fourth cube. Cube 161 has three surfaces each of which contacts a surface of one of three other cubes. Reference numeral 162 identifies a cube at an inner portion of the array of cubes 151 having a first surface that is adjacent to a surface of a second cube, a second surface that is adjacent to a surface of a third cube, a third surface that is adjacent to a surface of a fourth cube, and a fourth surface that is adjacent to a surface of a fifth cube. Cube 162 has four surfaces each of which contacts a surface of one of four other cubes.
In accordance with at least one novel aspect, the cubes 151 are not contained in separate containers. No packaging material is present between the cubes 151. Although a gap is shown between the cubes 151, some or all of the cubes 151 may be directly contacting each other. The tight packing of the cubes 151 and the omission of additional packaging material between the cubes significantly reduces packaging, storing, and shipping costs.
In another example, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 are loosely packed in a bag without vacuum sealing. Costs and packaging time are substantially reduced by not vacuum sealing. Not all of the cubes 151 contact a surface of the bag. Some of the cubes in the bag are surrounded by other cubes and do not touch a surface of the bag. In yet another example, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 are loosely packed in a plastic container having a lid. Not all of the cubes contact a surface of the plastic container. Depending on the size of the container, the cubes may not contact the lid of the container.
FIG. 10A is a perspective diagram of frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 151 having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids comprises an amount of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and an amount of cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). The cubes 151 do not include any decarboxylated cannabinoids and the cubes 151 are not psychoactive. Each of cubes 151 is a frozen cube of one fluid ounce and has ten milligrams of THCa and fifteen milligrams of CBDa. The ratio of CBDa to THCa is 3:2. In other examples, each frozen structure has between 0.1 fluid ounce and 5.0 fluid ounces of cannabis juice purée. Each cube comprises cannabis plant material that includes leaves, stems, flowers, or trichomes of the cannabis plant. Each cube can be modified to include or exclude non-cannabinoid components of the cannabis plant such as terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers.
In the example of FIG. 10A, the amount of CBDa in each cube is greater than the amount of THCa. In other embodiments, each cube has ratio of CBDa to THCa taken from the group consisting of: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa). An artisan will appreciate that another combination of cannabinoids (amount, type, or ratio) can be selected to form the cubes according to the type of ailment being targeted.
FIG. 10B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of the frozen structures where an amount of non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract has been added to the cannabis juice purée prior to freezing. High concentrate cannabis extract is also referred to as “kief”. The added amount of non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract substantially increases the amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids in each cube. For example, in addition to the 25 milligrams of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids derived from the cannabis leaf, there is an additional 500 milligrams of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids in each cube derived from the added non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. The amount of cannabinoids from the non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract is at least ten times the amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from the raw cannabis plant. The high concentrate cannabis extract is obtained through numerous processes and added to the cubes, as explained below in connection with FIG. 10C.
FIG. 10C is a diagram of a female cannabis plant with flowers 165 having trichomes 164. The high concentrate cannabis extract is obtained by collecting the trichomes 164 from many cannabis plants. The trichomes 164 are typically present along an upper surface of a cannabis flower 165. Each trichome has a stalk 166 and a gland head 167. Secretory vesicles along the gland head 167 receive nutrients and turn them into cannabinoids. As flowering progresses, cannabinoids accumulate on an outer layer of the gland head 167. Generally, the greatest concentration of cannabinoids in a cannabis plant is found in the trichomes 164. The high concentrate cannabis extract is obtained by extracting the cannabinoids from the trichomes 164 of the cannabis plant. High concentrate cannabis extract is any material that has a greater percentage of cannabinoids per unit mass than cannabis in its unprocessed and natural occurring state, such as in the leaves 168 or stem 169. The high concentrate cannabis extract is also referred to as “kief” or “high potency resin extract”.
Several techniques exist to obtain high concentrate cannabis extract. A first technique to obtain high concentrate cannabis extract involves sifting or tumbling raw cannabis flower material. The cannabis material that contains trichrome - the cannabinoid crystals - is generally present in the cannabis flower material. Agitating and sifting the flower material causes the trichrome crystals to separate from the plant material. By employing this technique, the high concentrate cannabis extract will have much higher percentage of cannabinoids per gram. It is not uncommon for high concentrate cannabis extract to contain between 30% and 60% cannabinoids per gram. This could result in at least between 300 milligrams and 600 milligrams of cannabinoids (THCa or CBDa) per gram of high concentrate cannabis extract. When adding raw kief to frozen cannabis juice purée cubes, each gram of high concentrate cannabis extract added to the cube can increase the amount of cannabinoids per ounce of cube by between 300 milligrams and 600 milligrams.
A second type of high concentrate cannabis extract is obtained by using CO2 extraction, alcohol extraction, or other forms of high concentrate extraction using solvents or alcohols. High concentrate cannabis extract obtained through these other extractions methods may be obtained and added to the frozen cannabis juice puree cubes prior to freezing or after freezing. Such high concentrate extraction, when performed with high quality precision equipment, results in considerably high concentrate cannabis extract or oils with almost undetectable amounts of the solvent remaining. If the resulting high concentrate cannabis extract is never heated (decarboxylated), these high concentrate cannabis extract or oils can be added to the cannabis juice purée to dramatically increase the amount of cannabinoids per cube.
In one example, while pouring the cannabis juice purée into the molds, an amount of high concentrate cannabis extract is weighed and added into each of the individual molds. For example, the cannabis juice purée is filled to half the volume of the mold. Next, the high concentrate cannabis extract is deposited into the half filled mold. Next, the remainder of the mold is filled with the cannabis juice purée. This would maintain the high concentrate cannabis extract in a center of the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes. In another example, while blending the raw cannabis material, high concentrate cannabis extract is added to the entire cannabis juice purée. This is not as preferred, as some of the valuable high concentrate cannabis extract could be lost in the residue on the side of the mixing or blending apparatus.
By adding high concentrate cannabis extract to the cubes, the concentration of cannabinoids per cube can be increased to over 600 mg of cannabinoids per cube, if an entire gram of high concentrate cannabis extract were added per cube. In one specific embodiment, 500 milligrams of high concentrate cannabis extract is added in each cannabinoid cube. An artisan of ordinary skill will appreciate that employing high concentrate cannabis extract allows for a completely ‘natural’ way to achieve very high cannabinoid potency per cube. In addition, there are no solvents or alcohol used to extract the high concentrate cannabis extract thereby reducing costs and production time and yields ‘food grade’ frozen cannabis juice purée cubes.
FIG. 10D is a table 170 showing various non-cannabinoid components and cannabinoid components that are obtainable from cannabis plant material. The left-side column of table 170 shows non-cannabinoid components that can be obtained from the cannabis plant. The non-cannabinoid components include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers. The right-side column of table 170 shows cannabinoid components that can be obtained from the cannabis plant. The cannabinoid components include cannabigerolic acid (CBGa), cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), tetrahydrocannabivarin carboxylic acid (THCVA), cannadidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidivarin acid (CBDVA), cannabichrome carboxylic acid (CBCA), cannabichrome varinic acid (CBCVA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabidivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabivarin acid (THVA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinerolic acid (CBNA), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBNVA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), and cannabicyclol acid (CBLA).
FIG. 11 is a table 163 showing two general types of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids, THCa and CBDa, along with their chemical names and structural formulas. The non-decarboxylated cannabinoids include a carboxyl group (COOH).
FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a method 200 in accordance with a second embodiment. The method 200 is a method of manufacturing and packaging a plurality of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée that comprises a pre-determined amount of non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids in each frozen structure is at least 5 mg. A structure with less than 5 mg is not considered to be a therapeutic dose of decarboxylated cannabinoids because consuming less than 5 mg decarboxylated cannabinoids has negligible, if any, effects on the user. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids may include one type of decarboxylated cannabinoid (such as CBD) or more than one type of decarboxylated cannabinoid (such as CBD and THC).
Non-decarboxylated cannabinoids exhibit therapeutic benefits without psychoactive side effects. Decarboxylated cannabinoids also offer therapeutic benefits but may be considered psychoactive depending on the amount of THC present. Decarboxylated cannabinoids are typically produced by heating raw cannabis material. By providing the pre-determined amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids in a single frozen structure, therapeutic results in treating certain medical conditions are achieved.
In a first step (step 210), raw cannabis material is collected. For example, in FIG. 13, raw cannabis material 211 is collected from a first cannabis plant 212 and a second cannabis plant 213. A first portion 214 of the raw cannabis material 211 is obtained from the first cannabis plant 212. The first portion 214 has a first cannabinoid profile 215 of 3 CBDa to 2 THCa. A second portion 216 of the raw cannabis material 211 is obtained from the second cannabis plant 213. The second portion 216 has a second cannabinoid profile 217 of 30 CBDa to 1 THCa. The second portion 216 of the raw cannabis material 211 will eventually be heated to obtain decarboxylated cannabinoids. At step 210, the first portion 214 and second portion 216 in FIG. 13 are non-decarboxylated as both are raw cannabis material that has not been heated.
The amounts of non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids can be created in unlimited combinations based on using different strains of cannabis which have different ratios of THCa and CBDa. In this example, the second portion 216 has a second cannabinoid profile 217 different from the first cannabinoid profile 215. In other embodiments, the first portion 214 and the second portion 216 have the same cannabinoid profile. Other cannabinoid profiles for the first portion include: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa). Other cannabinoid profiles for the second portion include: 20 CBD to 1 THC, 10 CBD to 1THC, or 5 CBD to 1 THC. A skilled artisan will appreciate that other cannabinoid profiles are obtainable.
In a second step (step 220), a non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée is formed from the first portion of collected raw cannabis material and a decarboxylated cannabis infusion is formed from the second portion of collected raw cannabis material. Forming the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée does not involve heating the raw cannabis material. For example, in FIG. 14, the first portion of raw cannabis material 214 is blended in a blender 221 with water 222 and a thickening agent 223 to form a non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée. In one example, 210.0 grams of fresh cannabis leaves 214, 200.0 grams of banana 223, and 20.0 ounces of filtered water 222 are combined in blender 221 and blended together. The blender 221 is not a juicing machine. Both the cannabis plant material and the extracted cannabis juice remain in the blender after blending and become part of the resulting cannabis juice purée. The water 222 may be filtered water, unfiltered water, ice formed from filtered water, or ice formed from unfiltered water. The thickening agent 223 aids in suspending the cannabis material yielding a more uniform mixture than would be achieved without the thickening agent 223. The thickening agent 223 may be banana, avocado, psyllium husk, tapioca, corn starch, or any other food-grade thickener.
The cannabis juice purée is formed without a juicing process. In a juicing process, a portion of the cannabis plant material is separated from the juice of the cannabis plant. At least part of the separated cannabis plant material is treated as waste and is disposed. To form the cannabis juice purée,however, all of the cannabis plant material is converted into the cannabis juice purée. The resulting cannabis juice purée includes all of the cannabis plant material placed in the blender and all of the extracted cannabis juice that is extracted in the blending process. No waste product is generated in forming the cannabis juice purée. Accordingly, the cannabis juice purée has all of the cannabis plant material and is rich in dietary fibers and non-cannabinoid components that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers.
Forming the decarboxylated cannabis infusion involves heating the second portion of collected raw cannabis material. For example, in FIG. 15, the second portion of raw cannabis material 216 is heated along with fatty oil 224 in a heating mechanism 225. A typical ratio is one ounce of dried cannabis flower mixed with six cups of olive or coconut oil and is heated in a heating mechanism 225 for one to eight hours to create the decarboxylated cannabis infusion. The heating mechanism 225 shown in FIG. 15 is a crock pot.
In another example, the decarboxylated cannabinoid is generated by heating dried cannabis flower in an oven without oil. For example, the dried cannabis flower is heated in an oven at 240° F. for thirty to forty minutes. Other conventional methods for generating decarboxylated cannabis may be employed.
In a third step (step 230), the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée and the decarboxylated cannabis infusion are deposited into molds of a tray such that each mold has non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated cannabinoids. The tray has a plurality of molds each having a substantially identical size, shape, and volume. Depositing the cannabis juice purée and cannabis infusion into similar molds results in each cube having a substantially similar cannabinoid profile. For example, in FIG. 16, the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée 231 and the decarboxylated cannabis infusion 234 are deposited into molds 232 of a tray 233. First, the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée 231 is deposited into each mold 232 to fill approximately half of the mold 232. Next, the decarboxylated cannabis infusion 234 is deposited at a center location on the top surface of the half-filled mold. In this example, a measuring syringe 235 is employed to deposit a particular amount decarboxylated cannabis infusion 234 into the molds 232. Next, the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée 231 is deposited into each mold above the layer of decarboxylated cannabis infusion 234 to fill the rest of each mold 232.
In the embodiment of FIG. 16, the tray 233 has fifteen cubic shaped molds that each holds one fluid ounce. The size, shape, and volume of each mold and the number of molds on the tray are selected depending on the desired size of the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes and amount of cannabinoids to be delivered in each dose.
In another example, the decarboxylated cannabis infusion is deposited directly into the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée 231 in the blender 221 of FIG. 14. The resulting mixture has generally uniform distribution of decarboxylated cannabinoids and non-decarboxylated cannabinoids that is deposited into the molds of the tray. No syringe 235 is needed using this technique.
In a fourth step (step 240), the tray of molds having the cannabis juice purée and decarboxylated cannabis infusion are frozen to form frozen cannabis juice purée cubes having non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids. For example, in FIG. 17, the tray 233 having the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée 231 and the decarboxylated cannabis infusion 234 is placed in a freezer 242 so that the non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée 231 and the decarboxylated cannabis infusion 234 in each mold 232 of tray 233 can freeze. The temperature within freezer 242 is typically between 0.0° F. and 5.0° F., but may be less than 0.0° F. Freezing the cannabis juice purée promotes preservation because harvested raw cannabis material is not acceptable for consumption after three days, even when the cannabis material is stored in a refrigerator. However, by freezing the cannabis juice purée to form frozen cannabis juice purée cubes, the shelf-life is extended for at least six months if the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are properly stored in a freezer.
In a fifth step (step 250), the cubes having non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids are packaged into a package. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes are packaged in a vacuum sealed package, a bag, or a container having a detachable lid. For example, in FIG. 18, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 are removed from the molds 232 of the tray 233 and are placed on vacuum sealed bag 252. The vacuum sealed bag 252 is sealed by vacuum sealing machine 253 to form a vacuum sealed package having the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251.
FIG. 19 is a perspective diagram of a package 254 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 have non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids. The package 254 delivers the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 cheaply because the only packaging material involved is the vacuum sealed bag 252. The package 254 provides for optimal storing, packing, and transporting because the packages are rectangular or square and have flat surfaces that allow the packages to be stacked above each other. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 consume over 95% of the total volume of package 254 allowing for maximum delivery of frozen cannabis juice purée cubes per shipment of packages.
FIG. 20 is a side view of the package 254 with the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251. The package 254 has an upper portion 255 and a lower portion 256. Each of the cubes 251 has an upper surface 257 and a lower surface 258. Each upper surface 257 of the cubes contacts the upper portion 255 of the package 254 and each lower surface 258 of the cubes 251 contacts a lower portion 256 of the package 254. No packaging material is disposed within the package.
FIG. 21 is a top view of the package 254 with the frozen cannabis juice puree cubes 251. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 are packaged in an array formation. Each of the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 has a substantially identical shape and each cube is adjacent to at least one other cube. Reference numeral 259 identifies a surface of one cube adjacent to a surface of another of the cubes. Each frozen cannabis juice purée cube has at least two surfaces that are adjacent to surfaces of at least two other cubes.
Reference numeral 260 identifies a frozen cannabis juice purée cube along a corner of the array of cubes 251 having a first surface that is adjacent to a surface of a second cube and a second surface that is adjacent to a surface of a third cube. Cube 260 has two surfaces each of which contacts a surface of one of two other cubes. Reference numeral 261 identifies a frozen cannabis juice purée cube along an edge of the array of cubes 251 having a first surface that is adjacent to a surface of a second cube, a second surface that is adjacent to a surface of a third cube, and a third surface that is adjacent to a surface of a fourth cube. Cube 261 has three surfaces each of which contacts a surface of one of three other cubes. Reference numeral 262 identifies a frozen cannabis juice purée cube at an inner portion of the array of cubes 251 having a first surface that is adjacent to a surface of a second cube, a second surface that is adjacent to a surface of a third cube, a third surface that is adjacent to a surface of a fourth cube, and a fourth surface that is adjacent to a surface of a fifth cube. Cube 262 has four surfaces each of which contacts a surface of one of four other cubes.
In accordance with at least one novel aspect, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 are not contained in separate containers. No packaging material is present between the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251. Although a gap is shown between the cubes 251, some or all of the cubes 251 may be directly contacting each other. The tight packing of the cubes 251 significantly reduces packaging, storing, and shipping costs.
In another example, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 are loosely packed in a bag without vacuum sealing. Costs and packaging time are substantially reduced by not vacuum sealing. Not all of the cubes contact a surface of the bag. Some of the cubes in the bag are surrounded by other cubes and do not touch a surface of the bag. In yet another example, the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 are loosely packed in a plastic container having a lid. Not all of the cubes contact a surface of the plastic container. Depending on the size of the container, the cubes may not contact the lid of the container.
FIG. 22A is a perspective diagram of frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 251 having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids comprises an amount of tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and an amount of cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids comprises an amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and an amount of cannabidiol (CBD). Each of cubes 251 is a frozen cube of one fluid ounce and has 10 mg of THCa, 1 mg of THC, 15 mg of CBDa, and 30 mg of CBD. In this example, the ratio of CBDa to THCa is 3:2 and the ratio of CBD to THC is 30:1. The amount of CBDa in each cube is greater than the amount of THCa, and the amount of CBD in each cube is greater than the amount of THC. The frozen cannabis juice purée cubes may be made to include or exclude non-cannabinoid components that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers.
FIG. 22B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée having decarboxylated cannabis infusion and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 22B, the frozen structures have 25 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant, 31 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated cannabis infusion, 500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. The added amount of non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract substantially increases the amount of cannabinoids in each frozen structure. In this example, the non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract adds an additional 500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids in each structure. The amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from the non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract is at least ten times the amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids derived from the raw cannabis plant. The high concentrate cannabis extract is obtained through numerous processes and included in the frozen structures as explained above in connection with FIG. 10B.
FIG. 22C is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée having decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 22C, the frozen structures have 25 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant and 105 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. The added amount of decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract substantially increases the amount of cannabinoids in each frozen structure. In this example, the decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract adds an additional 105 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids to each structure. The decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract is obtained by heating the high concentrate cannabis extract obtained through numerous processes described above in connection with FIG. 10B. A few techniques are described below.
The high concentrate cannabis extract is decarboxylated by first heating the non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract on a dish in an oven at temperatures between 212° F. and 340° F. The high concentrate cannabis extract becomes decarboxylated as a result of heating thus converting the THCa and CBDa to THC and CBD, respectively, as well as other decarboxylated cannabinoids. This results in a substantially high potency of THC and CBD, for example, approximately 30% and 60% decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram. In a second technique, the cannabis flower and flower trim can also be decarboxylated in an oven at temperatures between 212° F. and 340° F. This would result in plant material being decarboxylated at between about 10% and 30% decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram. The percentage yield in this technique is less due to plant material. In a third technique, the high concentrate cannabis extract or cannabis flower can also be added to a food grade oil mixture and heated to between 212° F. and 340° F. Such food grade oil mixture is selected from the group consisting of olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, or similar cooking oil. A crockpot or pressure cooker can be employed to heat the oils. The result of this technique is an infused oil that contains decarboxylated cannabinoids comprising between 100 mg and 300 mg of cannabinoids per fluid ounce.
To incorporate the decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis into the frozen structures, several techniques may be employed. In one example, while pouring the cannabis juice purée into the molds, an amount of decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract is weighed and added into each of the individual molds. For example, the cannabis juice purée is filled to half the volume of the mold. Next, the decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract is deposited. Next, the remainder of the mold is filled with the cannabis juice purée.This would maintain the decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract within a center of the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes. In another example, while blending the raw cannabis material, decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract is added to the entire cannabis juice purée. The resulting cannabis juice puree would have a uniform amount of the decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. This is not as preferred, as some of the valuable decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract could be lost in the residue on the side of the mixing or blending apparatus. Depending on the potency desired, any amount of decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract can be added to the cannabis juice purée.
The amounts and types of cannabinoids vary and are selected according to the desired potency and amount desired. For example, non-decarboxylated frozen cannabis juice purée cubes that do not have the high concentrate cannabis extract range between 5 mg and 200 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoid per fluid ounce of cube. Non-decarboxylated frozen cannabis juice purée cubes that do have the high concentrate cannabis extract range between 5 mg and 2,500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoid per fluid ounce of cube. Decarboxylated frozen cannabis juice purée cubes that have the high concentrate cannabis extract range between 5 mg and 2,500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids per fluid ounce of cube and between 5 mg and 2,500 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids per fluid ounce of cube. Decarboxylated frozen cannabis juice purée cubes that have the decarboxylated oil or flower described above range between 5 mg and 2,500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids per fluid ounce of cube and between 5 mg and 2,500 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids per fluid ounce of cube.
FIG. 22D is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of frozen structures of cannabis juice purée having decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 22D, the frozen structures have 25 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant, 105 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, and 500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 23 is a table 263 showing two general types of decarboxylated cannabinoids, THC and CBD, along with their chemical names and structural formulas. The decarboxylated cannabinoids are formed through a decarboxylation process that removes the carboxyl group (COOH).
FIG. 24 is a flowchart of a method 300 in accordance with another novel aspect. In a first step (step 310), a plurality of packages having frozen structures of cannabis juice purée is stored. For example, in FIG. 25, a plurality of packages 311 is stored in a freezer 312. The packages are 311 are stored by stacking each package above another package. For example, package 313 is disposed above package 314. Package 315 is to be placed above package 313. Each of the packages comprises a plurality of frozen cannabis juice purée cubes 316. At least one of the frozen cannabis juice puree cubes contacts the package. Each package has at least two flat surfaces due to the uniform size and shape of each cube 316. Accordingly, the packages 311 stack compactly in the freezer 312. If, on the other hand, the cubes within each package were not uniform in size and shape, then the packages would not have flat surfaces adapted for stacking. Additionally, by not placing each cube in a separate package and by not including any additional packaging materials between the package 315 and each cube 316, each package consumes minimal space in freezer 312 thereby increasing the number of packages that can be stored per unit volume of storage capacity.
FIG. 26 is a perspective diagram of a tray 400 having a plurality of molds 401. All of the molds 401 have a substantially identical structure thereby yielding cubes having a consistent size and dosage of cannabinoids. In this example, each mold is cubic shaped and holds one fluid ounce. In other embodiments, the molds may be smaller or larger depending on the desired size of the cubes. The volume of each mold 401 is typically between 0.125 cubic inches (0.5 inches x 0.5 inches x 0.5 inches) and 8.0 cubic inches (2.0 inches x 2.0 inches x 2.0 inches). An artisan of ordinary skill appreciates that the molds may be larger or shaped differently. Other trays may be selected that hold frozen structures of cannabis juice purée between 0.1 fluid ounce and 5.0 fluid ounces.
FIG. 27 is a top view of the tray 400 having a plurality of molds 401.
Other frozen structures of cannabis juice purée may be formed having different shapes. FIGS. 28-36 show how the frozen structures may be formed into various other shapes that are non-cubic.
FIG. 28 is a top view of a tray 403 having a plurality of cylindrical shaped molds.
FIG. 29 is a top view of a tray 404 having a plurality of rectangular shaped molds.
FIG. 30 is a top view of a tray 405 having a plurality of hexagonal shaped molds.
FIG. 31 is a top view of a tray 406 having a plurality of triangular shaped molds.
FIG. 32 is a top view of a tray 407 having a plurality of star shaped molds.
FIG. 33 is a top view of a tray 408 having a plurality of trapezoidal shaped molds.
FIG. 34 is a top view of a tray 409 having a plurality of concave shaped molds.
FIG. 35 is a top view of a tray 410 having a plurality of parallelogram shaped molds.
FIG. 36 is a top view of a tray 411 having a plurality of leaf shaped molds.
FIG. 37 is a diagram of a conventional coconut milk based cannabis ice cream 420. The coconut milk based cannabis ice cream 420 is packaged in a container 421 having a lid 422. The conventional coconut milk based cannabis ice cream 420 is available from Ohana Farms at (http://www.ohanaedu.org/index.php/products/cbd-cubes/). The conventional coconut milk based cannabis ice cream 420 has a soft, ice-cream texture and requires separate packaging for each dose of ice cream 420.
FIG. 38 is a diagram showing how the container 421 is placed onto a container holder 423. The container holder 423 includes a retainer opening 424 into which the container 421 is placed. The container holder 423 includes six retainer openings and holds up to six of the containers 421.
FIG. 39 is a diagram showing how the container holder 423 having six containers is placed into a package 425. The container holder 423 having the six containers is inserted via opening 426. After the container holder 423 having the six containers is inside the package 425, the package 425 is sealed.
FIG. 40 is a diagram of the package 425 containing the container holder 423 having the six containers with coconut milk based cannabis ice creams.
FIG. 41 is a table 500 showing the advantages of novel package 154 (shown in FIG. 7) and novel package 254 (shown in FIG. 19) over the conventional package 425 shown in FIG. 40. The novel packages 154 and 254 exhibit advantages with respect to storage capacity, packaging costs, waste generation, and quantity of cubes per package.
The novel packages 154 and 254 utilize minimal storage capacity as compared to the conventional package 425. The novel packages 154 and 254 have at least two flat surfaces allowing several of the novel packages 154 and 254 to be stacked above each other. The conventional package 425, on the other hand, does not have flat surfaces and does not provide an advantageous utilization of storage space.
The novel packages 154 and 254 involve minimal packaging costs as compared to the conventional package 425. The only packaging involved is the vacuum seal bag, resealable bag, or container in which the novel cubes are stored. At least one of the frozen cannabis juice purée cubes contacts the package. No additional packaging is inserted between the cubes. No additional packaging is inserted between the cubes and the outer package. The conventional package 425, on the other hand, has substantial packaging. For example, each cannabinoid structure is individually packaged in a separate container and covered with a lid. In addition, each of the individual containers is then placed onto a holder. Therefore, the conventional package 425 has significantly greater packaging costs than the novel packages 154 and 254.
The novel packages 154 and 254 generate minimal waste as compared to the conventional package 425. The novel packages 154 and 254 only generate waste from a single package, such as a bag, vacuum sealed bag, or container. The novel packages 154 and 254 may have a label disposed on an outer surface, but no other waste is generated because the entire contents of the novel packages 154 and 254 are consumed. The conventional package 425, on the other hand, generates substantial waste as compared to the novel packages 154 and 254 because of all of the packaging, including six containers, six lids, the container holder, and the outer packaging.
The novel packages 154 and 254 deliver significantly more cannabinoids per unit volume of packaging as compared to the conventional package 425. A single one of the novel packages 154 and 254 delivers twenty cubes due, in part, to the minimal packaging involved. The conventional package 425, on the other hand, only carries six coconut milk based cannabis ice creams.
FIG. 42 is a flowchart of a method 600 in accordance with a third embodiment. The method 600 is a method of manufacturing and packaging a frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée. In one specific embodiment, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and is non-psychoactive. In another specific embodiment, the packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids in each ice pop is at least 5 mg. Decarboxylated cannabis infusion, non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, or decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract are optionally added to the frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée.
In a first step (step 610), a cannabis juice purée is formed. To form a frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée that is non-psychoactive, raw cannabis material having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids is collected. For example, in FIG. 2, raw cannabis material 112 is collected by trimming leaves 113 from the cannabis plant 111, and in FIG. 3, the raw cannabis material 112 is blended in a blender 121 with water 122 and a thickening agent 123 to form a cannabis juice purée.
To form a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée that has decarboxylated cannabinoids, a portion of the collected raw cannabis material is heated. For example, in FIG. 13, raw cannabis material 211 is collected from a first cannabis plant 212 and a second cannabis plant 213. A first portion 214 of the raw cannabis material 211 is obtained from the first cannabis plant 212. Next, the first portion of raw cannabis material 214 is blended in a blender 221 with water 222 and a thickening agent 223 to form a non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée as shown in FIG. 14. Next, a second portion 216 of the raw cannabis material 211 is obtained from the second cannabis plant 213 as shown in FIG. 13. Next, the second portion of collected raw cannabis material is heated to form a decarboxylated cannabis infusion, as shown for example in FIG. 15. The non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée and decarboxylated cannabis infusion are combined prior to freezing.
In both the non-decarboxylated and decarboxylated embodiments of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée,a sweetening agent is optionally added to the cannabis juice purée. The sweetening agent is selected from the group consisting of honey, stevia, fruit juice, sugar, corn syrup, or any other type of food grade sweetener. The sweetening agent provides a frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée that is more palatable than if the sweetening agent were not included. Flavoring agents are optionally added to the packaged cannabis juice purée,such as fruit flavor, spice (apple, cherry, mint, tart, etc.), or any other type of food grade flavoring. Fruit juice, fruit, or vegetable material may also be added, such as blueberries, blueberry juice, carrots, or carrot juice.
In a second step (step 620), the cannabis juice purée is deposited into a container. In one example, the container is a tube shaped container made of a flexible material. For example, in FIG. 43, the cannabis juice purée 621 is deposited into container 622 through opening 623. The container 622 is a tube shaped container formed from a thermoplastic polymer such as polypropylene plastic resin. In one example, the opening 623 of the container 622 is resealable. The container 622 with the resealable opening 623 is available from the following internet address: http://zipzicles.com/. In one example, the opening 623 of the container 622 is not resealable and is permanently sealed after the cannabis juice purée 621 is deposited into the container 622.
In a third step (step 630), the container having the cannabis juice purée to form a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée. For example, in FIG. 44 the container 622 having the cannabis juice purée 621 is placed in a freezer 631 so that the cannabis juice purée 621 in the container 622 can freeze. The temperature within freezer 631 is typically between 0.0° F. and 5.0° F., but may be less than 0.0° F. Freezing the cannabis juice purée promotes preservation because harvested raw cannabis material is not acceptable for consumption after three days, even when the cannabis material is stored in a refrigerator. However, by freezing the cannabis juice purée to form the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée,the shelf-life is extended for at least six months if properly stored in a freezer.
FIG. 45A is a perspective diagram of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632 with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. The frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632 has a cannabinoid profile 633. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632 is formed by carrying out the steps set forth in method 600 such that the cannabis juice purée in the first step (step 610) has only raw, blended cannabis material. None of the collected cannabis material is heated. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632 does not include any decarboxylated cannabinoids and the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632 is not psychoactive. In this example, frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632 has 30 mg of THCa per 3 fluid ounces and 45 mg of CBDa per 3 fluid ounces. The ratio of CBDa to THCa is 3:2. The amount of CBDa in each ice pop is greater than the amount of THCa, and the amount of CBD in each ice pop is greater than the amount of THC. In other embodiments, each ice pop has ratio of CBDa to THCa taken from the group consisting of: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa). The frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée may be made to include or exclude non-cannabinoid components of the cannabis plant that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers. In yet other embodiments, the frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has between 1 mg and 500 mg of THCa and between 1 mg and 500 mg of CBDa. Non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract may also be added to the frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée to achieve high concentrations of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 45B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 45B, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has 75 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant and 1,500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 46A is a perspective diagram of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 634 with added decarboxylated cannabinoids. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 634 is formed by carrying out the steps set forth in method 600 such that the cannabis juice purée in the first step (step 610) has raw, blended cannabis material in addition to decarboxylated cannabis infusion. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 634 includes non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids. In this example, packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 634 has 75 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant and 95 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated cannabis infusion.
FIG. 46B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated cannabis infusion and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 46B, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has 75 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant, 95 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated cannabis infusion, and 1,500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 46C is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 46C, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has 75 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant and 310 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 46D is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 46D, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée has 75 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant, 310 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, and 1,500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 47 is a diagram of a user 635 consuming the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634. The user 635 opens the top of the container 622 thereby forming an opening 623. The frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 636 passes through the opening for the user 635 to consume. In this example the opening 623 is resealable such that the user 635 can consume a portion of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634, reseal the top, and store the partially consumed packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 in a freezer for future consumption.
FIG. 48 is a diagram of a side view of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634. The container 622 has an upper extent 637, a lower extent 638, a first side extent 639, and a second side extent 640. The frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 636 is disposed within an inner portion 641. The frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 636 directly contacts the inner portion 641 of container 622. No packaging material is disposed between the frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 636 and the inner portion 641 of container 622. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 includes a resealable mechanism 642. The resealable mechanism 642 is similar to the resealable mechanisms provided in zipper storage bags or slider storage bags.
In this example, the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 is between 1.0 to 2.0 inches wide (dimension of upper and lower extents 637/638) and between 7.0 and 9.0 inches long (dimension of side extents 639/640). Each of the first and second side extents 639 and 640 is at least three times a length of each of the upper and lower extents 637 and 638. The upper extent 637 extends parallel to the lower extent 638. The first side extent 639 extends parallel to the second side extents 640. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 has a rectangular shape when viewed from the side perspective of FIG. 48.
FIG. 49 is a diagram of a top view of the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 has an edge portion 643 having a first thickness 644. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 has a center portion 645 having a second thickness 646. The second thickness 646 is at least ten times the first thickness 644. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 has an oval shape when viewed from the top perspective of FIG. 49.
FIG. 50 is a diagram of a side view of another embodiment of a packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 650 having a container 651 that is not resealable. A frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 652 is disposed within container 651. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 650 has a top portion 653 that does not include a resealable mechanism as in the packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 632/634 shown in FIG. 47. A user tears the top portion 653 of the container 651 to provide an opening so that the frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 652 passes through the opening and is consumed by the user.
FIG. 51 is a flowchart of a method 700 to package a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée. In a first step (step 710), a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée is packaged into a container. For example, in FIG. 52, a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée 711 is placed inside a package 712. The plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée 711 is disposed within the package 712. An amount of instructions is included with the package. In one example, the amount of instructions is provided on a label 713 affixed or printed directly onto the package and instructs the user on the types and amounts of cannabinoids present in each frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée. In another example, a label is also printed or affixed onto each of the plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée 711. The amount of instructions may also instruct a user on how to consume the frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée as well as provide information regarding health benefits and possible side effects.
FIG. 53 is a flowchart of a method 800 to store packages comprising a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée. For example, in a first step (step 810), a plurality of packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée are stored at a temperature that prevents the packaged frozen ice pops of cannabis juice purée from melting. For example, in FIG. 54, a plurality of packages 811 is stored in a freezer 812. The packages 811 are stored by arranging each package in a compartment of the freezer 812. The stored packages 813 are stored until they are to be distributed to dispensaries or users.
FIG. 55 is a flowchart of a method 900 in accordance with a fourth embodiment. The method 900 is a method of manufacturing and packaging a cannabis juice purée. In one specific embodiment, the packaged cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and is non-psychoactive. In another specific embodiment, the packaged cannabis juice purée has an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and an amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids. The amount of decarboxylated cannabinoids in each packaged cannabis juice purée is at least 5 mg. The packaged cannabis juice purée is not frozen and can be stored at room temperature or in a refrigerator until opened.
In a first step (step 910), a cannabis juice purée is formed. To form a packaged cannabis juice purée that is non-psychoactive, raw cannabis material having an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids is collected. For example, in FIG. 2, raw cannabis material 112 is collected by trimming leaves 113 from the cannabis plant 111, and in FIG. 3, the raw cannabis material 112 is blended in a blender 121 with water 122 and a thickening agent 123 to form a cannabis juice purée.
To form a packaged cannabis juice purée that is psychoactive, a portion of the collected raw cannabis material is heated. For example, in FIG. 13, raw cannabis material 211 is collected from a first cannabis plant 212 and a second cannabis plant 213. A first portion 214 of the raw cannabis material 211 is obtained from the first cannabis plant 212. Next, the first portion of raw cannabis material 214 is blended in a blender 221 with water 222 and a thickening agent 223 to form a non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée as shown in FIG. 14. Next, a second portion 216 of the raw cannabis material 211 is obtained from the second cannabis plant 213 as shown in FIG. 13. Next, the second portion of collected raw cannabis material is heated, as shown for example in FIG. 15. The non-decarboxylated cannabis juice purée is combined with the decarboxylated cannabis juice purée prior to packaging.
In both the non-decarboxylated embodiment and the decarboxylated embodiment of the packaged cannabis juice purée, a sweetening agent or flavoring agent is optionally added to the cannabis juice purée. The sweetening agent is selected from the group consisting of honey, stevia, fruit juice, sugar, corn syrup, or any other type of food grade sweetener. The sweetening agent provides a cannabinoid juice blend that is more palatable than if the sweetening agent were not included. Flavoring agents are optionally added to the packaged cannabis juice purée, such as fruit flavor, spice (apple, cherry, mint, tart, etc.), or any other type of food grade flavoring. Fruit juice, fruit, or vegetable material may also be added, such as blueberries, blueberry juice, carrots, or carrot juice.
In a second step (step 920), the cannabis juice purée is deposited into a container. In one example, the container is a cylindrical shaped structure having a lid. The container 921 is formed from a glass material, a plastic material, or a paper-based material. For example, in FIG. 56, the cannabis juice purée 921 is deposited into a container 922 through opening 923.
In a third step (step 930), the container having the cannabis juice purée is packaged without heating the cannabis juice purée. For example, in FIG. 57, the cannabis juice purée 921 is packaged using high pressure processing (HPP) without applying heat thereby preventing the cannabis juice purée 921 from decarboxylating during the packaging process. Conventional pasteurization methods, on the other hand, apply heat which may undesirably decarboxylate the cannabinoids in the cannabis juice purée.
During the HPP process, the cannabis juice purée 921 is loaded into a high pressure chamber filled with pressure transmitting fluid. In one example, the pressure transmitting fluid is water. The generated pressure is applied to the cannabis juice purée 921. A lid 924 is used to seal the opening 923 of the container 922. For additional information on HPP, see: (1) U.S. Pat. No. 9,277,763, entitled “Biopreservation Methods For Beverages And Other Foods”, filed Jun. 23, 2014 by Beckman et al.; (2) U.S. Pat. No. 7,906,160, entitled “Protein beverage and method of making the same”, filed Mar. 7, 2007 by Sherwood et al.; and (3) U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,726, entitled “Ultra-high pressure homogenization of unpasteurized juice”, filed Oct. 8, 1992 by Clark et al. (the subject matter of these patent documents is incorporated herein in its entirety).
FIG. 58A is a perspective diagram of the packaged cannabis juice purée with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. The packaged cannabis juice purée has 120 mg of THCa and 180 mg of CBDa. The packaged cannabis juice purée is formed by carrying out the steps set forth in method 900 such that the cannabis juice purée in the first step (step 910) has only raw, blended cannabis material. None of the collected cannabis material is heated. The packaged cannabis juice purée does not include any decarboxylated cannabinoids and the packaged cannabis juice purée is not psychoactive. In this example, the ratio of CBDa to THCa is 3:2. The amount of CBDa in each packaged cannabis juice purée is greater than the amount of THCa, and the amount of CBD in each packaged cannabis juice purée is greater than the amount of THC. In other embodiments, each packaged cannabis juice purée has ratio of CBDa to THCa taken from the group consisting of: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa). The packaged cannabis juice purée may be made to include or exclude non-cannabinoid components of the cannabis plant that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers. Non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract may also be added to the packaged cannabis juice purée to achieve high concentrations of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 58B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 58B, the packaged cannabis juice purée has 300 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant and 6,000 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 59A is a perspective diagram of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated cannabinoids. The packaged frozen ice pop of cannabis juice purée 634 is formed by carrying out the steps set forth in method 900 such that the cannabis juice purée in the first step (step 910) has raw, blended cannabis material in addition to decarboxylated cannabis infusion. The packaged cannabis juice purée includes non-decarboxylated cannabinoids and decarboxylated cannabinoids. In this example, packaged cannabis juice purée has 300 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant and 280 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated cannabis infusion.
FIG. 59B is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated cannabis infusion and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 59B, the packaged cannabis juice purée has 300 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant, 280 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated cannabis infusion, and 6,000 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 59C is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 59C, the packaged cannabis juice purée has 300 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant and 310 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 59D is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged cannabis juice purée with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 59D, the packaged cannabis juice purée has 300 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from raw cannabis plant, 310 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, and 6,000 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 60 is a flowchart of a method 1000 to store packaged containers having a cannabis juice purée. In a first step (step 1010), packaged containers having a cannabis juice purée are stored. For example, in FIG. 61, containers 1011 each having a cannabis juice purée are stored on a shelf 1012. The shelf 1012 may be part of a retail-store, a dispensary, a storage facility, or a transport vehicle.
FIG. 62 is a table 1100 that shows the therapeutic benefits of various types of cannabinoids. The amount and type of cannabinoid present in each of the embodiments can vary depending on the specific therapeutic benefits being targeted. The cannabis juice purée used in the various embodiments has at least one type of cannabinoid listed in table 1100.
FIG. 63 is a flowchart of a method 1200 in accordance with one embodiment. The method 1200 is a method of manufacturing and packaging a raw cannabis powder that comprises a pre-determined amount of cannabinoids.
In a first step (step 1210), raw cannabis material is collected. The raw cannabis material includes an amount of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. For example, in FIG. 64, raw cannabis material 1212 is collected by trimming leaves 1213 from the cannabis plant 1211. Cannabis plant 1211 is of a certain strain and has a pre-determined cannabinoid profile. The type and strain of cannabis plant that is utilized in step 1210 is selected depending on the pre-determined cannabinoid profile that the resulting raw cannabis powder is to have.
The cannabis plant 1211 is cultivated to have a specific cannabinoid profile. Different cannabinoid profiles yield different therapeutic benefits appreciated by an artisan of ordinary skill in the art. In this example, the cannabis plant 1211 has a cannabinoid profile that includes tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). The cannabis plant 1211 is selected having a cannabinoid profile where the amount of THCa and CBDa is present in a desired ratio. In the example of FIG. 64, the ratio is 3 CBDa to 2THCa. In other examples, the ratio is taken from the group consisting of: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa).
In a second step (step 1220), the raw cannabis material undergoes a drying process to form dried raw cannabis material. For example, in FIG. 65, the raw cannabis material 1212 is sun dried by exposing raw cannabis material 1212 to sun rays 1221. In one example, the raw cannabis material 1212 is left to dry in the sun for between twelve and thirty-six hours. In other embodiments, the raw cannabis material 1212 is left to dry for over thirty-six hours. Drying duration is typically dependent upon temperature and humidity, among other environmental factors. After the drying process, raw cannabis material 1212 is dried and has substantially less water in the plant material than before the drying process. The raw cannabis material 1212 may also be air dried.
In another embodiment, the raw cannabis material 1212 is dried in a food dehydrator having a plurality of shelves contained within a cabinet. A motor within the dehydrator draws air through openings. A heating mechanism within the dehydrator heats the air. A fan within the dehydrator circulates heated air throughout the system. The raw cannabis material 1212 is placed on the shelves and the dehydrator is activated until the raw cannabis material 1212 has been dried. Use of multiple industrial grade dehydrators can be employed to maximize output of the novel raw cannabis powder.
In a third step (step 1230), the dried raw cannabis material undergoes a grinding process to form a raw cannabis powder. For example, in FIG. 66, the dried cannabis material 1231 is deposited into a grinding instrument 1232 having blades 1233 actuated by an electric motor (not shown). The grinding instrument 1232 is activated causing the blades 1233 to grind the dried cannabis material 1231 into a fine powder.
In a fourth step (step 1240), the raw cannabis powder is packaged into a container. Packaged raw cannabis powder can be shipped and stored as desired. The container includes an amount of instructions indicating the amount and types of cannabinoids present in the container. For example, in FIG. 67, the raw cannabis powder 1241 is deposited into a container 1242.
FIG. 68 is an expanded view of the container 1242. The container 1242 has a screw on lid (not shown). The container 1242 comprises a first opening 1243 and a second opening 1244. The first opening 1243 is perforated allowing the raw cannabis powder 1241 to be sprinkled out of the container 1242. The second opening 1244 is open allowing more raw cannabis powder 1241 to be drawn out of the container. A measuring spoon 1245 is also provided with container 1242. The measuring spoon 1245 is insertable into the second opening 1244 and a desired amount of raw cannabis powder 1241 can be drawn. The measuring spoon 1245 includes a teaspoon serving end portion 1246 and a tablespoon serving end portion 1247. In another example, the container has only one opening that does not have perforations as in the example of FIG. 68. In yet another example, the container has only one opening that is perforated as in the example of FIG. 68.
An amount of instructions 1248 is provided along with container 1242. In the example of FIG. 68, the amount of instructions 1248 is provided as a packaging label. In other embodiments, the amount of instructions 1248 is provided in a separate pamphlet or on a web page having a URL that is provided to the purchaser of the container 1242. The amount of instructions 1248 provides information on the types of cannabinoids present in the raw cannabis powder (CBDA, THCA, etc.) and amounts of each type of cannabinoid present in a unit amount (teaspoon, tablespoon, gram, etc.) of the powder. In addition, the amount of instructions 1248 includes instructions on how to include the raw cannabis powder 1241 into a diet. For example, the amount of instructions 1248 instructs a consumer to sprinkle the raw cannabis powder 1241 into a fruit juice smoothie, to add the raw cannabis powder 1241 to cold food as seasoning, or to consume the raw cannabis powder 1241 alone.
When the raw cannabis powder 1241 is consumed in a non-decarboxylated state in which the powder has not been heated and is non-psychoactive, the instructions 1248 instruct a consumer to use one (1) Tablespoon doses of the raw cannabis powder 1241. In this example, one Tablespoon of the raw cannabis powder 1241, has approximately 120 mg of cannabinoids. The tablespoon serving end portion 1247 is provided for this purpose. By using one Tablespoon doses of raw cannabis powder 1241, a consumer can ensure consistent dosing of cannabinoids each time the powder 1241 is used. Moreover, if more cannabinoids are desired, then the number of doses can be increased and the consumer will still know the amount of cannabinoids being consumed.
The amount of instructions 1248 also include instructions on how to decarboxylate cannabinoids contained within the raw cannabis powder 1241. For example, the amount of instructions 1248 instructs a consumer to add the raw cannabis powder 1241 to a hot beverage, such as tea, or to cook the raw cannabis powder 1241 in butter or oil. The amount of instructions 1248 also include instructions on how to use the raw cannabis powder 1241 to prepare cannabis infused butter. The cannabis infused butter is useful for cooking and baking cannabis products. Additional recipes are provided within the packaging or on a web page having a URL that is provided to the consumer.
When the raw cannabis powder 1241 is consumed in a decarboxylated state in which the powder has been heated and may be psychoactive, the instructions 1248 instruct a consumer to use half (1⁄2) Teaspoon doses of the decarboxylated raw cannabis powder. In this example, a half Teaspoon of the decarboxylated raw cannabis powder has approximately 20 mg of cannabinoids. The teaspoon serving end portion 1246 is provided for this purpose. By using half Teaspoon doses of decarboxylated raw cannabis powder, a consumer can ensure consistent dosing of decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 69 is a perspective diagram of the packaged raw cannabis powder with only non-decarboxylated cannabinoids. The packaged raw cannabis powder has pre-determined amount of cannabinoids. In this example, the packaged raw cannabis powder has a total of 40 mg of cannabinoids per gram of raw cannabis powder comprising 14 mg of THCa per gram of raw cannabis powder and 26 mg of CBDa per gram of raw cannabis powder. The amount of CBDa in the packaged raw cannabis powder is greater than the amount of THCa. The packaged raw cannabis powder is formed and packaged by carrying out the steps set forth in method 1200. The packaged raw cannabis powder does not include any decarboxylated cannabinoids and the packaged raw cannabis powder is not psychoactive.
The packaged raw cannabis powder has a predetermined ratio of cannabinoids. In one example, the packaged raw cannabis powder has a ratio of CBDa to THCa that is 3:2. In other embodiments, the packaged raw cannabis powder has ratio of CBDa to THCa taken from the group consisting of: 2 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 1 THCa, 1 CBDa to 2 THCa, 1 CBDa to 3 THCa, 3 CBDa to 1 THCa, 0 CBDa to 1 THCa (no CBDa, only THCa), and 1 CBDa to 0 THCa (no THCa, only CBDa). The packaged raw cannabis powder may be made to include or exclude non-cannabinoid components of the cannabis plant that include terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers. Non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract may also be added to the raw cannabis powder to achieve high concentrations of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids, as shown described in other embodiments below.
FIG. 70 is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged raw cannabis powder with added non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 70, the packaged raw cannabis powder has 40 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram of powder from raw cannabis plant and 500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram of powder from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. High concentrate cannabis extract is added before or after the grinding step. If the high concentrate cannabis extract is added after the grinding step, then the raw cannabis powder must be thoroughly mixed so that the high concentrate cannabis extract is evenly distributed ensuring consistent doses of cannabinoids.
FIG. 71 is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged raw cannabis powder with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of FIG. 71, the packaged raw cannabis powder has 40 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram of powder from raw cannabis plant and 105 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram of powder from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 72 is a perspective diagram of another embodiment of a packaged raw cannabis powder with added decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract. In the example of 72, the packaged raw cannabis powder has 40 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram of powder from raw cannabis plant, 105 mg of decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram of powder from decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, and 500 mg of non-decarboxylated cannabinoids per gram of powder from non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract.
FIG. 73 is a flowchart of a method 1300 to store packaged containers having raw cannabis powder. In a first step (step 1310), packaged raw cannabis powder containers having a raw cannabis powder are stored. For example, in FIG. 74, containers 1311 each having a raw cannabis powder are stored on a shelf 1312. The shelf 1312 may be part of a retail-store, a dispensary, a storage facility, or a transport vehicle.
FIG. 75 is a flowchart of a method 1400 in accordance with another novel aspect. In a first step (step 1410), a first amount of a first cannabis mixture having a first cannabinoid profile is combined with a second amount of a second cannabis mixture having a second cannabinoid profile. The first cannabinoid profile is different from the second cannabinoid profile. For example, in FIG. 76, the cannabis mixtures are raw cannabis powders. A first raw cannabis powder 1411 is combined with a second raw cannabis powder 1412 in a mixing bowl 1413. The first raw cannabis powder 1411 has a first cannabinoid profile of 15 CBDa to 1 THCa, and the second raw cannabis powder 1412 has a second cannabinoid profile of 5 CBDa to 1 THCa.
In a second step (step 1420), the combined the first amount of the first cannabis mixture and the second amount of the second cannabis mixture are mixed to obtain a third cannabis mixture. The third cannabis mixture has a third cannabinoid profile that is dependent upon the first amount, the first cannabinoid profile, the second amount, and the second cannabinoid profile. The third cannabis mixture has a substantially uniform third cannabinoid profile throughout the mixture. For example, in FIG. 77, the combined first raw cannabis powder 1411 and second raw cannabis powder 1412 are mixed using standing mixer 1414. Standing mixer is a conventional mixing apparatus having a mixing beater 1415. In one example, the mixer 1414 is activated at a medium setting for five minutes for every two pounds of mixture. A third cannabis powder 1416 is obtained having a uniform third cannabinoid profile as a result of thorough mixing. By mixing an appropriate amount of the first raw cannabis powder 1411 with an appropriate amount of the second raw cannabis powder 1412, the third raw cannabis powder 1416 is obtained having the third cannabinoid profile of 10 CBDa to 1 THCa. In other embodiments, the mixing is performed by using a hand whisk or a hand mixer. In yet other embodiments, the combined mixtures are placed into bag and are shaken repeatedly for several minutes until the combined mixture is thoroughly mixed. In yet another embodiment, a commercial mass-scale mixing device is used in tandem with an assembly line to deposit the mixture into several containers per minute.
In a third step (step 1430), the third cannabis mixture is packaged into a container. An amount of instructions are provided along with the package that indicates the cannabinoid profile per unit serving. The cannabinoid profile includes amounts and types of cannabinoids per unit serving. For example, in FIG. 78, the third raw cannabis powder 1416 is packaged into container 1417. An amount of instructions 1418 is a label affixed to the container 1417 indicating amount and types of cannabinoids in a unit serving of the third raw cannabis powder 1416.
The method 1400 is utilized to provide a container having raw cannabis powder derived from two or more cannabis plants. In one embodiment, a container is provided that has an amount of raw cannabis powder formed from at least two cannabis plants each having the same cannabinoid profile. For example, a first portion of the raw cannabis powder is formed from a first cannabis plant that has a pre-determined cannabinoid profile, for example 10 CBD to 1 THCa. A second portion of the raw cannabis powder is formed from a second cannabis plant that has the same pre-determined cannabinoid profile of the first cannabis plant. In another embodiment, a container is provided that has an amount of raw cannabis powder formed from at least cannabis plants each having different cannabinoid profiles. For example, a first portion of the raw cannabis powder is formed from a first cannabis plant that has a first pre-determined cannabinoid profile, for example 15 CBD to 1 THCa. A second portion of the raw cannabis powder is formed from a second cannabis plant that has a second pre-determined cannabinoid profile, for example, 5 CBD to 1 THCa. By providing appropriate amounts of the first portion derived from the first cannabis plant and appropriate amounts of the second portion derived from the second cannabis plant, the raw cannabis powder can have a desired cannabinoid profile. In this fashion, a raw cannabis powder having a desired cannabinoid profile can be obtained by mixing two or more raw cannabis powders.
In one specific embodiment, a raw cannabis powder is desired that has a cannabinoid profile with a CBDa to THCa ratio of 10 CBDa to 1 THCa. Rather than investing resources in growing and cultivating a cannabis plant with the desired cannabinoid profile, the powder with the desired cannabinoid profile can be obtained by the novel blending method. First, one pound of a first raw cannabis powder having a cannabinoid profile of 15 CBDa to 1THCa is obtained. Next, one pound of a second raw cannabis powder having a cannabinoid profile of 5 CBDa to 1THCa is obtained. Next, the first raw cannabis powder is blended together with the second raw cannabis powder to obtain two pounds of a third raw cannabis powder. The third raw cannabis powder is mixed thoroughly so that the mixture uniform. The resulting third raw cannabis powder has a cannabinoid profile with a CBDa to THCa ratio of 10 CBDa to 1 THCa. After the blending process, the third raw cannabis powder is packaged into individual containers.
In another specific embodiment, a raw cannabis powder is desired that has a cannabinoid profile with a CBDa to THCa to CBGa ratio of 10 CBDa to 10 THCa to 2 CBGa. Rather than investing resources in growing and cultivating a cannabis plant with the desired cannabinoid profile, the powder with the desired cannabinoid profile can be obtained by the novel blending method. First, one pound of a first raw cannabis powder having a cannabinoid profile of 10 CBDa to 1THCa to 1 CBGa is obtained. Next, one pound of a second raw cannabis powder having a cannabinoid profile of 1 CBDa to 10 THCa to 2 CBGa is obtained. Next, the first raw cannabis powder is blended together with the second raw cannabis powder to obtain two pounds of a third raw cannabis powder. The third raw cannabis powder is mixed thoroughly so that the mixture uniform. The resulting third raw cannabis powder has a cannabinoid profile with a CBDa to THCa to CBGa ratio of 10 CBDa to 10 THCa to 2 CBGa. After the blending process, the third raw cannabis powder is packaged into individual containers.
In other embodiments, instead of combining two cannabis powders, other types of cannabis mixtures are combined. In one embodiment, two or more cannabis tinctures, each having a different cannabinoid profile, are combined to obtain a cannabis tincture having a desired cannabinoid profile. In another embodiment, two or more cannabis infused oils, each having a different cannabinoid profile, are combined to obtain a cannabis infused oil having a desired cannabinoid profile. In yet another embodiment, two or more cannabis extracts, each having a different cannabinoid profile, are combined to obtain a cannabis extract having a desired cannabinoid profile. The cannabis mixtures to be combined may be different types of cannabis products. A cannabis mixture having decarboxylated cannabinoids can be blended together with another cannabis mixture having non-decarboxylated cannabinoids.
FIG. 79 is a perspective diagram of a packaged cannabis mixture 1419. The packaged cannabis mixture 1419 has a desired cannabinoid profile that is obtained by combining two or more cannabis mixtures. No particular strain of cannabis plant having the desired cannabinoid profile is needed nor does such a cannabis plant need to be cultivated. In the example of FIG. 79, the packaged cannabis mixture 1419 includes the third raw cannabis powder 1416 as shown packaged in FIG. 78. The third raw cannabis powder 1416 has a cannabinoid profile of 10 CBDa to 1 THCa which is obtained without having to cultivate a cannabis plant having a cannabinoid profile of 10 CBDa to 1 THCa.
Although certain specific embodiments are described above for instructional purposes, the teachings of this patent document have general applicability and are not limited to the specific embodiments described above. For example, in addition to THC and CBD, other combinations of cannabinoids can be employed. For example, CBG is another cannabinoid that can be present in certain strains of cannabis. Non-decarboxylated CBG (CBGa) and decarboxylated CBG (CBG) can be used in forming the cannabis juice purée.In addition, CBN is another cannabinoid that can be present in certain strains of cannabis. Non-decarboxylated CBN (CBNa) and decarboxylated CBN (CBN) can be used in forming the cannabis juice purée. In addition, other cannabis strains with various terpene profiles can be added to the cannabis juice purée in the various embodiments. In addition, other cannabis strains with various terpene profiles can be added to the cannabis juice purée in the various embodiments. In some embodiments, roots of the cannabis plant are also used. For example, in making the cannabis juice purée, cannabis plant roots are added into the blender during the blending process. In the process of grinding raw cannabis plant to generate a raw cannabis powder, cannabis plant roots can be added to the grinder. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

## Claims

1. A method comprising:
obtaining cannabis plant material of a cannabis plant;
drying the cannabis plant material to obtain dried cannabis plant material;
grinding the dried cannabis plant material to obtain raw cannabis powder, wherein all of the cannabis plant material of the cannabis plant is converted into the raw cannabis powder, wherein the raw cannabis powder comprises non-decarboxylated cannabinoids that include cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), wherein the CBDA and the THCA are present in accordance with a ratio, and wherein the ratio is taken from the group consisting of: 3 CBDA:1 THCA, 3 CBDA:2 THCA, 2 CBDA:1 THCA, 4 CBDA:1 THCA, 20 CBDA:1 THCA, 30 CBDA:1 THCA, 1 CBDA:1 THCA, 1 CBDA:4 THCA, 1 CBDA:2 THCA, 2 CBDA:3 THCA, 1 CBDA:3 THCA, 1 CBDA:20 THCA, and 1 CBDA:30 THCA; and
packaging the raw cannabis powder into a container, wherein the container includes instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the drying of cannabis plant material involves sun drying the cannabis plant material or placing the cannabis plant material into a dehydrating system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the grinding of the dried cannabis plant material causes the dried cannabis plant material to be converted into a finely ground powder having a mesh value between 10 and 300.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
adding high concentrate cannabis extract, wherein the high concentrate cannabis extract comprises at least one of: non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, or both decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract and non-decarboxylated high concentrate cannabis extract, and wherein the adding of the high concentrate cannabis extract occurs after the drying or after the grinding.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the packaging involves air tight sealing or vacuum sealing the raw cannabis powder within the container.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions includes a first set of instructions that directs a consumer to remove raw cannabis powder from the container and add the removed raw cannabis powder to a cold beverage, to cold food, or consume directly, and wherein the instructions includes a second set of instructions that directs a consumer to remove raw cannabis powder from the container and decarboxylate the removed raw cannabis powder by adding the raw cannabis powder to heated oil or butter, by adding the raw cannabis powder to hot tea, or by adding the raw cannabis powder into preparation of hot foods.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cannabis plant material includes at least one non-cannabinoid component taken from the group consisting of: terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers, and wherein if the cannabis plant includes flowers, then the cannabis plant material includes the flowers of the cannabis plant.

8. A container comprising:
raw cannabis powder formed by grinding and drying cannabis plant material of a cannabis plant, wherein all of the cannabis plant material of the cannabis plant is converted into the raw cannabis powder, wherein the raw cannabis powder comprises non-decarboxylated cannabinoids that include cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), wherein the CBDA and the THCA are present in accordance with a ratio, and wherein the ratio is taken from the group consisting of: 3 CBDA:1 THCA, 3 CBDA:2 THCA, 2 CBDA:1 THCA, 4 CBDA:1 THCA, 20 CBDA:1 THCA, 30 CBDA:1 THCA, 1 CBDA:1 THCA, 1 CBDA:4 THCA, 1 CBDA:2 THCA, 2 CBDA:3 THCA, 1 CBDA:3 THCA, 1 CBDA:20 THCA, and 1 CBDA:30 THCA.

9. The container of claim 8, wherein the container is air tight sealed or vacuum sealed, wherein the container has associated instructions provided with the container, and wherein the instructions indicate types and amounts of cannabinoids present in the raw cannabis powder per unit measurement of powder.

10. The container of claim 8, wherein the raw cannabis powder includes at least one component taken from the group consisting of: terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers.

11. The container of claim 8, wherein the raw cannabis powder includes high concentrate cannabis extract.

12. A method comprising:
obtaining raw cannabis material of a cannabis plant;
drying the raw cannabis material to obtain dried raw cannabis material;
grinding the dried raw cannabis material to obtain raw cannabis powder, wherein all of the raw cannabis material of the cannabis plant is converted into the raw cannabis powder, wherein the raw cannabis powder comprises non-decarboxylated cannabinoids that include cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), wherein the CBDA and the THCA are present in accordance with a ratio, and wherein the ratio is taken from the group consisting of: 3 CBDA:1 THCA, 3 CBDA:2 THCA, 2 CBDA:1 THCA, 4 CBDA:1 THCA, 20 CBDA:1 THCA, 30 CBDA:1 THCA, 1 CBDA:1 THCA, 1 CBDA:4 THCA, 1 CBDA:2 THCA, 2 CBDA:3 THCA, 1 CBDA:3 THCA, 1 CBDA:20 THCA, and 1 CBDA:30 THCA; and
packaging the raw cannabis powder into a container, wherein the container includes instructions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the raw cannabis powder includes at least one component taken from the group consisting of: terpenes, fatty acids, aminoacids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and dietary fibers.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the drying involves sun drying the raw cannabis material or placing the raw cannabis material into a dehydrating system.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the grinding causes the dried raw cannabis material to be converted into a finely ground powder having a mesh value between 10 and 300.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the packaging involves air tight sealing or vacuum sealing the raw cannabis powder within the container.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the instructions includes a first set of instructions that directs a consumer to remove raw cannabis powder from the container and to add the removed raw cannabis powder to a cold beverage, to cold food, or consume directly, and wherein the instructions includes a second set of instructions that directs a consumer to remove raw cannabis powder from the container and decarboxylate the raw cannabis powder by adding the raw cannabis powder to heated oil or butter, by adding the raw cannabis powder to hot tea, or by adding the raw cannabis powder into preparation of hot foods.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the raw cannabis powder further comprises at least one cannabinoid taken from the group consisting of: cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA), cannabidivarin acid (CBDVA), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabidivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabivarin acid (THCVA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinerolic acid (CBNA), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBNVA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), and cannabicyclol acid (CBLA).

19. The container of claim 8, wherein the raw cannabis powder further comprises at least one cannabinoid taken from the group consisting of: cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA), cannabidivarin acid (CBDVA), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabidivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabivarin acid (THCVA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinerolic acid (CBNA), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBNVA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), and cannabicyclol acid (CBLA).

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the raw cannabis powder further comprises at least one cannabinoid taken from the group consisting of: cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA), cannabidivarin acid (CBDVA), cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabidivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabivarin acid (THCVA), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinerolic acid (CBNA), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBNVA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicyclol (CBL), and cannabicyclol acid (CBLA).