Use an ETS or Delta CUP extraction system? Prepare to get sued

Hash and Stuff Extraction
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Gene Pool alleges Green Thumb’s use of ExtractionTek MeP 30 and other closed-loop hydrocarbon extraction systems infringes five extraction patents and essentially the parallel case against Cresco, again targeting ExtractionTek equipment and the method used to operate it for commercial cannabis extraction.

these aren’t lawsuits claiming Cresco or GTI copied somebody’s extractor design. Gene Pool is suing the cannabis companies for using commercially purchased ExtractionTek equipment. The complaints identify the MeP 30/ExtractionTek method and allege that operating the systems to extract cannabis practices Gene Pool’s patented claims

If Gene Pool gets a favorable judgment against one of the country’s largest processors or forces a royalty bearing settlement it could have implications for every operator using comparable closed-loop hydrocarbon architecture.

Cold ethanol extraction is also part of the cannabis patent fight.

Global IP Holdings owns two active patents, US 10,507,407 and US 10,814,248, that cover specific low temperature ethanol extraction methods originally developed by Capna IP. The patents focus on processes using ethanol cooled to roughly negative 30 to negative 50 Celsius, extracting cannabinoids from cannabis, then evaporating and recovering the solvent and further processing the extract.

That does not mean someone owns the idea of ethanol extraction itself. Patent infringement comes down to whether a company is actually practicing the specific steps contained in the patent claims. But a lot of modern commercial cryogenic ethanol workflows look close enough that companies are now being sued over them.

Global IP sued Verano in 2025 and specifically pointed to its use of a CUP 30 ethanol extraction system and a process involving cold ethanol, solvent recovery and vacuum processing.

They also sued AYR Wellness in 2025 over the same two patents.

Kria Botanicals was sued over its use of a CUP 15 ethanol extraction system, with allegations involving cold ethanol extraction, falling film solvent recovery and wiped film or vacuum processing.

GVB Biopharma has also been sued over ultra low temperature ethanol extraction followed by evaporation, solvent recovery and vacuum processing.

Columbia Care Eastern Virginia was sued in 2026 over its cold and cryogenic ethanol extraction process.

FGM Processing is also facing a 2026 case involving similar cold ethanol extraction allegations.

Equipment manufacturers have been pulled into this too. Global IP previously sued Root Sciences over cryogenic ethanol extraction equipment. That case was voluntarily dismissed, but the patents themselves were not invalidated by that dismissal.

So the issue is not that every person using ethanol is automatically infringing a patent. The issue is that some of the most common commercial workflows in cannabis extraction are close enough to existing patent claims that patent holders are actively testing them in court.

If your process is basically cold ethanol extraction followed by filtration, solvent recovery, vacuum processing and further refinement, this is not just an academic patent issue anymore. Large cannabis operators, smaller processors and equipment companies have all been targeted.

Summary: You are all fucked

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It boggles the mind how these asshats think they can sue people over technology invented in early 1800s.
These sort of cockroaches are the worst.

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Wow, pretty crazy that they’re actually suing an operator.

I remember years ago when ETS was fighting them, they did manage to get some of the claims knocked out in the patent courts. Looks like Gene Pool is now using the surviving claims to go after people.

If I remember correctly, ETS basically went under while fighting these claims. Pinnacle ended up taking over the assets, and Zach later formed Fluxwerx.

Will be interesting to see how this plays out now that they’re going after companies with the resources to really fight it.

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Good fuckin luck suing an operator lol

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This could result in Gene Pool getting defanged by tossing out their surviving claims with prior art arguments. I’d imagine Green Thumb won’t go down easy on this.

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I’m imagining GTI buying Gene Pool and suing everyone else :rofl:

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Gene pools biggest operator win was against Coastal Harvest and ANM. In August 2025, the federal court entered judgments of $836,330.42 against Coastal Harvest and $2,042,469.63 against ANM, about $2.88 million total.

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No appeals? Was it actually paid out?

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No appeals. Default judgement.

Genepool was looking for investors to fund their ip lawsuits so as soon as they win from a big fish they will use that to scoop up the little ones. Eventually they will offer licensing deals and profit shares to people that don’t want to be sued.

Too bad all the equipment companies lost all their money.

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You’re rooting for this retardation?

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Imagine targeting companies with negative net margins.

waste of time and resources.

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Hey gene pool,

Charles Frédéric Kuhlmann would like a word about how you’ve been suing people using his IP. He is not happy.

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Edit:

Robertson would be pissed too. (1848)
John R. Matchett/Wollner too! (1938)

@Graywolf / Skunkpharm with QWET back in 2010

and more recently:

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So go fuck yourself Gene Pool?

How the fuck can I google better than lawyers losing millions of dollars to these scumbags?

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RM3 Labs! I haven’t laughed about that situation in such a long time lmao

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Saw this coming for years.

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Same. Surprised it took so long. They really fumbled not doing this after the mergers.

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Aren’t you for law and order? Who did you vote for?

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That’s paper value. They will go after all their tangible assets. Land, building, heavy machinery.

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Not judicial supremacy. Judges have far too much power.

This is common sense in 2020s.. it’s not a novel idea that should be patentable.

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I’d argue the majority of operators are renting and most of the “heavy machinery” aka capna junk and floodable centrifuges are pretty low value at this point. The lawyer costs will negate gains outside of putting people out of biz (they’re already all switching / going out of biz anyway)

But what do I know :woman_shrugging:

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Default Judgement means the company they sued never responded. LOL its not really a win. It means the company they sued was already out of business or didnt care enough to even respond. Doesnt mean they got any money, most likely they haven’t.

Cresco and Verano, have real lawyers with money. They wont win against them. Especially if they don’t have a lot of money to fund lawsuits.

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