In Elvas, Portugal, lies a 10,000-square-meter greenhouse where GreenBe Pharma produces EU GMP medicinal cannabis. "We focus on sustainable and efficient cultivation of high quality cannabis flowers that are available for the medicinal market worldwide." In a new video, the company gives a tour of their production process.
Selection of genetics
The team explains that they carefully select elite cultivars from international breeding programs. "After a two-week quarantine period to ensure plant health, we propagate these cultivars in our mother room to maintain genetic stability and uniformity. Our team regularly renews mother plants to uphold vigor and quality. Our propagation team carefully conditions each one-day cutting to grow into a strong and productive plant in our greenhouse. This phase is crucial in establishing the foundation for healthy and robust plants that will thrive throughout the rest of the production process."
Vegetative growth
Once rooted, the plants are transferred to one of the company's 9 vegetative rooms. "Here, they undergo a period of careful cultivation. Our team of engineers has designed state-of-the-art control systems to manage environmental factors, such as lighting, nutrition, irrigation and CO2 levels, ensuring optimal growth conditions for each strain."
Flowering
After the vegetative phase, the plants are relocated to isolated rooms where they undergo the flowering phase. "During this critical phase, our team closely monitors the plants to ensure they express their phenotypic characteristics fully. This attention to detail allows us to achieve a compact and healthy flower, with the desired levels of cannabinoids, terpenes and other compounds, while maintaining high quality and safety standards," the team says.
Harvesting
Following the flowering phase, the flowers are delicately separated from the final plant architecture. "Using specialized equipment, we ensure a gentle and precise harvest, preserving the integrity of the flowers during the whole process."
Post-harvest and manufacturing
The harvested flowers are then transported to the company's processing facility, located just meters away from the greenhouse. "Here, the flowers undergo meticulous trimming and refining processes to ensure the highest quality end product. Skilled technicians utilize specialized equipment to carefully remove excess plant material and refine the flowers to meet our strict quality standards. This essential step enhances the appearance and overall quality of the final product, preparing it for further processing and packaging. To assist the drying process, we use a movable system of drying trolleys and multi-trays. All environmental factors in the dynamic drying rooms can be adjusted independently at any time to provide alternative product references based on customer requirements while adhering to international Pharmacopeia regulations."
Quality control
Quality control is next. "In our in-house laboratory, our staff conducts a battery of analytical tests on each batch, including tests for cannabinoids, humidity control, and other parameters. We use HPLC equipment supported by NIR technology to ensure the highest levels of accuracy and reliability."
Packaging and distribution
Once the flowers have passed the company's rigorous quality control checks, they are packed in bulk in 500 gram batches. "A portion of each batch is stored in our sample library for future reference, ensuring traceability and accountability throughout the process."
For more information:
GreenBe Pharma
www.greenbepharma.com