We speak with a panel of cleanroom technology experts about biosecurity programs for commercial cannabis.
Table of Contents
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Cleanroom technology may be a new concept to legacy growers and producers, however, as regulations and standards for cannabis cultivation continue to evolve, it pays to understand cross-contamination and facility disinfection solutions.
For the last several months, we’ve been covering this topic with Ron Romano, President of SafetyNet America. With years of experience working in the hospital industry, Romano has acquired an entourage of cleanroom technology specialists and experts.
Cleanroom Technology Solutions
In 2015, Denver Journalists published industry-disrupting news about contaminated cannabis products – ultimately leading to changes in how products are tested for contaminants and toxins.
That same year, during a keynote address at the Marijuana Business Conference and Expo, former Presidential candidate, Ralph Nader said,
“Proper regulation is the best aspirin you could ever have, other than marijuana. We’ve got to have standards of inspection, for, say, pesticides, for fungus, for rot. We have to have standards of advertising and truth, so we don’t get hit with lawsuits.”
And his words still ring true today.
In July of last year, Colorado enacted new rules regarding testing for certain molds, most notably, aspergillus. So far in 2023, there have already been two published recalls. One for more than 200 harvests — more than a year’s worth of work – because of molds and improperly tested products.
Losses like these can be avoided with a bio-security program.
For the last 3 months, we’ve been featuring a video series about the importance of implementing a full IPM program to help prevent problems like these before they start.
- We started with over-viewing the importance of IPM with Industry Expert Ellis Smith of American Cannabis to highlight the importance of pathogen decontamination and we introduced Ron Romano from SafetyNet America to explain how bio-security is a critical component of IPM.
- In episode two, we brought in Milan Patel, from PathogenDx to discuss the importance of testing the entire facility to identify the invisible contaminants within a facility and uncover potential problem areas – then utilize the right technology to fix the issues. And they worked with us on a project to test and treat a commercial cannabis facility for a real-world case study.
- Now today, we close out this three-part series with brief summary of the results from that project, and breakdown of the various technologies they used, and discuss each component in detail.
Our Panelists for today’s Cleanroom Technology discussion include:
SafetyNet America (https://safetynetamerica.com/)
Ron Romano, President
Jim Harris, Director of Business Development
Clearstream Technologies (https://www.thinkclearstream.com/)
Tony Daddona, Chief Operating Officer
Products include: BioTrexx – Antimicrobial, mPulse Hand Sanitizer, and mPower Antimicrobial Laundry Detergent Addressing Biosecurity segments: Personnel Compliance -mPulse & mPower), Hard Surface Disinfection (BioTrexx and Air Purification)
Aquaox Solutions Unlimited LLC (https://www.aquaox.com/)
Michel van Schaik, Partner and COO
Products include: Aqauox Disinfectants and HOCL Generators
Addressing Biosecurity segments: Hard Surface Disinfection and Water Purification
ESS Electrostatic Sprayers (https://maxcharge.com/)
Bruce Whiting, President & CEO
Products include: ESS Electrostatic Spraying Systems
Addressing Biosecurity Segments: Hard Surface Disinfection, Plant Health and Disinfection
Advanced UV Systems (https://www.advanceduvsystems.com/)
Jim Psihas, President & CEO
Products include: UV Box (Personnel Compliance) BP3131, (Air Purification)
Addressing Biosecurity segments: Personnel Compliance and Air Purification
Learn More About Safety Net
If you’d like to learn more about SafetyNet and the solutions they offer, you can find their products on the Cannabis Tech Marketplace, or feel free to reach out to them directly at info@safetynet.com.
If you’d like to learn about getting your products listed on the Cannabis Tech Marketplace, or scheduling your own panel discussion on Cannabis Tech, you can reach out to us at info@cannabistech.com.
