CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/188,335 filed on May 13, 2021, and incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This application generally relates to the field of hashish products as well as industrial methods of manufacturing same.

BACKGROUND

[0003] With stage-wise legalization of cannabis-based consumer products in Canada and eventually in various other areas in the world, advancements in extraction technology, industrial scale production and accessibility to a wide variety of forms have accelerated to fulfill emerging demands. Hashish (or hash) is one example of a cannabis-based product, typically used for recreational or medicinal (i.e. , health and wellness) purposes, for which there is an increasing consumer demand.

[0004] Hashish is a concentrated derivative of cannabis plants, which is extracted from stalked resin glands known as trichomes. It contains the same active ingredients as marijuana - including tetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”) and other cannabinoids - yet at higher concentration levels than the un-sifted buds or leaves from which marijuana is made, which is tantamount to higher potency. The trichomes are usually collected (isolated from the cannabis plant material) by hand, by mechanical beating of the plants or by submersing the cannabis plants in icy water and then using small sieves to isolate the trichomes. Alternatively, mechanical separation may be used to isolate trichomes from the plant, such as sieving through a screen by hand or in motorized tumblers, as described for example in WO 2019/161509. Isolated trichomes have a powder appearance which is mostly comprised of the bulbous, crystal formations on the tip of the glands and are typically referred to as “kief”. [0005] Traditionally, hashish is obtained by pressing kief manually. In an industrial setting, however, manual pressing is hardly scalable and affords poor yield - instead, hashish is obtained by pressing kief in a mechanical press.

[0006] Using a mechanical press to press the isolated trichomes into a mold produces a cohesive mass from the isolated trichomes (i.e. , hashish product) in the form afforded by the mold. For example, the isolated trichomes can be pressed in a mold affording the shape of individual “bricks”. During pressing, heat may be applied to the isolated trichomes via the pressing plates to cause a release of resin from the trichomes and decarboxylate the cannabinoids (activate the acid form of the cannabinoids). Alternatively, heat may be applied to the pressed trichomes after the pressing step for substantially the same purposes and then, typically, hashish manufacturers will perform a second pressing step after such heating to further ensure cohesiveness of the hashish product. From a production perspective, this batch-like approach to manufacturing hash (e.g., applying heat on a per hashish unit basis after or during pressing) can be labor intensive, reduce volume throughput (in terms of hashish units produced) and negatively affect overall efficiency of the hashish production process, which increases costs and complicates production.

[0007] Considering the above, it would be highly desirable to be provided with a hashish product having desired properties while being provided with methods of making same that would at least partially alleviate the disadvantages of the pressing methods discussed above.

SUMMARY

[0008] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter.

[0009] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a process of making a hashish product, comprising: a) providing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes, the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes comprising a cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of a surface thereof; b) mixing the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes under conditions sufficient to obtain a resinous mixture; and c) retrieving at least a portion of the resinous mixture through an extrusion die to obtain a hashish product comprising a substantially homogeneous cohesive mass of the isolated cannabis trichomes.

[0010] In some embodiments, the process includes one or more of the following features:

• the step a) comprises contacting isolated cannabis trichomes with a solvent under conditions to obtain at least partial extraction of cannabis oil from the isolated cannabis trichomes to form the cannabis oil layer.

• the step a) comprises (i) contacting cannabis plant material with a solvent under conditions to obtain at least partial extraction of cannabis oil from the cannabis material to form the cannabis oil layer; and (ii) isolating cannabis trichomes therefrom.

• the solvent comprises ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent, or a combination thereof.

• the hydrocarbon solvent is selected from butane, propane, and a combination thereof.

• the solvent comprises a plurality of solvents.

• further comprising evaporating the solvent.

• the evaporating is performed under vacuum.

• the step a) comprises contacting isolated cannabis trichomes with a cannabis oil composition under conditions sufficient to form the cannabis oil layer, the cannabis oil composition comprising a cannabinoid component and a diluent, wherein the cannabinoid component comprises a cannabinoid.

• the step a) comprises (i) contacting cannabis plant material with a cannabis oil composition under conditions sufficient to form the cannabis oil layer, wherein the cannabis oil composition comprises a cannabinoid component and a diluent, wherein the cannabinoid component comprises a cannabinoid; and (ii) isolating cannabis trichomes therefrom.

• the cannabinoid component is in the form of a crude cannabis extract, a cannabis distillate, a cannabis isolate, a winterized cannabis extract, cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter, or any combination thereof. • the diluent comprises a solvent selected from ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent, and a combination thereof.

• the hydrocarbon solvent is selected from butane, propane, and a combination thereof.

• the solvent comprises a plurality of solvents.

• further comprising evaporating the solvent.

• the evaporating is performed under vacuum.

• the cannabinoid component further comprises one or more cannabis terpenes.

• the cannabinoid component further comprises one or more flavonoids.

• the cannabinoid component further comprises a carrier oil.

• the carrier oil is borage oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, corn oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, almond oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, peppermint oil, poppy seed oil, canola oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oils, glyceryl esters of saturated fatty acids, glyceryl behenate, glyceryl distearate, glyceryl isostearate, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl monooleate, glyceryl, monolinoleate, glyceryl palmitate, glyceryl palmitostearate, glyceryl ricinoleate, glyceryl stearate, polyglyceryl 10-oleate, polyglyceryl 3-oleate, polyglyceryl 4-oleate, polyglyceryl 10-tetralinoleate, behenic acid, medium-chain triglycerides, or any combinations thereof.

• further comprising incorporating water to the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes prior to step b) to have a water content of about 20 wt.% or less, preferably between about 5 wt.% and about 15 wt.%, more preferably from about 10 wt.% to about 15 wt.%.

• the water is incorporated in the form of liquid, ice, steam, or a combination thereof.

• the mixing includes applying compression and shear forces to the isolated trichomes via a plurality of interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces within an elongated enclosure. the elongated enclosure is an extruder device. • the interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces are on at least one screw, the method further comprising adjusting a rotational speed of the at least one screw within the elongated enclosure to obtain the cohesive mass.

• the rotational speed of the at least one screw is between about 5 rpm and about 1000 rpm.

• said mixing is performed at a selected temperature.

• the selected temperature is of about 140°C or less, preferably between about 20°C and about 80°C, more preferably about 60°C.

• the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are from a single cannabis strain.

• the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are from a plurality of cannabis strains.

• the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are pre-treated kief.

[0011] Broadly stated, in some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a hashish product comprising a substantially homogeneous cohesive mass of isolated cannabis trichomes, the isolated trichomes having a cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of a surface thereof.

[0012] In some embodiments, the hashish product includes one or more of the following features:

• the cannabis oil layer comprises a cannabinoid component, the cannabinoid component comprising a cannabinoid.

• the cannabinoid component further comprises one or more cannabis terpenes.

• the cannabinoid component further comprises one or more flavonoids.

• the cannabinoid component further comprises a carrier oil.

• the carrier oil is borage oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, corn oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, almond oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, peppermint oil, poppy seed oil, canola oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oils, glyceryl esters of saturated fatty acids, glyceryl behenate, glyceryl distearate, glyceryl isostearate, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl monooleate, glyceryl, monolinoleate, glyceryl palmitate, glyceryl palmitostearate, glyceryl ricinoleate, glyceryl stearate, polyglyceryl 10-oleate, polyglyceryl 3-oleate, polyglyceryl 4-oleate, polyglyceryl 10-tetralinoleate, behenic acid, medium-chain triglycerides, or any combinations thereof.

• comprising a cannabinoid content of from about 5 wt.% to about 90 wt.%, preferably from about 10 wt.% to about 60 wt.%, more preferably from about 20 wt.% to about 50 wt.%.

• the cannabinoid content comprises one or more of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), and any combinations thereof.

• the isolated cannabis trichomes are from a single cannabis strain.

• the isolated cannabis trichomes are from a plurality of cannabis strains.

• the isolated cannabis trichomes are kief.

[0013] All features of exemplary embodiments which are described in this disclosure and are not mutually exclusive can be combined with one another. Elements of one embodiment can be utilized in the other embodiments without further mention. Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] A detailed description of specific exemplary embodiments is provided herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a non-limiting flowchart example of a process for making a hashish product in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIGs. 2A-B illustrate non-limiting flowchart examples of steps for obtaining pre-treated isolated trichomes in accordance with different embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIGs. 3A-B illustrate non-limiting flowchart examples of steps to obtain a cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of a surface of isolated trichomes in accordance with different embodiments of the present disclosure. [0018] FIG. 4 illustrates a non-limiting flowchart example of process steps to obtain has a shape to a hashish product in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates a non-limiting system implementing a process for making a hashish product in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 6 illustrates a non-limiting schematic of a setting for performing a density measurement.

[0021] FIG. 7 illustrates a non-limiting schematic of a setting for performing a three-point bend test.

[0022] FIG. 8 illustrates a non-limiting example of a diagram output from the three-point bend test of FIG. 7.

[0023] In the drawings, exemplary embodiments are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments and are an aid for understanding. They are not intended to be a definition of the limits of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] A detailed description of one or more embodiments is provided below along with accompanying figures that illustrate principles of the disclosure. The invention is described in connection with such embodiments, but the invention is not limited to any embodiment. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims. Numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. These details are provided for the purpose of non-limiting examples and the invention may be practiced according to the claims without some or all these specific details. Technical material that is known in the technical fields related to the invention has not been described in detail so that the disclosure is not unnecessarily obscured.

[0025] The present inventors have developed a hashish product and method of manufacturing same that addresses at least some of the above-identified problems.

[0026] For example, it has been observed that the hashish products of the present disclosure may present improvement in the textural consistency, pliability and/or crumbliness of the hashish product. This in turn, may reduce / minimize quality control failures during large-scale manufacturing of the hashish product (e.g., quality control based on textural consistency, pliability and/or crumbliness). Advantageously, it has been observed that such hashish product may afford an enhanced and more consistent user experience in that the reduced crumbliness leads to better segmentation during use of the hashish product that results in reduction of waste material production.

[0027] For example, the present inventors have surprisingly and unexpectedly discovered that mixing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes under conditions sufficient to obtain a resinous mixture where at least a portion of the resinous mixture can then be retrieved through an extrusion die alleviates the negative impact of manufacturing hashish products in the batch-like approach discussed previously, while achieving the desired hashish physical attributes, e.g., in terms of malleability, pliability, and/or crumbliness. Indeed, as discussed previously, the existing batch-like approach to manufacturing hash currently requires applying heat during the pressing step via the pressing plates or to the cohesive mass after the pressing step. Further, manufacturers often perform a second pressing step on the cohesive mass after such heat/press step to ensure good cohesiveness of the hashish product. This batch-like multiple steps approach to manufacturing hashish can be labor intensive, reduce volume throughput and negatively affect overall efficiency of the hashish production process, which increases costs and complicates production.

[0028] The herein described approach provides the technical advantage of avoiding this batch like multiple steps approach by pretreating the raw materials instead of the finished product.

[0029] For example, large amounts of isolated trichomes or cannabis material can be pre treated in a single step instead of treating the finished hashish product on a per unit basis, thus avoiding the bottleneck of treating the finished product on a per unit basis.

[0030] For example, pre-treatment of isolated trichomes or cannabis material avoids the risk of overcooking the more expensive hashish product that may occur in the batch-like heat treatment of the prior art, as overcooked isolated trichomes or cannabis material may still be used in other applications whereas overcooked hashish products may not.

[0031] For example, pre-treatment of isolated trichomes or cannabis material allows better inventory management as the pre-treated isolated trichomes or cannabis material can be stored for later use and may be used in more than one product type. [0032] Further, it has also been observed that implementing the method of manufacture herein described results in the ability for the operator to control the cannabinoid contents of the hashish product to desired values or ranges of values. For example, this control of the cannabinoid contents may be obtained by providing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes comprising a cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of a surface thereof, where the cannabis oil layer includes a predetermined cannabinoid concentration. This approach allows controlling the cannabinoid contents in the hashish product because the predetermined cannabinoid concentration in the cannabis oil layer contributes to the overall cannabinoid content in the eventual hashish product and as such, controlling the cannabinoid content in the cannabis oil layer permits controlling the cannabinoid content in the eventual hashish product.

[0033] These and other advantages may become apparent to the person of skill in view of the present disclosure.

Hashish Product

[0034] The hashish product of the present disclosure comprises a cohesive mass of isolated cannabis trichomes.

[0035] As used herein, the term “cannabis trichomes” generally refers to crystal-shaped outgrowths or appendages (also called resin glands) on cannabis plants typically covering the leaves and buds. Trichomes produce hundreds of known cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that make cannabis strains potent, unique, and effective.

[0036] As used herein, the term “isolated cannabis trichomes” refers to trichomes that have been separated from cannabis plant material using any method known in the art. The details of various methods for separating trichomes from the cannabis plant are well-known in the art. For example, and without wishing to be limiting in any manner, the isolated cannabis trichomes may be obtained by a chemical separation method or may be separated by manual processes like dry sifting or by water extraction methods. Solvent-less extraction methods can include mechanical separation of trichomes from the plant, such as sieving through a screen by hand or in motorized tumblers (see for example WO 2019/161509), or by submerging the cannabis plants in icy water (see for example US2020/0261824, which is herein incorporated by reference) and agitating to separate the trichomes from the plant and drying the trichomes. Because of inherent limitations to existing separation methods, some plant matter or other foreign matter can be present in isolated cannabis trichomes. [0037] Isolated cannabis trichomes obtained by mechanical separation of trichomes from the cannabis plant biomass is typically referred to as “kief” (also “keef” or “kif”) and has a powdery appearance. Typically, some residual plant material remains in the finished kief and thus in the resulting hashish product. In preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, the isolated cannabis trichomes is in the form of kief.

[0038] The isolated cannabis trichomes forming the hashish product of the present disclosure may originate from one or more than one strain of cannabis plant. It is known amongst consumers of hashish and other cannabis products that using isolated cannabis trichomes produced from more than one strain of cannabis plant allows a user to tune the psychoactive and/or entourage effect obtained by consuming the product. The mixing of cannabis plant strains may also allow to adjust the final concentration of a component of the product, for example but not limited to the cannabinoid content. Additionally, use of more than one strain allows for improved product and waste management - important in commercial production.

[0039] As used herein, the term “cannabis” generally refers to a genus of flowering plants that includes several species. The number of species is currently being disputed. There are three different species that have been recognized, namely Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis. Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a strain of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products. In terms of cannabinoids content, hemp has lower concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases or eliminates the THC-associated psychoactive effects.

[0040] The hashish product of the present disclosure comprises one or more cannabinoid(s). As used herein, the term “cannabinoid” generally refers to any chemical compound that acts upon a cannabinoid receptor such as CB1 and CB2. Examples of cannabinoids include, but are not limited to, cannabichromanon (CBCN), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabicitran (CBT), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabicyclovarin (CBLV), cannabidiol (CBD, defined below), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiol monomethylether (CBDM), cannabidiol-C4 (CBD- C4), cannabidiorcol (CBD-C1), cannabidiphorol (CBDP), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabifuran (CBF), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerol monomethylether (CBGM), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabinodiol (CBND), cannabinodivarin (CBVD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabinol methylether (CBNM), cannabinol propyl variant (CBNV), cannabinol-C2 (CBN-C2), cannabinol-C4 (CBN-C4), cannabiorcol (CBN-C1), cannabiripsol (CBR), cannabitriol (CBO), cannabitriolvarin (CBTV), cannabivarin (CBV), dehydrocannabifuran (DCBF), A7-cis-iso tetrahydrocannabivarin, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, defined below), D9- tetrahydrocannabionolic acid B (THCA-B), A9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A), D9- tetrahydrocannabiorcol (THC-C1), tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), ethoxy-cannabitriolvarin (CBTVE), trihydroxy-A9- tetrahydrocannabinol (triOH-THC), 10-ethoxy-9hydroxy-A6a-tetrahydrocannabinol, 8,9- dihydroxy-A6a-tetrahydrocannabinol, 10-oxo-A6a-tetrahydrocannabionol (OTHC), 3, 4,5,6- tetrahydro-7-hydroxy-a-a-2-trimethyl-9-n-propyl-2, 6-methano-2H-1-benzoxocin-5-methanol (OH-iso-HHCV), A6a,10a-tetrahydrocannabinol (A6a,10a-THC), Dd-tetrahydrocannabivarin (D8- THCV), A9-tetrahydrocannabiphorol (D9-THOR), A9-tetrahydrocannabutol (D9-THOB), derivatives of any thereof, and combinations thereof. Further examples of suitable cannabinoids are discussed in at least WO2017/190249 and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. US2014/0271940, which are each incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

[0041] Cannabidiol (CBD) means one or more of the following compounds: A2-cannabidiol, D5- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-5-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); D4- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-4-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); D3- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-3-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); D3,7- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methylenecyclohex-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-ben zenediol); D2- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); D1- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-l-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); and D6- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-6-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol). In a preferred embodiment, and unless otherwise stated, CBD means A2-cannabidiol.

[0042] Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) means one or more of the following compounds: D8- tetrahydrocannabinol (Dd-THC), Dd-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Dd-THCV), A9-cis- tetrahydrocannabinol (cis-THC), A9-tetrahydrocannabinol (A9-THC), D10-tetrahydrocannabinol (DIO-THC), A9-tetrahydrocannabinol-C4 (THC-C4), A9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-C4 (THCA- C4), synhexyl (n-hexyl-A3THC). In a preferred embodiment, and unless otherwise stated, THC means one or more of the following compounds: A9-tetrahydrocannabinol and D8- tetrahydrocannabinol.

[0043] In one embodiment, the hashish product of the present disclosure contains the one or more cannabinoid(s) in an amount sufficient for the user to experience a desired effect when consuming the product. For example, the hashish product may comprise from about 5 wt.% to about 90 wt.% cannabinoid or any value therebetween, or in a range of values defined by any values therebetween. For example, the hashish product may comprise up to about 90 wt.%, up to about 80 wt.%, up to about 70 wt.%, up to about 60 wt.%, or up to about 50 wt.%, or up to about 40 wt.%, or up to about 30 wt.% or any value therebetween, or in a range of values defined by the aforementioned values. For example, the hashish product may comprise from about 10 wt.% to about 60 wt.%, more preferably from about 20 wt.% to about 50 wt.%. In another embodiment, the hashish product may include up to 1000 mg THC per hashish product unit, depending on specific implementations of the present disclosure.

[0044] In some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, the hashish product of the present disclosure may include one or more cannabinoid, such as THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, or any combinations thereof. For example, the THC can be delta-9-THC and/or delta-8-THC. The cannabinoids can be in similar or different amounts, depending on specific implementations of the present disclosure.

[0045] A cannabinoid may be in an acid form or a non-acid form, the latter also being referred to as the decarboxylated form since the non-acid form can be generated by decarboxylating the acid form.

[0046] The hashish product can be characterized in several ways, such as in terms of cannabinoid content, terpenes content, water content or physical properties. For example, the hashish product can be characterized in terms of stiffness, hardness, toughness, or a combination thereof, which reflect its malleability, pliability, and/or crumbliness.

[0047] As used herein the term “stiffness” refers to the amount of resistance with which a hashish sample opposes a change in the shape under application of a force and is therefore representative of the pliability of the hashish product.

[0048] As used herein the term “hardness” refers to the maximum force required for a hashish sample to reach the breaking point and is therefore representative of how easily the hashish product may be cut or separated.

[0049] As used herein the term “toughness” refers to the ability of a hashish sample to absorb energy and plastically deform without breaking. Toughness is a measure of the likelihood that the hashish product deforms rather than fractures under an applied force. Additional components

[0050] The hashish product according to the present disclosure may also comprise one or more additional components.

[0051] In some embodiments, the one or more additional components may be added to alter the characteristics of the hashish product, such as cannabinoid content, potency, entourage effect, odor, color, consistency, texture, pliability, and the like.

[0052] In some embodiments, the one or more additional components may be substantially homogeneously distributed on at least a portion of a surface of the hashish product, for example as a coating. For example, the portion of the surface of the hashish product may include at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or 100% of the surface of the hashish product. By “substantially homogeneously distributed”, it is meant that the amount of the one or more additional component is uniform on the at least portion of the surface of the hashish product.

[0053] The one or more additional component may be any suitable food grade and/or non-toxic composition or component known in the art. As will be recognized by those of skill in the art, the toxicity of each type of additional component may be dependent on the method of consumption of the hashish product. For example, in applications where smoke / vapor produced by the hashish product is to be inhaled, suitable additional components may include, but are not limited to one or more cannabinoid, one or more terpene (also referred to herein as a “terpene blend”), one or more flavonoid, water, or any combination thereof.

[0054] The one or more additional component may be a cannabinoid. The cannabinoid may be extracted from any suitable source material including, but not limited to, cannabis or hemp plant material (e.g., flowers, seeds, and trichomes) or may be manufactured artificially (for example cannabinoids produced in yeast, as described in WO WO2018/148848). Cannabinoids can be extracted from a cannabis or hemp plant material according to any procedure known in the art. For example, and without wishing to be limiting, a “crude extract” containing a cannabinoid may be obtained by extraction from plant materials using for example aliphatic hydrocarbons (such as propane, butane), alcohols (such as ethanol), petroleum ether, naphtha, olive oil, carbon dioxide (including supercritical and subcritical CO2), chloroform, or any combinations thereof. Optionally, the crude extract may then be “winterized”, that is, extracted with an organic solvent (such as ethanol) to remove lipids and waxes (to produce a “winterized extract”), as described for example in US 7,700,368, US 2004/0049059, and US 2008/0167483, which are each herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. Optionally, the method for obtaining the cannabinoid may further include purification steps such as a distillation step to further purify, isolate or crystallize one or more cannabinoids, which is referred to in the art and herein as a “distillate”; US20160346339, which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a process for extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plant material using solvent extraction followed by filtration, and evaporation of the solvent in a distiller to obtain a distillate. The distillate may be cut with one or more terpenes. The crude extract, the winterized extract or the distillate may be further purified, for example using chromatographic and other separation methods known in the art, to obtain an “isolate”. Cannabinoid extracts may also be obtained using solvent4ess extraction methods; for example, cannabis plant material may be subjected to heat and pressure to extract a resinous sap (“rosin”) containing cannabinoids; methods for obtaining rosin are well-known in the art.

[0055] The one or more additional component may thus include one or more cannabinoid in the form of a crude cannabis extract, a cannabis distillate, a cannabis isolate, a winterized cannabis plant extract, cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter, or any combination thereof.

[0056] The one or more additional component may be a terpene. As used herein, the term “terpene” generally refers to a class of chemical components comprised of the fundamental building block of isoprene, which can be linked to form linear structures or rings. Terpenes may include hemiterpenes (single isoprenoid unit), monoterpenes (two units), sesquiterpenes (three units), diterpenes (four units), sesterterpenes (five units), triterpenes (six units), and so on. At least some terpenes are expected to interact with, and potentiate the activity of, cannabinoids. Any suitable terpene may be used in the hashish product of the present invention. For example, terpenes originating from cannabis plant may be used, including but not limited to aromadendrene, bergamottin, bergamotol, bisabolene, borneol, 4-3-carene, caryophyllene, cineole/eucalyptol, p-cymene, dihydroj asmone, elemene, farnesene, fenchol, geranylacetate, guaiol, humulene, isopulegol, limonene, linalool, menthone, menthol, menthofuran, myrcene, nerylacetate, neomenthylacetate, ocimene, perillylalcohol, phellandrene, pinene, pulegone, sabinene, terpinene, terpineol, 4-terpineol, terpinolene, and derivatives thereof. Additional examples of terpenes include nerolidol, phytol, geraniol, alpha-bisabolol, thymol, genipin, astragaloside, asiaticoside, camphene, beta-amyrin, thujone, citronellol, 1,8-cineole, cycloartenol, hashishene, and derivatives thereof. Further examples of terpenes are discussed in US Patent Application Pub. No. US2016/0250270, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The hashish product of the present disclosure may contain one or more terpene(s). The one or more terpene(s) may originate from the hashish, from an additional component, or both. In some embodiments, the hashish product of the present disclosure may include the one or more terpene(s) in an amount (the “terpene content”) sufficient for the user to experience a desired entourage effect when consuming the product. For example, the hashish product may comprise from about 0.5 wt.% to about 15 wt.% terpene, for example up to about 15 wt.%, or up to about 10 wt.%, or up to about 5 wt.%, or up to about 4 wt.%, or up to about 3 wt.%, or up to about 2 wt.%, or up to about 1 wt.%. For example, the one or more terpene(s) may include hashishene. Without wishing to be bound by theory, hashishene is believed to be a terpene produced by rearrangement of myrcene that may be found in hashish after mechanical processing, and that may be responsible for the typical desirable “hashish flavour”.

[0057] The one or more additional component may be a flavonoid. The term “flavonoid” as used herein refers to a group of phytonutrients comprising a polyphenolic structure. Flavonoids are found in diverse types of plants and are responsible for a wide range of functions, including imparting pigment to petals, leaves, and fruit. Any suitable flavonoid may be used in the hashish product of the present invention. For example, flavonoids originating from a cannabis plant may be used, including but not limited to: apigenin, cannflavin A, cannflavin B, cannflavin C, chrysoeril, cosmosiin, flavocannabiside, homoorientin, kaempferol, luteolin, myricetin, orientin, quercetin, vitexin, and isovitexin.

[0058] The reader will readily understand that in some implementations, the one or more additional component may include a combination of any one of the one or more additional component described herein.

[0059] In some embodiments, the moisture content in the hashish product of the present disclosure, achieved through addition of water to the isolated trichomes, can be of about 5 wt.% or more. For example, the moisture content can be of from 10 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, or any value therebetween, or in a range of values defined by any values therebetween, as described in PCT Application PCT/CA2020/051733, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Consumer use of hashish products

[0060] As is known in the art, hashish is typically used for recreational or medicinal uses. For example, hashish products can be used to achieve a desired effect in a user, such as a psychoactive effect, a physiological effect, or a treatment of a condition. By “psychoactive effect”, it is meant a substantial effect on mood, perception, consciousness, cognition, or behavior of a subject resulting from changes in the normal functioning of the nervous system. By “physiological effect”, it is meant an effect associated with a feeling of physical and/or emotional satisfaction. By “treatment of a condition”, it is meant the treatment or alleviation of a disease or condition by absorption of cannabinoid(s) at sufficient amounts to mediate the therapeutic effects.

[0061] The terms “treating”, “treatment” and the like are used herein to mean obtaining a desired pharmacologic and/or physiologic effect. The effect may be prophylactic, in terms of completely or partially preventing a disease, condition, or symptoms thereof, and/or may be therapeutic in terms of a partial or complete cure for a disease or condition and/or adverse effect, such as a symptom, attributable to the disease or disorder. “Treatment” as used herein covers any treatment of a disease or condition of a mammal, such as a dog, cat or human, preferably a human.

[0062] In certain embodiments, the disease or condition is selected from the group consisting of pain, anxiety, an inflammatory disorder, a neurological disorder, a psychiatric disorder, a malignancy, an immune disorder, a metabolic disorder, a nutritional deficiency, an infectious disease, a gastrointestinal disorder, and a cardiovascular disorder. Preferably the disease or condition is pain. In other embodiments, the disease or condition is associated with the feeling of physical and/or emotional satisfaction.

[0063] In the context of recreational use, the “effective amount” administered and rate and time- course of administration, will depend on the desired effect associated with a feeling of physical and/or emotional satisfaction in the subject.

[0064] In the context of health and wellness use, the “effective amount” administered and rate and time-course of administration will depend on the nature and severity of the disease or condition being treated and typically also takes into consideration the condition of the individual subject, the method of administration and the like.

Manufacturing process

[0065] The hashish product may be produced by mixing the components thoroughly to provide a substantially homogeneous resinous mixture. For example, by mechanically mixing. By the term “mechanically mixing” or “mechanical mixing”, it is meant mixing using any suitable mechanical means. The mechanical means may be, for example, a plurality of interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces within an elongated enclosure or barrel, a non-limiting example of which is an extruder apparatus.

[0066] An extruder apparatus is a machine used to perform an extrusion process. Manufacturing by extrusion occurs when a material (usually pellets, dry powder, rubber, plastic, metal bar stock or food) is heated and pushed through a die assembly. A die is a mold that shapes the heated material as it is forced through a small opening from the inside of the extruder to the outside. Using a system of barrels or cylinders containing interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces, e.g., screw pumps or extruder screws, the extruder can mix the ingredients while heating and propelling the extrudate through the die to create the desired shape.

[0067] An extruder can have a single extruder screw or twin extruder screws, and can be configured to have one or more mixing zones, one or more temperature zones, and one or more input zones. The input zones are used for introduction of material. The mixing zones apply compression and shear forces to the input materials, blending until they are homogenized. The extruder die assembly may perform a variety of functions: it may form or shape the extrudate, it may divide the extrudate into multiple extrudates, it may inject one or more component into the extrudate, and it may compress and reduce the cross-sectional area of the extrudate.

[0068] Single screw extruders are known in the art - the screws of such extruders comprise grooves and may be cylindrical, conical, tapered and the likes as described for example in CA 2,731,515, US 6,705,752, CN 101954732 and CN201792480, where each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Twin screw extruders are also known in the art - screws of such extruders may be parallel or non-parallel, converging or non-converging, with or without differential speed, counter or non-counter rotating as described for example in US 6,609,819, WO 2020/220390, WO 2020/220495 and US 2010/0143523, where each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Single screw and twin screw arrangements may also be integrated within a single extruder device, as described for example in US 10,124,526, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. It will be readily appreciated that extruders have flexible configuration (in terms of mixing zones, temperature zones, input zones, etc.) and that any suitable configuration of an extruder apparatus capable of producing a hashish product may be used within the context of the present disclosure.

[0069] The mixing can be applied to the isolated cannabis trichomes within the extruder under conditions sufficient to obtain a cohesive, continuous, and substantially homogenous resinous mixture. The conditions or variables that can be modified during production are discussed later in this text.

[0070] FIG. 1 is a non-limiting flowchart of a process 100 for making a hashish product in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The process 100 comprises a first step 110 of providing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes (alone or together with the one or more additional components).

[0071] In one non-limiting example, the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes may include trichomes isolated from a single cannabis strain. In another non-limiting example, the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes may include trichomes isolated from a plurality of distinct cannabis strains, which may have different respective cannabinoid(s) and/or terpene(s) content. The choice of one over the other may be driven by practical considerations, such as but not limited to inventory management considerations, the desired cannabinoid content of the hashish product, the desired user experience, and the like. It is known amongst consumers of hashish and other cannabis products that using isolated cannabis trichomes produced from more than one strain of cannabis plant may allow a user to tune the psychoactive, medical and/or entourage effect obtained by consuming the product. The mixing of cannabis plant strains may also allow adjustments to the final concentration of a component of the product, for example but not limited to the cannabinoid content. Additionally, use of more than one strain allows for improved product and waste management - important in commercial production. The isolated cannabis trichomes can be kief.

[0072] The pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes may be obtained in several ways.

[0073] The producer implementing the process 100 may obtain the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes from another producer. The step 110 may thus include a sub-step of obtaining the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes from another producer (not shown in figures).

[0074] Alternatively, the producer implementing the process 100 may obtain the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes via at least one of the following variants of step 110.

[0075] FIG. 2A is a first variant 110’ which includes starting from cannabis plant material to isolate the pre-treated cannabis trichomes therefrom. In this variant, a first step 210 includes providing cannabis plant material comprising cannabis trichomes. The cannabis plant material may comprise cannabis flowers / buds, cannabis trim, cannabis leaves, or any combination thereof. The producer implementing the first variant step 110’ may also produce the cannabis plant material or may obtain the cannabis plant material from another producer. In a second step 220, the cannabis plant material is processed under conditions sufficient to obtain a cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof. In a third step 230, cannabis trichomes are isolated therefrom, thus resulting in the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes. As discussed previously, various processes for isolating cannabis trichomes from cannabis plant material are known and as such, will not be further described here.

[0076] FIG. 2B is a second variant 110” which includes starting from isolated cannabis trichomes to obtain the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes. In this variant, a first step 210’ includes providing isolated cannabis trichomes. The producer implementing the second variant step 110” may also produce the isolated cannabis trichomes or may obtain the isolated cannabis trichomes from another producer. In a second step, the isolated cannabis trichomes are pre treated with the processing step 220 described above.

[0077] In some embodiments, the variant steps 110’ and/or 110” may be performed at a first location while the remaining steps of process 100 may be performed at a second location, where the first and second locations may be within the same licensed producer site or within different licensed producer sites. In some embodiments, all steps of process 100 may be performed at the same location.

[0078] The processing step 220 can be performed in several ways.

[0079] FIG. 3A is a first variant 220’ which includes at least partial solvent extraction of cannabis oil from selected materials (e.g., cannabis plant material or isolated cannabis trichomes) and evaporating the solvent thereafter. In this variant, a first step 310 includes contacting the selected material with one or more suitable solvent under conditions sufficient to obtain at least partial extraction of cannabis oil therefrom. For example, the one or more suitable solvent can include ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent (e.g., butane, or propane, or a combination thereof), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more solvent is a single solvent or a mixture of a plurality of solvents. For example, a mixture of ethanol with water (e.g., 95% ethanol), a mixture of ethanol with butane, and the like. Without being bound by any theory, it is believed that contacting the selected material with the suitable solvent under conditions sufficient to obtain at least partial extraction of cannabis oil therefrom causes the presence of the desired oil layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof. In a second step 350, the solvent is evaporated from the selected material, thus leaving the extracted oil at the surface thereof. For example, the solvent and selected material mixture can be placed under low vacuum (e.g., < 150 mmHg) and optionally with heat (e.g., 40 °C) for sufficient time to evaporate the solvent (e.g., 2 hours). Several other processes are known in the art for evaporating solvent from materials such as cannabis plant material or isolated cannabis trichomes (e.g., in ambient air, under a fan blowing air, in an oven, etc.), which can be used in place of the afore-mentioned low vacuum alone and optional heat, and for conciseness’ sake will not be further described here.

[0080] FIG. 3B is a second variant 220” which includes contacting the material with a suitable composition under conditions sufficient to obtain the oil layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof. This variant includes step 320 of contacting the selected material with a cannabis oil composition to obtain the oil layer on at least a portion of the surface thereof. For example, the cannabis oil composition includes a cannabinoid component and optionally includes a suitable diluent, where the cannabinoid component includes a cannabinoid.

[0081] In some embodiments, the cannabinoid is in the form of a cannabis extract such as a crude cannabis extract, a winterized cannabis extract, a cannabis distillate, a cannabis isolate, cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter, or any combination thereof. The cannabinoid may be an isolated cannabinoid, such as a cannabis extract, having >75% purity (as in the case of a crude extract), or > 80% purity (as in the case of a distillate), or >95% purity (as in the case of an isolate). For example, and without wishing to be limiting, the cannabinoid may have a purity such as > 75%, or > 80%, or > 90%, or > 95%, or > 98%, or > 98%, or > 99%, or > 99.5%.

[0082] In select embodiments, the cannabinoid component includes one or more cannabinoid distillates and isolates, and in particular, the cannabinoid component includes CBD distillates and/or isolates; THC distillates and/or isolates; or a combination of THC and CBD distillates and/or isolates. In some embodiments, the cannabinoid component includes THC distillates and/or isolates. As discussed previously, the cannabis oil layer may include a predetermined cannabinoid content.

[0083] In some embodiments, the cannabinoid component may comprise other ingredients, including but not limited to one or more carrier oils, one or more terpenes, or any combination thereof. For example, such carrier oil may include but is not limited to, borage oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, corn oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, almond oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil, peppermint oil, poppy seed oil, canola oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oils, glyceryl esters of saturated fatty acids, glyceryl behenate, glyceryl distearate, glyceryl isostearate, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl monooleate, glyceryl, monolinoleate, glyceryl palmitate, glyceryl palmitostearate, glyceryl ricinoleate, glyceryl stearate, polyglyceryl 10-oleate, polyglyceryl 3-oleate, polyglyceryl 4-oleate, polyglyceryl 10-tetralinoleate, behenic acid, medium-chain triglycerides (e.g. caprylic/capric glycerides or MCT), and any combination thereof. Preferably the medium-chain triglycerides is MCT. For example, the cannabinoid component may include the carrier oil in an amount such as to allow incorporating an amount of cannabinoid into the cannabinoid component of from about 0.001 mg/g to about 100 mg/g, including any amount therebetween or any ranges therein. For example, and without wishing to be limiting, the cannabinoid component may include the carrier oil in an amount such as to allow incorporating an amount of cannabinoid into the cannabinoid component of from about 0.002 mg/g to about 100 mg/g, from about 0.1 mg/g to about 75 mg/g, or from about 0.1 mg/g to about 50 mg/g, including any amount therebetween or any ranges therein.

[0084] Alternatively, or additionally, the cannabis oil composition may include one or more cannabis terpene(s). The reader will readily understand that in some embodiments, the cannabinoid component may include other ingredients in addition to the above described additional ingredients.

[0085] Optionally, the cannabis oil composition may include one or more suitable solvent, such as ethanol, a hydrocarbon solvent (e.g., butane, propane, or a combination thereof), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the solvent is a single solvent or a mixture of a plurality of solvents. For example, a mixture of ethanol with water (e.g., 95% ethanol), a mixture of ethanol with butane, and the like. In such embodiments when the cannabis oil composition includes one or more suitable solvent, the variant 220” includes the evaporation step 350 described above to evaporate the one or more solvent and leave the cannabis oil composition at the surface thereof.

[0086] The reader will readily understand that in some embodiments, the processing step 220 may include a combination of the first and second variants 220’, 220”. For example, the processing step 220 may include contacting, simultaneously or serially, the selected material with a suitable solvent under conditions sufficient to obtain at least partial extraction of cannabis oil therefrom, contacting the selected material with the cannabis oil composition described above, and performing the evaporation step 350, if relevant.

[0087] The pre-treatment of the isolated cannabis trichomes can be monitored in several ways.

[0088] In some embodiments, the pre-treatment of the isolated cannabis trichomes may be performed to obtain a transition of color of the isolated trichomes from an initial blonde appearance to a desired dark appearance. The pre-treatment can be deemed sufficient when the transition of color is substantially maintained after the evaporation step 350. Indeed, when the cannabis oil layer is formed on the surface of the isolated trichomes (e.g., with extraction or by addition as described in this text), its natural dark colour becomes visible, which is “tar black”. The present inventors have observed that if after the evaporation step 350 the isolated trichomes return to a lighter appearance, such as the initial blonde appearance, then one can conclude that the pre treatment of the isolated cannabis trichomes was insufficient. Conversely, if the transition of color is substantially maintained after the evaporation step 350, then one can conclude that the pre treatment of the isolated cannabis trichomes was sufficient.

[0089] The person of skill will readily understand that assessing and/or measuring the color and/or transition thereof can be performed quantitatively using a colorimeter, a spectrophotometer, or qualitatively with the human eye. For example, for quantitative assessment / measurement, the color can be measured by reflectance spectrophotometer ASTM standard test methodology. Tristimulus L*, a*, b* values are measured from the viewing surface of the isolated trichomes. These L*, a*, b* values are reported in terms of the CIE 1976 color coordinate standard. Color differences can be calculated according to method ASTM D2244-99 “Standard Test Method for Calculation of Color Differences from Instrumentally Measured Color Coordinates”, where for example, L* = 0 represents the darkest black and L* = 100 represents the lightest white.

[0090] The process 100 may further comprises an optional step 115 of incorporating water to the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes prior to the pressing step, as further described below. Water may be incorporated in the form of steam, liquid, ice, or a combination. The water incorporated may be distilled, reverse osmosis and/or microfiltered water. In some embodiments, water may be incorporated to have a total water content of about 20 wt.% or less. For example, a total water content of from about 5 wt.% to about 15 wt.% or any value therebetween, or in a range of values defined by any values therebetween. For example, a total water content of about 15 wt.% or less, about 14 wt.% or less, about 13 wt.% or less, about 12 wt.% or less, about 11 wt.% or less, about 10 wt.% or less. For example, a total water content of from about 10 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, from about 10 wt.% to about 12 wt.%.

[0091] It will be readily appreciated that the total water content of the isolated cannabis trichomes may be adjusted to any desired/target value, for example to obtain the desired physical properties of the hashish product (e.g., in terms of malleability, pliability, and/or crumbliness), as further described below. In other words, the relative amount of water being incorporated into the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes at optional step 115 may be dependent upon several factors, as further described below, such as the extrusion conditions (i.e. , pressure and/or duration, as further described below), the conditions for performing step 220 and/or the desired physical properties of the hashish product.

Mixing pre-treated trichomes and retrieving through a die

[0092] Returning to Fig. 1, the process 100 further comprises further comprises a step 130 of mixing the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes. Such mixing may be performed mechanically with an extruder, for example. The pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are mixed under conditions sufficient to obtain a substantially homogenous and resinous mixture.

[0093] The conditions to form the cohesive mass of the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes at the mixing step 130 comprise shear and/or pressure, and optionally temperature, which may be varied to alter the characteristics of the hashish product. Such characteristics may include, but without being limited to, stiffness (i.e., characteristic that defines the level of malleability of the hashish product), hardness or resistance to localized deformation (i.e., characteristic that determines how easy it is to cut or separate the hashish product), toughness (i.e., characteristic that determines the likelihood that the hashish product deforms rather than fractures under an applied force), color, tactual characteristics, and the like.

[0094] For example, the pressure being applied at the mixing step 130 may be at a value of about 5 psi or more. For example, a pressure of from about 5 psi to about 500 psi, including any ranges therein or any value therein. For example, a pressure of from about 5 psi to about 300 psi, from about 20 psi to about 300 psi, or from about 20 psi to about 250 psi, including any ranges therein or any value therein. For example, a pressure of about 20 psi, about 30 psi, about 40 psi, about 50 psi, about 100 psi, about 150 psi, about 200 psi, about 250 psi, about 300 psi. The person of skill will readily understand that a given pressure value may be selected depending on the die that is used to form the hashish product, as described elsewhere in this text.

[0095] For example, the pressure being applied at the mixing step 130 may be performed for a time of about 0.5 minutes (30 seconds) or more. When implementing the herein described process in an elongated enclosure, such as an extruder, the pressure being applied at the mixing step 130 will be performed for a time that will vary at least based on the length of the enclosure and processing speed through the length of the enclosure. For example, the pressure being applied at the mixing step 130 may be performed for a time of from about 0.5 (30 seconds) to about 60 minutes, including any ranges therein or any value therein. For example, a time of about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 40 minutes, about 50 minutes, or about 60 minutes.

[0096] For example, the temperature being applied at the mixing step 130 may be at a value of about 140°C or less. For example, a temperature of from about 20°C to about 120°C, including any ranges therein or any value therein. For example, a temperature of about 20°C, about 30°C, about 40°C, about 50°C, about 60°C, about 70°C, about 80°C, about 90°C, about 100°C, about 110°C, about 120°C, about 130°C, or about 140°C.

[0097] For example, the temperature being applied at the mixing step 130 may be performed for a period of about 0.5 minutes (30 seconds) or more. When implementing the herein described process in an elongated enclosure, such as an extruder, the temperature being applied at the mixing step 130 will be performed for a time that will vary at least based on the length of the enclosure and processing speed through the length of the enclosure. For example, the temperature being applied at the mixing step 130 may be performed for a time of from about 0.5 (30 seconds) to about 60 minutes, including any ranges therein or any value therein. For example, a time of about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 40 minutes, about 50 minutes, or about 60 minutes.

[0098] In one practical implementation, the mixing includes applying compression and shear forces to the isolated cannabis trichomes via a plurality of interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces within an elongated enclosure. Preferably, the elongated enclosure is an extruder device having at least one screw. The mixing shear and compressive forces can be controlled by modulating the rotational speed of at least one of the screws within the extruder. In such embodiments, the extruder screw rotation per minute (rpm) can be selected to perform the mixing step 130 at a value of for example about 10 rpm or more. For example, extruder screw rpm can be selected in a range of from about 10 rpm to about 1000 rpm, including any ranges therein or any value therein. For example, from about 15 to about 500 rpm, or from about 25 to about 450 rpm, or from about 30 to about 400 rpm, or from about 45 to about 450 rpm including any value within any of these ranges. In such embodiment, the pressure applied by the extruder screw can be accompanied by heat to enhance mixing of the isolated cannabis trichomes, extract the resinous content of the trichomes and obtain a heated, cohesive, continuous, and substantially homogenous resinous mixture. In such embodiment, the heating and mixing can continue until a desired level of homogeneity is obtained. For example, a time of about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 40 minutes, about 50 minutes, or about 60 minutes. In some embodiments, the heating and mixing continues until the desired level of homogeneity is determined by testing samples of mass retrieved from the process.

[0099] In embodiments where the heating and mixing are performed in a single screw extruder, the residence time within the extruder barrel can be directly related to the length of the barrel and the rotational speed of the single screw. To increase mixing time of the components within the barrel, the components can travel through the length of the barrel, and then be redirected to the inlet (rather than proceed through the die).

[0100] Optional step 120 includes incorporating one or more additional component at one or more steps during the process 100. For example, one or more additional component can be added to the isolated trichomes prior to, simultaneously with, or following step 110, or prior to, simultaneously with, or following the mixing step 130. Multiple additional components may be added in a single step or may be added separately in one or more consecutive steps or at different times or points along the process 100. The one or more additional components can be one or more cannabinoids, one or more terpenes, one or more flavonoids, water, one or more flavoring agents, one or more non-toxic coloring agents, or any combination thereof. The person of skill will readily appreciate that water could be added in the form of steam, liquid, ice, or in any combination thereof. When the one or more component comprises a cannabinoid, the cannabinoid may be provided in the form of a cannabis extract (including a crude extract, or a winterized extract), a distillate, an isolate, cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, or cannabis shatter.

[0101] In some embodiments, the one or more additional component may be incorporated during the process to produce the hashish product and thus may be substantially homogeneously distributed throughout the hashish product. Alternatively, or additionally, the one or more additional component may be substantially homogenously distributed on at least a portion of a surface of the hashish product, for example as a coating. For example, the portion of the surface of the hashish product may include at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or 100% of the surface of the hashish product. By “substantially homogeneously distributed”, it is meant that the amount of the one or more additional component is uniform on the at least portion of the surface of the hashish product.

[0102] In some embodiments, the one or more cannabinoids can be in extracted and purified form and may include a crude cannabis extract, a cannabis distillate, a cannabis isolate, a winterized cannabis extract, cannabis rosin, cannabis resin, cannabis wax, or cannabis shatter, or any possible combination thereof.

[0103] In some embodiments, the one or more terpenes may include one or more terpenes which are endogenous to the cannabis strain or plurality of cannabis strains from which stem the isolated cannabis trichomes. The one or more terpenes may include one or more terpenes that are not naturally found in the one or more cannabis strain(s) from which stem the isolated cannabis trichomes.

[0104] Once the substantially homogenous and resinous mixture is obtained at step 130, at least a portion of the substantially homogenous and resinous mixture is retrieved at step 140 to obtain an individual unit of hashish product having a cohesive mass of the isolated trichomes.

[0105] FIG. 4 includes additional steps that can follow step 140 of the process 100 in FIG. 1. For example, the at least portion of the substantially homogenous and resinous mixture can be passed through a die at step 150, which may be configured to impart a pre-determined shape thereto. Finally, the solid or semi-solid hashish product from step 150, can be cut at optional step 160. Optional step 160 can be performed for example according to a pre-determined cutting pattern, a pre-determined weight, or a pre-determined length to obtain smaller units of hashish product for a pre-determined packaging size.

[0106] Advantageously, the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes do not need to undergo the mixing step 130 on the same day that the cannabis trichomes are processed at step 220. In some examples, the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes could be stored for a period of up to 48 hours, or up to 24 hours, or up to 12 hours before being subjected to the mixing step 130 without significantly deteriorating the physical attributes (for example in terms of malleability, pliability, and/or crumbliness) of the hashish product. This facilitates the operation and logistics of the hashish production process 100 as there is less risk of producing degraded hashish products in cases where the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes cannot be mixed at step 130 on the same day as the processing step 220.

[0107] Without being bound by any theory, it is believed that the herein described pre-treatment causes the presence of a cannabis oil layer on a surface of the cannabis isolated trichomes that are used for making the hashish. This cannabis oil layer can be qualitatively observed as the resulting pre-treated isolated trichomes have a “dark color” appearance thereafter. It is believed that this cannabis oil layer may facilitate the adhesion of the isolated trichomes one to another during the subsequent steps, which then results in a cohesive mass of isolated trichomes having the desired malleability properties. It is believed that causing the presence of a proper balance of cannabis oil amounts relative to plant material / isolated trichomes and/or sufficient surface area coverage is key to ultimately obtaining the desired hashish malleability properties. The present inventors have herein described monitoring the dark color appearance of the isolated trichomes after the pre-treatment as one manner of correlating the extent of pre-treatment to the desired oil amounts oozing out from the cannabis trichomes.

Practical implementation

[0108] There are several options to implement the herein described process 100.

[0109] FIG. 2 illustrates a system 400 for implementing the process 100 to make individual units of hashish product 460 in accordance with an embodiment. The system 400 includes an extruder apparatus 425 that uses mechanical mixing means to amalgamate the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes 405 (and optionally one or more additional component(s) 410) into a coherent and substantially homogenous cohesive mass 450.

[0110] In this embodiment, the system 400 further comprises a feed hopper 415 through which the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes 405 (and optionally the one or more additional component(s) 410) are fed. As discussed previously, non-limiting examples of such one or more additional component(s) 410 include terpenes, flavonoids, water in the form of steam or liquid, cannabinoids in the form of crude extracts, distillates, isolates, winterized cannabis extracts, rosin, shatter, or resins, or any combinations thereof. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the one or more additional component(s) 410 may be fed into the extruder apparatus 425. [0111] The extruder apparatus 425 is powered by a motor 420 that drives at least one extruder screw 430 to apply pressure and mechanical shear on the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes 405 (and optionally the one or more additional component(s) 410) entering the extruder 425. For example, the extruder screw 430 may be configured for applying compression and shear forces to the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes 405 via a plurality of interpenetrate helicoidal surfaces present along at least a portion of the extruder screw 430.

[0112] When desired, the system 400 may also implement heating, such as within one or more predetermined portions (each a “heating zone”) of the extruder apparatus 425, or throughout the length of the extruder apparatus 425, depending on specifics applications. The operating parameters of the extruder apparatus 425, such as those discussed previously (e.g., the heating temperature, pressure, and extruder screw rpm), can be selected to alter residence time of the resinous mixture 440 (or pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes 405) in the extruder apparatus 425 to obtain the cohesive mass 450. Advantageously, it has been observed that operating parameters such as heat and extrusion speed change the pressure experienced at the die and may alter the characteristics of the hash product discussed above.

[0113] In some embodiments, the heating may additionally advantageously assist in homogeneous mixing of the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes 405 and optional additional components 410 to form the cohesive mass 450.

[0114] In some embodiments, the heating time may be of about 5 minutes, about 10 minutes, about 15 minutes, about 20 minutes, about 30 minutes, about 40 minutes, about 50 minutes, or about 60 minutes, depending on the specifics of an application, in each of the one or more heating zones of the extruder apparatus 425.

[0115] In some embodiments, the pressure applied by the extruder screw 430 is accompanied by heat to enhance mixing of the batch of pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes 405 (and optionally the one or more additional component(s) 410), and/or further extract the resinous content of the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes and obtain a heated, cohesive, continuous and substantially homogenous resinous mixture 440.

[0116] In some embodiments, the heat may be applied through a heating element (not shown) that is embedded with the extruder screw 430 and extends along the entire or part(s) of the length of the extruder screw 430. In another embodiment, the heat may be applied through a heated jacket (not shown) that partially, or entirely, surrounds the extruder apparatus 425. To control the amount of heat input to the extruder and ensure that the quality of the resinous mixture 440 would not be compromised, a temperature controlling unit (TCU) 435 can also be associated with the extruder apparatus 425 to monitor heat within the extruder apparatus 425 and take any necessary action in the event of major deviations from the intended extrusion temperature.

[0117] For example, the temperature controlling unit (TCU) 435 may include a thermometer (not shown) that is connected to the exterior body of the extruder with its distal end in contact with the resinous mixture 440 recording an average resinous mixture temperature (T1). In another embodiment, the thermometer may be connected to the exterior body of the extruder apparatus 425 with its distal end attached to the outer surface of the extruder apparatus 425 recording an average operating temperature (T2) wherein T2= T1 -DT with DT being a temperature offset.

[0118] The resinous mixture 440 then exits the extruder apparatus in the form of an elongated, continuous solid or semi-solid cohesive mass 450. Optionally, the extrusion apparatus 425 may include a die 445 at the outlet thereof, which may impart any pre-determined shape to the cohesive mass 450. At that point in the process, the long and continuous solid or semi-solid cohesive mass 450 can be subjected to ambient temperature and pressure.

[0119] A cutting means 455 may be placed downstream of the extruder die 445. The cutting means 455 may be configured to cut the cohesive mass 450 according to a pre-established cutting pattern. In a non-limiting example of implementation, the pre-established cutting pattern may comprise cutting the cohesive mass 450 along a transverse axis and at pre-determined time intervals to obtain hashish product unit 460 of a pre-determined length and/or weight. For example, to obtain a plurality of hashish product units 460 with consistent dimensions and/or weight, the cutting means 455 can act intermittently to cut the cohesive mass 450 into individual units of hashish product 460. The individual units of hashish product 460 could be further transferred onto a flat conveyor belt 465 or fall under gravity over an inclined conveyor belt (not shown) and sent for packaging and/or storage.

Density determination

[0120] Density of solid materials such as a hashish product can be determined according to different methods and via different apparatus and according to different standards known in the art. [0121] For solid materials with regular shapes and/or neat geometries, density can be determined by dividing the mass of the solid material by its volume. As a person skilled in the art would appreciate, for solid materials with irregular shapes and/or uneven surfaces, indirect methods may be used. In some cases, for example, the mass of the product sample can be separately determined with a balance while sample volume is determined by immersing the sample in a liquid container to determine volume of the product based on the volume of liquid that is displaced upon immersing the sample. In some other cases, for example, density can be calculated according to ASTM D1505 using a density column filled with liquid while reference balls with known densities are floated in the liquid column and the sample density can be determined based on its floating position in the density column and relative to the reference balls. In some other case, density can be calculated according to ASTM D792 using a density determination kit equipped with a balance to determine the mass of the sample both in the air and immersed conditions wherein the sample is immersed in a liquid of known density. Such density determination devices are based on hydrostatic weighting and Archimedean principle and are known to a person skilled in the art. Different models may be available including but not limited to Sartorius AG Density Determination Kit (models YDK03MS and YDK04MS), Mettler Toledo Density Determination Devices (available in the USA), and the like.

[0122] In one preferred embodiment, density determination is performed using a Sartorius Density Determination Kit (model YDK03MS or YDK04MS).

[0123] FIG. 3 a non-limiting example of a Sartorius device 500 employed to determine density of a sample of hashish product 506. The device for measuring density comprises a sample holder 505 fixed onto a hanger assembly 501 which is in turn supported by a bar frame 502. The sample holder 505 holding the hashish product sample 506 is immersed in a beaker 503 filled with a liquid (typically water - not shown). A thermometer may also be placed inside the beaker (not shown) to measure liquid temperature inside the beaker. The beaker 503 is placed on a metal support plate 504. The density of the hashish product sample 506 is then determined

[0124] The “Density Test” consists of the following: weight of the hashish product sample 506 is determined both in air and in the liquid (immersed condition) using the hydrostatic balance 507, and then, the hashish product density density is calculated according to the following formula:

Wa dw density = Wa - Ww wherein

Wa = weight of the hashish product sample in air, dw = density of water at 21 °C,

Ww = weight of the hashish product sample in water at 21 °C.

Three-point Bend Test

[0125] FIG. 4 is a non-limiting example of a three-point bend test employed to determine physical properties of the hash product. During the test, the force applied to and the displacement of the probe are recorded. A force-over displacement graph is typically generated and usually begins with a linear section that corresponds to elastic (reversible) deformation, then most samples show a curved section that shows plastic (irreversible) deformation. Different samples will give different load-distance responses - stronger and stiffer samples show higher forces, brittle samples break before any plastic deformation occurs and tough samples show a large area under the curve corresponding to a large amount of energy required for deformation.

[0126] The test procedure is as follows: a. a 20mm by 20mm sample of hashish product 601 having a height of about 5-6 mm was placed on two support anvils 602/603 of a Texture analyzer, which anvils were distanced by a predetermined length (L), b. a gradually descending probe 604 attached to a 100kg load cell was landed on the center point 605 of the sample 601 while exerting a controlled vertical force F on the sample 601 until the sample 601 started to bend (elastic deformation) followed by a plastic deformation and eventually broke apart. A force-over-displacement graph was generated by the Texture analyzer software.

[0127] A non-limiting example of a force-over-displacement graph obtained from the three-point bend test is shown in FIG. 5, where the applied force F (expressed in grams) is plotted against the probe displacement (expressed in mm). The resulting graph includes a linear elastic deformation zone and a plastic deformation zone. The slope of the curve in the linear elastic deformation zone is equivalent to Stiffness (as shown by “S” in FIG. 6). The maximum force beyond which the sample breaks (breaking point) is equivalent to Hardness (as shown by “H” in FIG. 6). The area under the curve (expressed as gram*mm) is equivalent to Toughness (as shown by “T” in FIG. 6).

[0128] The three-point bend test can be performed with a Texture analyzer, such as the TA.XT Plus or TA.XT2 available from Stable Microsystems (Surrey, United Kingdom), the TA-XT2i / 5 texture analyzer from Texture Technologies Corp. (Scarsdale, N.Y), or any other texture analyzing instrument known to a person of skill in the art.

EXAMPLES

[0129] The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the compositions and methods described herein.

Example 1

[0130] In this example, a batch of isolated cannabis trichomes was contacted with a cannabis oil composition under conditions sufficient to obtain a cannabis oil layer on a surface thereof.

[0131] A 45g batch (BBI-031) of isolated cannabis trichomes (NLxBB cannabis strain) having a THC content of 28.9 wt.% was contacted with the cannabis oil composition (11 g 83.3 wt.% THC distillate and 11 g 95% food grade ethanol) to form a mixture. The cannabis oil composition contained equivalent amounts of 83.3 wt.% THC distillate and of 95% food grade ethanol. The mixture was mixed by hand and formed into a patty inside a glass dish. The glass dish was then immediately put under low vacuum (<150mmHg) in a vacuum chamber at 40 °C for 2 hours.

[0132] The resulting pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes formed a hard and clumpy mass of dark color. A blender was used to break the hard and clumpy mass apart into small material particles, although this step can be performed by hand.

[0133] Distilled water was then added to the mass particles to have a total moisture of 10 wt.%. Example 2

[0134] In this example, a batch of isolated cannabis trichomes was contacted with a suitable solvent under conditions sufficient to obtain a cannabis oil layer on a surface thereof. [0135] A 150g batch (BBI-031) of isolated cannabis trichomes (NLxBB cannabis strain) was contacted with 150g of 95% food grade ethanol to form a mixture. The mixture was mixed by hand and formed into a patty inside a glass dish. The glass dish was then incubated at room temperature for 5 minutes to allow at least partial extraction of the cannabis oil from the cannabis trichomes and then put under low vacuum (<150mmHg) in a vacuum chamber at 40 °C for 2 hours.

[0136] The resulting pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes formed a hard and clumpy mass of dark color. A blender was used to break the hard and clumpy mass apart into small material particles, although this step can be performed by hand.

[0137] Distilled water was then added to the mass particles to have a total moisture of 10 wt.%. Example 3

[0138] In this example, pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes are used in an extrusion process to make a hashish product.

[0139] A batch of 150 g of the pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes was mixed thoroughly and placed into the hopper of an ETPI Lab extruder (The Bonnot Company, USA). The extruder was operated with the following extrusion operating parameters: temperature of 60°C and screw speed of 15 rpm. A cohesive mass was retrieved through an extrusion die (20mm x 5mm) of the extruder and cut to obtain a 20 mm long hashish product.

[0140] The present inventor predicts that the extrusion of such pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes will afford a technical effect in terms of allowing control of the hashish product malleability and/or visual characteristics.

[0141] Without being bound by any theory, the present inventor believes that a technical effect will occur when extruding pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes that have been processed as in Examples 1 and 2, as it has been observed, for example, when pressing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes that have been processed substantially the same. Indeed, a technical effect was obtained when pressing pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes that had been processed as in Examples 1 and 2, as reported in US provisional application 63/185,192 filed May 6, 2021 , which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This technical effect was observed, for example, in the visual and textural properties of the hashish product. While pressing and extrusion processes are different, the present inventor predicts that corresponding technical effects will also occur when extruding pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes that have been processed as in Examples 1 and 2. The reasoning underlying this prediction stems at least from the fact that a similar situation was also observed by the present inventor in US provisional application 63/175,940, filed April 16, 2021, and US provisional application 63/187,760, filed May 12, 2021, where respective pressing and extrusion processes of pre-treated isolated cannabis trichomes that had been processed to similarly obtain a cannabis oil layer on at least a portion of a surface thereof, albeit with another pre-treatment than the one described here, afforded similar technical effects.

[0142] Other examples of implementations will become apparent to the reader in view of the teachings of the present description and as such, will not be further described here.

[0143] Note that titles or subtitles may be used throughout the present disclosure for convenience of a reader, but in no way these should limit the scope of the invention. Moreover, certain theories may be proposed and disclosed herein; however, in no way they, whether they are right or wrong, should limit the scope of the invention so long as the invention is practiced according to the present disclosure without regard for any particular theory or scheme of action.

[0144] All references cited throughout the specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0145] Reference throughout the specification to “some embodiments”, and so forth, means that a particular element (e.g., feature, structure, and/or characteristic) described in connection with the invention is included in at least one embodiment described herein, and may or may not be present in other embodiments. In addition, it is to be understood that the described inventive features may be combined in any suitable manner in the various embodiments.

[0146] It will be understood by those of skill in the art that throughout the present specification, the term “a” used before a term encompasses embodiments containing one or more to what the term refers. It will also be understood by those of skill in the art that throughout the present specification, the term “comprising”, which is synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by,” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, un-recited elements or method steps. [0147] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. In the case of conflict, the present document, including definitions will control.

[0148] As used in the present disclosure, the terms “around”, “about” or “approximately” shall generally mean within the error margin generally accepted in the art, such as for example +/- 20%, +/- 15%, +/- 10%, or+/- 5%. Hence, numerical quantities given herein generally include such error margin such that the terms “around”, “about” or “approximately” can be inferred if not expressly stated.

[0149] As used throughout the present disclosure, the terms "concentration" and "content" are used interchangeably and refer to the weight or mass fraction of a constituent, i.e. , the weight or mass of a constituent divided by the total mass of all constituents, and is expressed in wt.%, unless stated otherwise.

[0150] Although various embodiments of the disclosure have been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art considering the present description that numerous modifications and variations can be made. The scope of the invention is defined more particularly in the appended claims.