CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application serial number 63/120081 filed on December 1 , 2020. The contents of the above-referenced document are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This application generally relates to cannabis compositions in particle form for loading into smoking articles.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Upon stage-wise legalization of cannabis-based consumer products in Canada and eventually in various other areas in the world, industrial scale production and accessibility to a wide variety of forms have accelerated in order to fulfill emerging demands.

[0004] Although there are different methods of consuming cannabis-based consumer products (e.g., oral ingestion, topical administration orvaping the cannabis oil), smoking is still the preferred mode of consuming cannabis. Typically, cannabis material is reduced to a particulate form, loaded into a rolling medium (typically a rolling tube, cone, or wrapper) to obtain a cannabis cigarette. The cannabis cigarette is then lit and resulting smoke is inhaled by the user.

[0005] Reducing the cannabis material to particles often occurs in an industrial setting by milling. Milling cannabis with no further downstream processing prior to loading into a rolling medium, results in a mixture of particles that is not uniform and with a wide range of particle shapes and sizes. Such a non-uniform mix of particles, when loaded into the rolling medium, will not burn consistently due non-uniform distribution of the particles as well as voids and porosities created along the length of the cannabis cigarette. Such variability can in turn negatively affect the user experience. Although milling cannabis followed by sieving the resulting particles to a specific particle size range could at least in part alleviate the problem, sieving to include only small particle size ranges to reduce voids and porosities results in considerable waste of cannabis material, reducing production yields and increasing costs. SUMMARY

[0006] 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.

[0007] The present inventors have recognized that it is desirable to obtain cannabis compositions in particle form for loading into smoking articles that would at least partially alleviate the disadvantages discussed above.

[0008] As embodied and broadly described herein, the present disclosure relates to a cannabis plant material composition in particle form, comprising a polymodal particle size distribution (PSD) comprising a first fraction of particles that passes through a first sieve and a second fraction of particles that is retained by a second sieve, wherein a pore size of the first sieve is < a pore size of the second sieve.

[0009] Implementations of the composition can include one or more of the following features:

• the first fraction can represent less than 70 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition.

• the first fraction can represent at least 20 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition.

• the second fraction can represent at least 20 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition.

• the first fraction of particles can pass through a 0.5 mm sieve.

• the second fraction of particles can be retained by a 1.4 mm sieve.

• the PSD can further comprise a third fraction of particles that passes through the second sieve and is retained by the first sieve.

• the third fraction can represent at least 20 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition.

• the third fraction of particles can pass through the 1.4 mm sieve and can be retained by the 0.5 mm sieve.

• at least 90 wt.% of the composition particles pass through a 2.0 mm sieve.

• at least 50% of the composition particles are retained at the 2.0 mm screen, preferably from 50% to about 80% of the composition particles are retained at the 2.0 mm screen. • the particles are made from cannabis trim, cannabis flower, cannabis kief, or any combination thereof.

• the composition can further comprise one or more additional component.

• the one or more additional component can be substantially homogenously distributed throughout the composition.

• the one or more additional component can comprise one or more cannabinoid(s), one or more terpene(s), one or more flavonoid(s), water, one or more flavoring agent(s), one or more non-toxic coloring agent(s), or any combinations thereof.

[0010] As embodied and broadly described herein, the present disclosure also relates to a smoking article comprising the cannabis material as described herein.

[0011] Implementations of the smoking article can include one or more of the following features:

• can be a cannabis cigarette comprising the cannabis material loaded into a rolling medium.

• can have a form of a tube or a cone.

• can have a length of from about 40 mm to about 300 mm.

• can comprise a cross-section having a diameter of from 15 mm to 30 mm.

• can be a heat-not-burn smoking device.

• can comprise from about 0.5 g to about 2.5 g of the cannabis plant material composition.

[0012] As embodied and broadly described herein, the present disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing a cannabis smoking article, the method comprising a) providing the cannabis plant material composition in particle form as described herein and b) loading the composition into the smoking article.

[0013] Implementations of the smoking article can include one or more of the following features:

• the step a) can further comprise blending a first lot of cannabis particles corresponding to the first fraction of particles with a second lot of cannabis particles corresponding to the second fraction of particles to obtain the composition in particle form.

• the first lot and the second lot of particles can be separated from one bulk of cannabis material in particle form. • the first lot and the second lot of particles can be separated from different bulks of cannabis material in particle form.

• separation can be performed with mesh sieving, electrostatic separation, or centrifugation.

• can further comprise pulverizing cannabis plant material to obtain the bulk(s) of cannabis plant material in particle form.

• prior to pulverizing the cannabis plant material, the cannabis plant material can be processed to remove cannabis plant stems therefrom.

• the cannabis plant material can include cannabis trim, cannabis flower, or any combination thereof.

• the smoking article can be a rolling medium to form a cannabis cigarette.

• the rolling medium can be a pre-roll tube or cone.

• the step b) can further comprise packing the cannabis material composition into the rolling medium with a packing pressure of from about 40 psi to about 120 psi.

• the packing pressure can be of about 85 psi.

• the packing pressure can be obtained with an automated tamper configured for insertion in the rolling medium forming the cannabis cigarette.

• the rolling medium can include an upper portion defining an upper aperture through which the cannabis material is incorporated, and the method can further comprise joining the upper portion to close off the upper aperture.

• the joining can be obtained by twisting the upper portion along a longitudinal axis of the rolling medium.

• the method can further comprise tipping the cannabis cigarette with a filter at a bottom end of the rolling medium.

• the method can further comprise weighting the cannabis cigarette to determine whether the cannabis cigarette has a pre-determined weight.

• the smoking article can be a heat-not-burn device and the composition is loaded into a mounting component of the device.

• the composition can comprise a first amount of the first fraction of particles and a second amount of the second fraction of particles.

• the first amount can be different from the second amount.

• the first amount can be selected based on the second amount. [0014] 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 in conjunction with the accompanying Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] A detailed description of specific exemplary embodiments is provided herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] FIG. 1 is a non-limiting flowchart of a method for manufacturing a cannabis smoking article in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIGs. 2A-2B are non-limiting examples of smoking article representations in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIGs. 3A and 3B are non-limiting examples of smoking article made with a cannabis composition in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIGs. 4A and 4B are non-limiting flowchart of a method for manufacturing a cannabis composition in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] 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

[0021] The present technology is explained in greater detail below. This description is not intended to be a detailed catalog of all the different ways in which the technology may be implemented, or all the features that may be added to the instant technology. For example, features illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated into other embodiments, and features illustrated with respect to a particular embodiment may be deleted from that embodiment. In addition, numerous variations and additions to the various embodiments suggested herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art considering the instant disclosure which variations and additions do not depart from the present technology. Hence, the following description is intended to illustrate some embodiments of the technology, and not to exhaustively specify all permutations, combinations, and variations thereof.

[0022] The present inventors have discovered that using a cannabis plant material composition in particle form comprising a controlled particle size distribution (PSD) having a first fraction of particles that passes through a first sieve and a second fraction of particles that is retained by a second sieve, wherein a pore size of the first sieve is < a pore size of the second sieve provides unexpected and surprising benefits. Particularly when the composition has pre-determined proportions of the at least two fractions of particles.

[0023] Without being bound by any theory, it is believed that the herein described composition having such controlled polymodal PSD may provide a more consistent burning rate that may be due to an optimized packing density in the smoking article. Alternatively, or additionally, loading a cannabis plant material composition having such controlled polymodal PSD into a rolling medium to form a cannabis cigarette may provide a visually more consistent and attractive product, especially when such loading is implemented at an industrial scale with the use of automated or semi-automated equipment. More visual appearance consistency between products made in the same batch as well as inter-batch may also be obtained. Further, the method of manufacture described herein may result in substantially fewer quality failures (e.g., based on pre-determined weight of the smoking article loaded with the composition, appearance of the smoking article, etc.) and/or reduced reduce waste materials during manufacturing of a smoking article such as a cannabis cigarette, which is advantageous in the context of large-scale industrial production. The reduction of waste materials during manufacturing can be afforded with the process described herein in that, for example, this process allows the use of various sources of plant material such as kief, trim, bud, flowers, which leads to less wasted materials that would require disposal thereof in other circumstances where one would not use some or all of those parts of the cannabis plant.

[0024] In some embodiments, the herein described approach may advantageously offer consistent and controlled PSD, which may also improve the use of volumetric dispensing/filling to achieve weight accuracy.

[0025] In some embodiments, the herein described approach may advantageously offer the ability to generate a composition having from about 50 wt.% to about 80 wt.% of particles within a 0.6 mm range, while minimizing fine particles. Such allows the person of skill the control to select a desired PSD.

Compositions of cannabis material in particle form

[0026] The composition of the present disclosure comprises cannabis plant material in particle form.

[0027] As used herein, the term “Cannabis” generally refers to a genus of flowering plants that includes a number of species. 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. Hemp has lower concentrations of the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and higher concentrations of the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD), which decreases or eliminates its psychoactive effects.

[0028] As used herein, the term “cannabis plant(s)”, encompasses wild type Cannabis and also variants thereof, including cannabis chemovars (or “strains”) that naturally contain different amounts of the individual cannabinoids. For example, some Cannabis strains have been bred to produce minimal levels of THC, the principal psychoactive constituent responsible for the high associated with it and other strains have been selectively bred to produce high levels of THC and other psychoactive cannabinoids. Cannabis plants produce a unique family of terpeno-phenolic compounds called cannabinoids, some of which produce the “high” one experiences from consuming marijuana.

[0029] As used herein, the term “cannabis plant material” refers to any part of the plant such as cannabis trim, cannabis flower (also called “cannabis bud”), cannabis kief, or any combination thereof. The plant material can be processed by removing any plant stems. The resulting cannabis material with stems removed can include both flower and trim, only cannabis trim or only cannabis flowers.

[0030] As used herein, the term “cannabis kief” refers to isolated cannabis trichomes, namely trichomes that have been separated from cannabis plant material plant using any method 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. Such methods are known in the art, and as such will not be further described here. Because of inherent limitations to existing separation methods, some plant matter or other foreign matter can be present in cannabis kief.

[0031] As used herein, the term “cannabis trim” generally refers to excess leaves a cultivator trims from the plants. For example, there are two types of leaves that are trimmed from cannabis buds; sugar leaves, which are smaller one-fingered leaves close to the bud, and fan leaves, which are larger multi-fingered leaves. Trimming of the cannabis can occur either before or after harvest of the plants. If done before, the trimming process maximizes the cannabis plant’s bloom, yielding more desirable crystals. That is, a good trim will get the grower a bigger, higher quality plant yield. If trimming is carried out post-harvest, the appearance and odor of the buds are improved, and the lower leaf quantity makes the resulting plant matter “smoother” to smoke or vaporize. Because of inherent limitations to existing separation methods, some plant matter or other foreign matter can be present in cannabis trim.

[0032] Typically, cannabis plant material composition in particle form can be obtained by processing cannabis plant material of a certain size to reduce into pieces that are smaller than the original size. For example, such processing may include a pulverization process, such as comminution, crushing, or grinding, which apply an external force to reduce particles from an initial size to a smaller size. Examples of such external forces may include but is not limited to compression (e.g., where at least two working surfaces approach each other slowly, pressurizing the plant material uniformly, and crush same), impact (e.g., where a high-speed impactor such as a hammer or a ball impacts the plant material, or plant material collides with itself at high speed to cause crushing), shear (e.g., where plant material is cut into small pieces by a wedge, such as a cutter), and friction (e.g., where plant material is caught between two or more working surfaces that move relative to each other, and the movement of the working surfaces produces friction between the plant material and the working surfaces, and small pieces are scraped off from the plant material surface one after another). In some implementations, by applying compressive force and shear force to particles frictionally, fine powder is gradually produced from the particle surface, which can be suitable for ultra-fine pulverization.

[0033] The composition of the present disclosure includes cannabis plant material composition in particle form includes a controlled polymodal particle size distribution (PSD), in other words it has more than one mode which is designed on purpose. [0034] As used herein, the term “mode” refers to the most commonly occurring size in a particle population. It is the peak position on the frequency distribution curve. This frequency distribution curve is a straightforward figure for strictly monomodal (having only one peak) particle populations. When the particle composition includes a mixture of more than one particle population, this is when the composition is characterized as having a “polymodal” PSD - in other words, the particle population is a mixture of at least two fractions where each fraction has its own mode.

[0035] As used herein, the term “particle-size distribution” or “PSD” is a list of values that defines the relative amount, typically by mass, of particles present according to size. The way PSD is determined in the present disclosure is where powder is separated on sieves of different sizes. For example, a composition that includes 90 wt.% of particles that pass a 0.5 mm sieve indicates that 90 wt.% of the particles have a size which is smaller than 0.5 mm and 10 wt.% of the particles have a size larger than 0.5 mm. For example, a composition that includes 20 wt.% of particles that are retained by a 1.4 mm sieve indicates that 20 wt.% of the particles have a size which is larger than 1 .4 mm and 80 wt.% of the particles that have a size smaller than 1 .4 mm.

[0036] For example, in some embodiment, the composition of the present disclosure includes a polymodal particle size distribution (PSD) comprising a first fraction of particles that passes through a first sieve and a second fraction of particles that is retained by a second sieve, wherein a pore size of the first sieve is < a pore size of the second sieve.

[0037] For example, in some embodiment, the composition of the present disclosure includes a polymodal PSD comprising a first fraction of particles that passes through a 0.5 mm sieve and a second fraction of particles that is retained by a 1.4 mm sieve. For example, in some embodiment, the first fraction represents less than 60 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition. For example, in some embodiment, the first fraction represents at least 20 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition. For example, in some embodiment, the second fraction represents at least 20 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition. For example, in some embodiment, the composition further includes a third fraction of particles that passes through the 1.4 mm sieve and is retained by the 0.5 mm sieve. For example, in some embodiment, the third fraction represents at least 20 wt.% relative to a total weight of the composition. For example, in some embodiment, the composition of the present disclosure includes at least 90 wt.% of particles that pass a 2.0 mm sieve. [0038] Typically, the herein described controlled polymodal PSD of the composition can be obtained by blending different lots of cannabis particles each having a different particle size mode to form a mixture. When starting from different lots of cannabis particles, one can customize the different properties of the composition (e.g., porosity, filing power, packing density, etc.) by optimizing the weight ratios of the different lots of cannabis particles that are blended into the composition.

[0039] For example, a cannabis particles lot having a specific particle size mode can be obtained by separating particles from a bulk cannabis plant material according to known techniques in the art. For example, one can separate particles from a bulk cannabis plant material by sieving with a sieve having a specific pore size. Sieving is a simple technique for separating particles of different sizes. Depending upon the types of particles to be separated, sieves with different types of holes are used. A sieve typically uses a woven screen such as a mesh or net or metal. Other separation processes are also possible. For example, separating the particles can include electrostatic separation, centrifugal separation, or other separation techniques as is known in the art. For example, a pulverized bulk of cannabis plant material can be separated to obtain at least a first lot of particles with a particle size greater than 1 .4 mm and a second lot of particles with a particle size smaller than 1 .4 mm.

[0040] For example, different cannabis particles lots each having a specific particle size mode can be obtained by separating particles from the same or different bulk(s) of cannabis plant material. When starting from different bulks of cannabis plant material, one can advantageously use different cannabis strains or different parts of a cannabis plant in making the composition in particle form. The ability to use different cannabis strains may also offer the ability to tune the psychoactive and/or entourage effect obtained by consuming the composition. The mixing of cannabis plant strains may also allow adjustment of the final concentration of a component of the composition, for example but not limited to the cannabinoid content and/or terpene content. Additionally, use of more than one strain allows for improved product and waste management - important in commercial production.

[0041] Independently of whether each cannabis particle lot is obtained from the same or different bulk cannabis material in particle form, the composition can be designed by combining the different particle size lots to form a composition having a controlled polymodal PSD. [0042] In some embodiments, the cannabis plant material composition according to the present disclosure may also comprise one or more additional component.

[0043] In some embodiments, the one or more additional component may be added to alter the characteristics of the composition, such as cannabinoid content, potency, entourage effect, odor, color, and the like.

[0044] In some embodiments, the one or more additional component may be incorporated during the process to produce the composition and thus may be substantially homogeneously distributed throughout the composition. By “substantially homogeneously distributed”, it is meant that the amount of the one or more additional component is uniform throughout the composition.

[0045] 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 composition. For example, in applications where smoke I vapor produced by composition 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, or any combination thereof.

[0046] The one or more additional component may be a cannabinoid. As used herein, the term “cannabinoid” generally refers to any chemical compound that acts upon a cannabinoid receptor such as CB1 and CB2. A cannabinoid may include endocannabinoids (produced naturally by humans and animals), phytocannabinoids (found in cannabis and some other plants), and synthetic cannabinoids (manufactured artificially). Examples of phytocannabinoids include, but are not limited to cannabichromene (CBC), cannabichromanon (CBCN), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidiorcol (CBD-C1), cannabidiol- C4 (CBD-C4), cannabidiol monomethylether (CBDM), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabifuran (CBF), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabigerol monomethylether (CBGM), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabicyclovarin (CBLV), cannabinol (CBN), cannabiorcol (CBN-C1), cannabinol-C2 (CBN-C2), cannabinol-C4 (CBN-C4), cannabinodiol (CBND), cannabinol methylether (CBNM), cannabinol propyl variant (CBNV), cannabitriol (CBO), 8,9-dihydroxy-delta-6a-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabiripsol (CBR), cannabicitran (CBT), cannabitriol, cannabitriolvarin (CBTV), ethoxy-cannabitriolvarin (CBTVE), cannabivarin (CBV), cannabinodivarin (CBVD), 10-ethoxy-9hydroxy-delta-6a- tetrahydrocannabinol, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), A9- tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A), delta-9-cis-tetrahydrocannabinol (cis-THC), A6a,10a- Tetrahydrocannabinol (A6a,10a-THC), delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (A8-THC), delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (A9-THC), trihydroxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (triOH-THC), delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinolic acid A (THCA-A), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabionolic acid B (THCA-B), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid-C4 (THCA-C4), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-C4, A9- Tetrahydrocannabutol (A9-THCB), A9-Tetrahydrocannabiphorol (A9-THCP), delta-9- tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid (THCVA), A8- Tetrahydrocannabivarin (A8-THCV), 10-oxo-delta-6a-tetrahydrocannabionol (OTHC), delta-7-cis- iso tetrahydrocannabivarin, dehydrocannabifuran (DCBF), 3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-7-hydroxy-alpha- alpha-2-trimethyl-9-n-propyl-2, 6-methano-2H-1-benzoxocin-5-methanol (OH-iso-HHCV), and derivatives thereof. Examples of synthetic cannabinoids include, but are not limited to, naphthoylindoles, naphthylmethylindoles, naphthoylpyrroles, naphthylmethylindenes, phenylacetylindoles, cyclohexylphenols, tetramethylcyclopropylindoles, adamantoylindoles, indazole carboxamides, and quinolinyl esters.

[0047] Cannabidiol (CBD) means one or more of the following compounds: A2-cannabidiol, A5- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-5-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); A4- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-4-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); A3- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-3-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); A3, 7- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methylenecyclohex-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-ben zenediol); A2- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-2-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); A1- cannabidiol (2-(6-isopropenyl-3-methyl-l-cyclohexen-l-yl)-5-pentyl-l,3-b enzenediol); and A6- 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.

[0048] Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) means one or more of the following compounds: A8- tetrahydrocannabinol (A8-THC), A9-cis-tetrahydrocannabinol (cis-THC), A9- tetrahydrocannabinol (A9-THC), A10-tetrahydrocannabinol (A10-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 A8-tetrahydrocannabinol. In another preferred embodiment, THC means A9-tetrahydrocannabinol. [0049] 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. Within the context of the present disclosure, where reference is made to a specific cannabinoid, the cannabinoid can be in its acid or non-acid form or be a mixture of both acid and non-acid forms.

[0050] 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”; US 2016/0346339, 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 solvent-less 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.

[0051] The one or more additional component may also 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. 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 composition 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.%.

[0052] The one or more additional component may also 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. 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.

[0053] The one or more additional component may be a flavoring agent. Any suitable flavoring agent known in the art may be used. For example, and without wishing to be limiting, the flavoring agent may be selected from the group consisting of extracts of cinnamon, monk fruit, cucumber, mint, orange, lime, citrus, cookie dough, chocolate, vanilla, jasmine, lychee, almond, banana, grape, pear, pineapple, pine, oak, apple, pumpkin, grapefruit, watermelon, cotton sugar, durian, longan, taro, sapote, toffee nut, caramel, lotus, mango, mangosteen, coconut, coffee, strawberry, passion fruit, blueberry, raspberry, kiwi, walnut, cocoa, cherimoya, custard apple, papaya, fig, plum, nectarine, peaches, guava, honeydew, jackfruit, kumquat, loquat, palm, pomelo, persimmon, quince, and tamarind, or any combinations thereof. Other examples of suitable flavoring agents include, but are not limited to, mint oils, Wintergreen, clove bud oil, cassia, sage, parsley oil, marjoram, lemon, orange, propenyl guaethol, heliotropine, 4-cis-heptenal, diacetyl, methyl-p-tert-butyl phenyl acetate, methyl salicylate, ethyl salicylate, 1 -menthyl acetate, oxanone, a-irisone, methyl cinnamate, ethyl cinnamate, butyl cinnamate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl acetate, methyl anthranilate, iso-amyl acetate, iso-amyl butyrate, allyl caproate, eugenol, eucalyptol, thymol, cinnamic alcohol, octanol, octanal, decanol, decanal, phenylethyl alcohol, benzyl alcohol, a-terpineol, linalool, limonene, citral, neral, geranial, geraniol nerol, maltol, ethyl maltol, anethole, dihydroanethole, carvone, menthone, beta -damascenone, ionone, gamma -decalactone, gamma -nonalactone, y-undecalactone, and any combinations thereof.

[0054] The one or more additional component may be a coloring agent (also called “colorant”). Any suitable coloring agent known in the art may be used. For example, and without wishing to be limiting, the coloring agent may be any suitable food grade and/or non-toxic colorant or coloring agent known in the art.

[0055] The reader will readily understand that in embodiments of the present disclosure, the one or more additional component may include a combination of any one of the above examples of additional components.

[0056] The composition of the present disclosure may be loaded into a rolling medium or wrapper to form a smoking article, for example a cannabis cigarette in the form of tube or cone. For example, the rolling medium or wrapper may be a pre-roll tube or cone (which requires loading the composition through an opening at one thereof) or may be a rolling tube or cone which requires rolling the material to enclose the composition. Cones mimic a funnel, with a larger opening for packing and a smaller opening for inhaling, allowing for a different type of air flow than a tube. A tube, on the other hand, has substantially the same diameter on the opening as it does on the mouthpiece, which mimics the cigarette type of air flow. It will be apparent that such loading may be performed at the manufacturing site or by an end-user. The rolling medium or wrapper may be any suitable rolling medium or wrapper known in the art. The rolling medium or wrapper can be made with a material such as paper, hemp, cordia palm leaf, tendu leaf, flower petal, banana leaves, flax, sisal, rice straw, esparto, and the like, and may be transparent, colored and/or flavored. When desired, the rolling medium or wrapper may also further include an additive on one of its surfaces (internal or external), such as kief, terpenes, cannabis distillate, and the like.

[0057] In such embodiments, the rolling medium or wrapper when rolled with the composition of the present disclosure may have a length that is approximately that one of a standard cannabis cigarette length. For example, the length may be from about 40 mm to about 300 mm, such as 40 mm to about 300 mm, or from about 50 mm to about 140 mm, or from about 60 mm to about 130 mm, or from about 70 mm to about 120 mm, or from about 80 mm to about 110 mm. In tubular embodiments, the rolling medium or wrapper when rolled with the composition of the present disclosure has a substantially constant cross-sectional area across its length; for example, the cross-sectional area can correspond to a diameter of from 15 mm to 30 mm. In conic smoking embodiments, the rolling medium or wrapper when rolled with the composition of the present disclosure has a variable cross-sectional area across its tapered length with a diameter of, for example, from about 30 to 20 mm on one end and a diameter of, for example, from about 15 to 10 mm on the opposite end.

[0058] The composition of the present disclosure may be mounted to a smoking device, for example to a heat-not-burn device. Such devices are known in the art and one aim of such heated smoking articles is to reduce known harmful smoke constituents of the type produced by the combustion and pyrolytic degradation of smoking material in conventional cannabis cigarettes. Typically, in heat-not-burn device, an aerosol is generated by the transfer of heat from a heat source to a physically separate aerosol-forming substrate or material, which may be located within, around or downstream of the heat source. During smoking, volatile compounds are released from the aerosol-forming substrate by heat transfer from the heat source and entrained in air drawn through the smoking article. As the released compounds cool, they condense to form an aerosol that is inhaled by the user. Examples of heat-not-burn devices which may be suitable for mounting the composition of the present disclosure are the Omura™ (Omura), iQOS™ (Philip Morris International), Gio™ (British American Tobacco), and PAX™ (PAX Labs). In such an embodiment, the composition may be loaded into a suitable mounting component for use in such smoking device, such as a mounting cartridge or tube, alone or along with other smokable cannabis products, such as those described previously. The mounting component may have a length that is from about 40 mm to about 100 mm, such as 40 mm to about 90 mm, or from about 40 mm to about 80 mm, or from about 40 mm to about 70 mm, or from about 40 mm to about 60 mm, or about 50 mm (e.g., 2 inches).

[0059] The composition of the present disclosure may, if desired, include other smokable cannabis products, such as hashish, cannabis distillate, cannabis rosin (a solid form of resin produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene component), cannabis resin, cannabis wax, cannabis shatter (a translucent butane hash oil extract that looks like amber and has a consistency almost like hard candy butter) or other smokable materials, such as tobacco leaves. Optionally, the composition of the present disclosure contains fillers and/or additives that regulate burning. Among the fillers that can be used are calcium carbonate to influence the permeability and color, magnesium carbonate to improve ash color, or titanium oxide if a particularly white ash is required. Sodium potassium tartrate, sodium and potassium citrate can be used as a combustion regulator for wrappers.

Overview of manufacturing cannabis smoking articles

[0060] FIG. 1 is a non-limiting flowchart of a process 100 of making smoking articles such as those described in accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0061] The process 100 includes a step 110 of providing a composition of cannabis materials in particle form. The cannabis material composition has a polymodal particle size distribution that includes at least a first particle size lot and a second particle size lot. The first lot and the second lot may include particles that have been separated from the same bulk of cannabis plant material particles or from different bulks. Further, the composition can have pre-determined proportions of the first and second lot of particles at least based on a desired property of the composition (e.g., porosity, packaging density, etc.).

[0062] Once the composition with the desired polymodal PSD has been provided, the composition can proceed to subsequent steps required for commercialization; for example, the composition can be packaged in ready-to-use single packages or can be packaged in multipleuse packages for the user to load into any desired smoking article.

[0063] Alternatively, once the composition with the desired polymodal PSD has been provided, at step 120 the composition is incorporated into a smoking article. For example, the composition can be loaded into a rolling medium or wrapper to form a cannabis cigarette or can be loaded into a mounting component of a heat-not-burn smoking device (either by the manufacturer or by the user), such as a cartridge or tube.

[0064] When making a cannabis cigarette, the method step 120 entails loading a rolling medium or wrapper (such as a rolling paper, tube or cone, for example a pre-roll tube or cone) with the composition provided in step 110. The filling step can be done manually or done semi- automatically or automatically with rolling media or wrappers sequentially filled via a commercial cigarette filling apparatus. The rolling medium or wrapper loaded with the cannabis material composition can be closed at one end thereof (or at both ends thereof, in some implementations) to immobilize the composition into the rolling medium, thereby forming a cannabis cigarette. In some embodiments, the rolling medium or wrapper may be filled with a mixture including the cannabis material composition as well as other components, such as tobacco leaves or other additives (e.g., burning additives, smokable density additives, cannabis distillate, terpenes, flavonoids, etc., as discussed previously in this text). When making a mounting component of a heat-not-burn smoking device, the method step 120 entails loading the mounting component with the composition provided in step 110.

[0065] For example, step 120 may include loading a weight of the cannabis material composition selected in the range of from about 0.1 g to about 2.5 g (including any value therein, such as about 0.2 g, 0.5 g, 0.6 g, 1.0 g, 1.2 g, 1.5 g, 1.8 g, etc.). In some embodiments, the smoking article formed by the process 100 comprises from 0.5 g to 1.0 g of the cannabis material, such as 0.6 g.

Features of cannabis smoking articles

[0066] FIG. 2A and 2B are non-limiting examples of smoking articles in accordance with different embodiments of this disclosure.

[0067] FIG. 2A shows smoking article 200 that is in the shape of a tube. As shown, the cannabis material composition 205 is in the interior of the smoking article 200, having been produced by process 100 as described with respect to FIG. 1. The smoking article 200 includes a wrapper 210 forming a tube. In some embodiments, the smoking article may further comprise a filter 215. The filter 215 may be used to enhance smoking experience by blocking cannabis residues or solid particles that may be produced upon burning of the cannabis material composition while smoking the smoking article.

[0068] FIG. 2B shows a smoking article 250 that is generally in the shape of a cone. As shown, the cannabis material composition 205 is in the interior of the smoking article 250, having been produced by process 100 as described with respect to FIG. 1. The smoking article 250 includes a wrapper 220 forming a cone. In some embodiments, the smoking article may also further comprise filter 215.

[0069] In some embodiments, the filter 215 can be a paper filter such as a spiral tip paper filter that gives a more even draw than a standard folded or “W” style filter. Alternatively, the filter 215 can be a wood or glass tips, which can change the look, feel and “smoke” of a joint. Glass tends to stay cool to the touch and gives a sturdy feel to the crutch. Wood also does not transfer heat as much, so it remains cool. Standard, spiral, glass, or wood tips can be put into a cone- or tubeshaped pre-roll.

[0070] The rolling medium or wrapper 210, 220 may form a smoking article having a length of from about 50 mm to about 300 mm (including any value therein, such as about 55 mm, 60 mm, 65 mm, 70 mm, 75 mm, 80 mm, 85 mm, 90 mm, 95 mm, 100 mm, 105 mm, 110 mm, 115 mm, 120 mm, etc.). The wrapper 210, 220 can be made with a material selected from paper, hemp, cordia palm leaf, tendu leaf, flower petal, banana leaves, flax, sisal, rice straw, esparto, and the like, and may be transparent, colored and/or flavored. The rolling medium or wrapper 210, 220 may also further include non-toxic colorants, artwork, and/or a non-toxic additive on one of its surfaces (internal or external), such as kief, terpenes, cannabis distillate, and the like.

[0071] The geometry of the smoking article 200, 250 can be adjusted to account for the amount of cannabis material composition loaded therein. In some embodiments, the smoking article 200, 250 has a length from about 40 mm to about 300 mm, or from about 50 mm to about 140 mm, or from about 60 mm to about 130 mm, or from about 70 mm to about 120 mm, or from about 80 mm to about 110 mm. In tubular embodiments, the smoking article 200 has a substantially constant cross-sectional area across its length; for example, the cross-sectional area can correspond to a diameter of from 15 mm to 30 mm. The conic smoking article 250 has a variable cross-sectional area across its tapered length with a diameter of, for example, from about 30 to 20 mm on one end and a diameter of, for example, from about 15 to 10 mm on the opposite end.

[0072] In some embodiments, forming the smoking article 200, 250 includes densifying the cannabis composition particles in the smoking article. Densification can be achieved by applying pressure (called packing pressure) on the cannabis material composition that is loaded into the rolling medium or wrapper 210, 220, for example. In some embodiments, the pressure is applied on the cannabis material composition once the cannabis material composition entirely fills the rolling medium or wrapper 210, 220. In other embodiments, only a fraction of the rolling medium or wrapper 210, 220 is filled with a portion of the cannabis material composition and the pressure is subsequently applied to densify the portion, and the procedure repeated until the desired length of the rolling medium or wrapper 210, 220 is filled with the cannabis material composition. The packing pressure could be from about 40 psi to about 120 psi, or from about 50 psi to about 110 psi, or from 60 psi to about 100 psi, or from about 70 psi to about 90 psi, or about 85 psi, for example. [0073] As a result of this densification process, different packing densities in the smoking article 200, 250 can be achieved. For example, a packing density in a range of from 100 to 400 mg/cm ³ is possible, or from about 200 to 300 mg/cm ³ , or around 250 mg/cm ³ .

[0074] Selection of the particle sizes of the lots used for forming the composition and/or the proportions of the lots used are variables that can be adjusted to achieve various characteristics experienced by a user of the smoking article 200, 250. For example, these variables may be selected based on the desired combustion, burn rate, draw resistance, smoke intensity, etc.

[0075] FIG. 4A shows a flowchart illustrating detailed method sub steps of step 110 in FIG. 1 for forming a composition of cannabis material particles having pre-determined proportions of at least a first and a second particle size lot. At step 410 cannabis particles are provided in separate particle size lots that include at least a first particle size lot and a second particle size lot. The first lot and the second lot may include particles that have been separated from the same bulk of cannabis plant material particles or from different bulks.

[0076] At step 460 at least two particle sizes and their proportions are selected so as to obtain a desired characteristic of the resulting smoking article. For example, a pre-determined ratio of the at least first and second lots are chosen to result in the lowest possible porosity across the length of a rolled cannabis cigarette while still retaining sufficient porosity for a minimal draw resistance (or other desired characteristic such as combustion rate, burn rate, smoke intensity, etc.).

[0077] The particles having at least first and second size lots are mixed at step 470 to result in the desired composition of cannabis material in particle form. The mixing of step 470 is typically mechanical mixing. In some embodiments, one or more additives are incorporated into the composition at optional step 475. The one or more additives can be incorporated before or during step 460 or step 470 (as shown in FIG. 4A), or at any other step in method 110.

[0078] Step 460 includes selecting pre-determined ratios of at least first and second particle sizes so that the cannabis material composition mixed in step 470 has the desired characteristic, e.g., providing a consistent burn rate when added to rolling medium by having minimal porosity across the length of the resulting cannabis cigarette. The cannabis material composition is made up of more than one lot of particle sizes so that when combined, the smaller and larger particles of differing particle sizes together fill a substantial volume percent of the cannabis cigarette, whether a cone or tube. In the case of a tube or cone shape, the cannabis material mixture made up of more than one particle size also leads to a better-shaped tube or cone and visually attractive product. The mix of sizes also results in less variability in the finished cannabis cigarettes in differing batches.

[0079] FIG. 4B shows further possible details of step 410 of providing cannabis particles with a first particle size lot and a second particle size lot. In this embodiment, a bulk of cannabis particles are received at step 440. The received bulk of cannabis particles may have been pulverized or milled to turn the cannabis plant matter into the received bulk of particles. Optionally, this bulk of particles may have been pre-processed or may be processed to obtain particles having a suitable particle size for the desired application.

[0080] For example, when the particles are meant to have at least 90 wt.%, or at least 95 wt.%, or at least 99 wt.%, or 100 wt.% of particles having a size of 2.0 mm and less the received bulk of particles can be sieved to have a batch of particles with a particle size lower than 2.0 mm. To obtain this batch of particle sizes, in one example, the (e.g., pulverized) bulk of cannabis particles is passed through a sieve with holes of 2.0 mm. Particles smaller than 2.0 mm are gathered in a pre-processed batch of particles.

[0081] The pre-processed batch of particles are then separated at step 450 to obtain at least two distinct particle size lots. For example, the pre-processed batch of particles can be sieved to have a batch of particles with a particle size greater than 1.4 mm and a batch of particles with a particle size smaller than 1 .4 mm. To obtain these two batches of particle sizes, in one example, the (e.g., pulverized) bulk of cannabis particles is passed through a sieve with holes of 1.4 mm in size. Particles 1.4 mm and larger are gathered in a batch of large-sized particles while the remaining particles pass through the sieve and all have a size less than 1.4 mm.

[0082] In some embodiments, sieving the cannabis particles in step 450 includes creating three distinct particle sizes. To continue the example above, the previously sieved particles with sizes less than 1.4 mm are then passed through a second sieve, this one having holes of 0.5 mm in size. Particles 0.5 mm and larger (and also less than 1.4 mm) are gathered in a batch of mediumsized particles while the remaining particles that pass through this finer sieve all have a size less than 0.5 mm (e.g., are small-sized particles). In some embodiments, the pulverized cannabis material is sieved to more than three distinct particle size lots.

[0083] Amounts (i.e. , weight) of particles from the particle size lots are then selected and mixed according to steps 460 and 470 of FIG. 4A. In some embodiments, the first lot and the second lot that are mixed in step 470 may include particles that have been separated from the same bulk of cannabis plant material particles or from different bulks.

[0084] Step 450 of separating the particles is described by sieving, however, other separation processes are also possible. For example, step 450 can include electrostatic separation, centrifugal separation, or other separation techniques as is known in the art.

[0085] Further, while the sieves described above have been characterized with respect to specific pore sizes (e.g., 0.5 mm, 1.4 mm and 2.0 mm), the reader will readily understand that any other combination of sieves may be suitable in specific implementations of the herein described concept. For example, the reader may opt to use a sieve that conforms to one or more of ASTM E11 , AASHTO T-27 & M-27, NIST, ISO 3310-1 , ISO 565/3310-1 and BS410 specifications. For example, the following table 1 lists several sieves based on ASTM E11 and ISO 565/3310-1 from which the reader can select a suitable sieve based on the desired application.

Table 1 Sieve Size Comparison Table [0086] For example, the following table 2 lists several sieves from which the reader can select a suitable sieve based on the desired application.

Table 2

[0087] For example, in some embodiments, the composition may include a polymodal PSD which is formed by mixing a first fraction of particles that passes a sieve having a small pore size, e.g., any one of No. 20 up to No. 40, with a second fraction of particles that is retained by a sieve having a larger pore size, e.g., any one of No. 16 up to No. 6. In such embodiments, a third fraction could also be mixed to form the composition and be characterized as being retained by the first sieve and as passing the second sieve selected therefrom.

[0088] The composition formed using the steps in FIGS. 4A and 4B can have pre-determined proportions of the first and second lot of particles at least based on a desired property of the composition (e.g., porosity, packaging density, etc.). Once the composition with the resulting desired polymodal PSD has been provided, the composition can proceed to subsequent steps required for commercialization; for example, the composition can be packaged in ready-to-use single packages or can be packaged in multiple-use packages for the user to load into any desired smoking article.

[0089] Generally, in some embodiments, steps 460 and 470 results in a cannabis material composition having a first fraction of particles that passes through a first sieve and a second fraction of particles that is retained by a second sieve, where the pores of the first sieve are smaller than the pores of the second sieve. The cannabis material composition may further include a third fraction of particles that passes through the second sieve and is retained by the first sieve.

[0090] In some embodiments, the amount of the first fraction of particles can be selected based on the amount of the second fraction of particles and vice versa. In some embodiments, the amount of the first fraction of particles can be selected based on the amount of the third fraction of particles and vice versa. In some embodiments, the amount of the second fraction of particles can be selected based on the amount of the third fraction of particles and vice versa.

[0091] The relative amounts of the various fractions of particles can be selected based on a predetermined ratio. For example, in some embodiments, the first fraction can represent less than about 70 wt.%, the weight being expressed relative to a weight of the cannabis material composition, e.g., from about 20 wt.% to about 60 wt.%, or from about 20 wt.% to about 30 wt.%. For example, in some embodiments, the second fraction can represent at least about 10 wt.%, the weight being expressed relative to a weight of the total cannabis material composition, e.g., from about 10 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, or from about 20 wt.% to about 30 wt.%. For example, in some embodiments, the third fraction can represent at least about 10 wt.%, the weight being expressed relative to a weight of the total cannabis material composition, e.g., from about 30 wt.% to about 60 wt.%, or from about 50 wt.% to 60 wt.%.

[0092] In some embodiments, the pores of the first sieve may have a size of 0.5 mm and the pores of the second sieve may have a size of 1 .4 mm. In such embodiments, the first fraction of particles will have a size of less than 0.5 mm and the second fraction of particles will have a size larger than 1.4 mm. When present, the third fraction of particles will have a size larger than 0.5 mm and smaller than 1.4 mm. In such embodiments, the predetermined ratio can include less than about 70 wt.%, e.g., from about 20 wt.% to about 60 wt.%, or from about 20 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, of particles having a size of less than 0.5 mm; at least about 10 wt.%, e.g., from about 10 wt.% to about 50 wt.% or from about 20 wt.% to about 30 wt.%, of particles having a size of from above 1 .4 mm to 2.0 mm; and at least about 10 wt.%, or from about 50 wt.% to 60 wt.% of particles having a size of from above 0.5 to 1.4 mm. For example, the predetermined ratio can include from about 20 wt.% to about 30 wt.% of particles having a size of from above 1 .4 mm to 2.0 mm, from about 50 wt.% to about 60 wt.% of particles having a size of from above 0.5 to 1.4 mm, and of about 20 wt.% of particles having a size of less than 0.5 mm.

EXAMPLE

[0093] The following example describe some exemplary modes of making and practicing certain compositions that are described herein. These examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the compositions and methods described herein.

Example 1

[0094] In this example, various smoking articles were produced in a controlled size distribution trial using an automated tube filling equipment.

[0095] FIG. 3A shows the results of smoking articles 310 that were loaded with 0.6g of a cannabis composition in particle form that includes a controlled polymodal PSD including a 20- 60-20 size distribution. More particularly, the composition includes a first lot of particles that pass a 2.0 mm sieve and that are retained by a 1.4 mm sieve (PSD 1.4 - 2.0 mm) representing 20 wt.% relative to the total weight of the composition, a second lot of particles that pass a 1.4 mm sieve and that are retained by a 0.5 mm sieve (PSD of 0.5 - 1.4 mm) representing 60 wt.% relative to the total weight of the composition, and a third lot of particles that pass a 0.5 mm sieve (PSD < 0.5 mm) representing 20 wt.% relative to the total weight of the composition.

[0096] All the experimental smoking articles 310 appear uniform and consistently sized. By contrast, FIG. 3B shows two smoking articles 320 having the same weight of a cannabis composition in particle form that includes an uncontrolled PSD, i.e. , the bulk of cannabis material in particle form was not separated into different lots and reconstituted to form a controlled polymodal composition.

[0097] As can be seen in FIGs. 3A and 3B, the two experimental smoking articles 320 have appearances and widths that differ from each other. Further, while the total length of the smoking articles 310 (10 + 20 + 30) is the same as that one of the smoking articles 320 (10’ + 20’ + 30’), the tips 30 remaining after filling the smoking articles 310 and closing the apertures thereof are shorter than the corresponding tips 30’ on the smoking articles 320, which is indicative that the composition used to load the smoking articles 320 is too compact (too dense). Further, the filled smoking articles 320 has a length L2 which is too short compared to the length L1 of the smoking articles 310, again being indicative that the composition used to load the smoking articles 320 is too compact (too dense).

[0098] Furthermore, using a cannabis composition in particle form that includes an uncontrolled PSD led to significant failure rates (> 30%), where the pass I fail threshold is based on a predetermined weight of the smoking article and length of the filled cone

[0099] Table 3 summarizes the results obtained in the controlled size distribution trial using an automated pre-roll cone filling CME machine (Colin Mear Engineering limited, England) operating under manufacturer recommended settings. The rate represents the number of cones produced per minute and with a reduced fail rate (under 25%).

Table 3 - Trial Efficiency Summary with controlled polymodal PSD

S ^|Z ® . _r 20-60-20 30-50-20 25-55-20 20-60-20 distribution

Total Failures 101 138 88 104

Total Passed 465 471 476 491

. 566 609 564 595

Produced

Rate 15.5 15.7 15.9 16.4

Percent _{17 8% 22 7%} 15.6% 17.5%

Failure

Percent _{82 2} o _/o 77.3% 84.4% 82.5%

Passed

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

[0100] In addition, although described primarily in the context of methods and systems, other implementations are also contemplated, as instructions stored on a non-transitory computer- readable medium, image processing, and/or control features for example. [0101] A number of embodiments of the invention have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0102] Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0103] 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.

[0104] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0105] 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.

[0106] All references cited throughout the specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0107] 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.

[0108] 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. [0109] 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.

[0110] As used in the present disclosure, the terms “around”, “about” or “approximately” shall generally mean within the error margin generally accepted in the art. 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.

[0111] Although various embodiments of the disclosure have been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the present description that numerous modifications and variations can be made. The scope of the invention is defined more particularly in the appended claims.