The emerging #cannabis industry is not just about growing pot plants. Increasingly, it involves pushing the boundaries of technology to achieve goals in completely new terrain under legalization.

Cannabis companies increasingly find themselves in a position where they are not only among the first to legally sell these products, but are having to invent methods and technologies to help them meet demands, improve quality, and innovate in a brand new space.

We spoke with cannabis industry businesses about how they’re using and advancing technology within the cannabis space, specifically with regards to hardware like vaporizers, decarboxylators, lighting, extraction and more.

“Over the past two years, we have prioritized researching new methods to vaporize both oil and flower, as fundamental flaws have become apparent in traditional devices. In our case, researching new technology required intense scrutiny of heating methods used in other industries and how they could be beneficial in the cannabis industry. We just launched a product called the Dr. Dabber SWITCH, which is the first commercially available vaporizer that uses induction heating. The benefits of this new technology include incredibly efficient power management, unparalleled speed and, arguably most important, the ability to completely seal off the electronic components from the heating area. Using induction heating effectively solved a lot of the issues found with using traditional methods. You can’t expect to do the same thing over and over again and get better results. In an industry as young as ours, pushing the envelope and bringing innovative technologies to your customer is what sets you apart.” — Pantelis Ataliotis, President, Dr. Dabber

“Our goal at Dipstick Vapes is to make concentrate consumption more approachable. Our innovative Vapor Tip Atomizer Dipper attachment allows users to consume concentrate right from its container and removes that stigmatic blowtorch from the equation. We believe it’s imperative to use technology to carry the industry forward into normalization.” — Mike Bologna, CEO, Dipstick Vapes

“At the outset, the cannabis business was not technology laden. With the increased economic opportunity and increased production demands, good manufacturing processes were necessary for innovation and growth. HighTech Extracts has delivered high-volume production systems with computer managed consistency, operable remotely. Production is now 24/7 with minimal direct labor costs.” — Norman Olson, Director of Marketing & Business Affairs, Hightech Extracts

“Ardent was developed at the intersection of plant medicine and modern technology. We give cannabis patients and consumers access to discreet, precision decarboxylation at home with the simple press of a button. Based on scientific research and patient care, The Nova’s cannabis technology allows us to provide customers with an easy-to-use solution to degradation and confusion surrounding dosing, while giving them access to dispensary grade products at home for the fraction of the cost.” — Shanel Lindsay, Founder and President, Ardent

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“The cannabis industry is still in its infancy and it is already starting to strain energy grids around the country. Fohse is keenly aware of this issue, which is why we’ve focused our efforts around developing new technologies to tackle this problem. For example our flagship product, the G2V, is an LED solution that can go pound-for-pound against HPS fixtures. Consider that alongside a 45% reduction in cooling needs, 100% reduction in bulb maintenance, and over 30% reduction in overall energy consumption and you begin to see our commitment to innovating efficiencies into the cannabis industry.” — James Bradley, Chief Marketing Officer, Fohse

“Technology advancement in cannabis is developing quickly, which leads to increased efficiency and reduced costs in many cases. SinglePoint is developing and investing in many different technologies ranging from payment systems to automated vape pen filling machines. Technology is going to have a big impact on the next wave of cannabis entrepreneurs and as the industry matures those that embrace these systems could enjoy a much more streamlined and profitable business.” — Wil Ralston, President, SinglePoint

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“Consumption technologies are a key component in the industry. With pending federal regulation, the need for consistent delivery will be a big concern. Products like the X-Pro Series, with its revolutionary patent-pending ceramic coil, allows for better absorption of concentrates with high viscosity and reduces the risk of degrading the concentrate over time as the middle post doesn’t overheat the oil. Degraded oil influence the consistent delivery and the end user experience.

Another technology which will be scrutinized is the battery. In optimal devices which allow for pre-heating and multiple voltage settings, the protection circuit board (PCB) is the “heart” of Lithium battery pack. It will protect Lithium battery pack from overcharging, over-discharging and over-drain, it is a must have to avoid battery explosions, fire and damage. When looking at the cheaper batteries coming from China, we estimate that over 50% of currently on the market don’t have this protection.” — Sasha Aksenov, Co-CEO The Blinc Group