I’d like to create a thread of the things in the entire spectrum of the Cannabis world that people should be aware of. Things that rookies might do, that experts never would. For example; evaporating alcohol with a gas flame stove top, or using pentane and/or hexane in a room with no ventilation, or not knowing how to verify a seller is legitimate before sending money or personal information, or using county irrigation water without a proper filtration system.
I am reaching out to all the experts on this site, or people who have learned the hard way, to share what you think needs to be common knowledge.
We just had our first CBD related death and it was from a known chemical interaction. Cytochrome P-450 was first mentioned on this site back in August of 2018, specifically in the case of how CBD reacts with it.
I believe we need to share our wealth of knowledge with each other so that each of us can spread it amongst our own friends, customers, and patients. We are all playing in the game of medicine, and if the FDA and HHS don’t want to play ball with us and help us do things properly, then we must do it ourselves.
Any sound, verifiable advice on any subject, be it farm, lab, health or business is appreciated! Let’s keep everyone safe and healthy!
Dont open blast inside without ventilation; on shag carpet with only socks on.
Static discharge is a very real danger that is often overlooked. Ground everything.
I see alot of hemp facilities running diaphragm pumps that aren’t grounded. Doesn’t matter if it’s a polymer body; the static buildup is from the air molecules moving and brushing up against each other and whatnot; itll build up a static charge; and without a means of dissipating that charge potential; things can go south very quickly if conditions are right.
Here’s another one that’s super important; and imo; the most important rule of any chem lab; besides proper PPE of course.
Its simple.
If you spill something like a solvent or other volatile; clean it up immediately; drop whatever your doing if you can; and clean it up; more time on the ground means more time for the solvent to volatilize and fill the lab with fumes. Depending on how large the spill is; there is a potential for there to be a large amount of surface area for the solvent to volatilize from.
Always remember to turn your torch off when dabbing. Deaths from this are a lot more common than people think. Most of the time it’s before they go to sleep. Sometimes they wake up engulfed in flames and are lucky enough to get away with just burns, but sometimes it’s too late.
Don’t make promises of payment to people based on hypothetical returns and no real experience.
Always test your starting material before buying it.
Hire consultants that come with multiple recommendations that you can call personally.
Don’t smoke in a lab during operation. Period.
Be helpful to others. You never know when it will come back.
Don’t be a dick to others. You never know when it will come back.
Invest all of your profit back into yourself for 2 years starting. Don’t get weed rich and buy a new car like an asshole.
Pay close attention to your taxes.
Be professional. Just because this is the weed biz doesn’t mean that people are cool with you being unorganized and behind on schedule.
Take risks, but make sure they are well calculated.
This is all common sense stuff that I see people not following almost daily. Every action causes a reaction. You never know when someone either is or will become important enough to help you level up or ruin you.
So come correct. Always. Whether it’s a favor you are doing for free or a $10m project. It’s not hard to stand out in people’s memory in these circles.
Just step outside! I don’t care if it’s a .5% chance of something going wrong. It looks really bad and is a sure fire way to not get recommended or asked to fuck off.
Get a crystal clear contract every single time you make a transaction.
Don’t perform chemical reactions outside of a fume hood.
Clean as you go, and don’t work on more that one process at a time until you have a routine to follow.
Trust, but verify. A resume is just a way to get in the door, multi-day working interviews and aptitude tests are required when you’re working with this amount of money in product and equipment.
If you see a red flag, don’t ignore it. Even if it means an uncomfortable conversation over something that may seem insignificant at the time, of you take issue with something make it known and have a discussion about it.
deal with problems as they arise and don’t let them snowball.
Do not cut corners, ever.
Being overly thorough will maybe add a few minutes to each task, but ensures that you never have to spend a day or a week or a month cleaning up a catastrophe.
By rushing things you are just stealing from tomorrow- and tomorrow will always come looking for your debts.
