(Deschutes Labs Phase I | Photo Courtesy of Griffin Construction)
Griffin Construction has been contracted for a design-build project in Prineville to be known as Deschutes Labs — a new industrial hemp processing facility strategically located in the emerging hub for the industry in Central Oregon, with a Phase 1 processing capacity of 15,000 Lbs. per day.
The lab will be licensed to produce food-grade extracts and designed and operated according to GMP and ISO standards.
All processing equipment is to be US-made and ASME-certified using cold ethanol extraction methods. Deschutes Labs’ extraction processes will be managed and operated by industry professionals with many years of extraction experience.
Construction is currently underway, and the facility is expected to open in October this year, in time to handle production from 2019’s projected harvest.
A spokesman for Griffin said the project was being “fast tracked” with design and construction to meet the owners’ needs of getting the facility opened up rapidly. The design-build procurement style that the Deschutes Labs LLC ownership chose was deemed the best way to get the project open for business expediently.
A representative of Deschutes Labs added, “Our mission is to produce the highest quality hemp extracts and isolates from premium American-grown industrial hemp.”
Hemp vs. Marijuana Explained
The difference between hemp and marijuana is a subject that is all too often misunderstood.
CBD stands for cannabidiol. It is the second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis (marijuana). While CBD is an essential component of medical marijuana, it is derived directly from the hemp plant, which is a cousin of the marijuana plant.
CBD is a component of marijuana (one of hundreds), but by itself it does not cause a “high.”
As demand for CBD continues to climb, the CBD industry has developed into a unique market that is independent, yet still closely related to the Cannabis industry, including its controversial reputation and shifting legalities.
Due to the confusion and complications that this can present for CBD users, it has become increasingly important to understand the difference between hemp and marijuana and how they relate to Cannabis.
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants in the Cannabaceae family, which consists of three primary species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica and Cannabis ruderalis.
Hemp and marijuana are simply broad classifications of Cannabis that were adopted into popular culture; however, they are not legitimate nomenclature for the Cannabis plant.
“Hemp” is a term used to classify varieties of Cannabis that contain 0.3 percent or less THC content (by dry weight).
While the legal definition described above had not been legitimized until the Agricultural Act of 2018 had passed, “hemp” has generally been used to describe non-intoxicating Cannabis that is harvested for the industrial use of its derived products.
With evidence of its use recorded throughout history, including the discovery of material made from hemp over 10,000 years ago, many believe that hemp was the first crop ever cultivated by mankind.
With the capabilities to produce crucial resources such as food, rope, clothing, paper, housing material and more, hemp is thought to have been the catalyst for man’s earliest innovations.
By contrast, “Marijuana” is a term used to classify varieties of Cannabis that contain more than 0.3 percent THC (by dry weight) and can induce psychotropic or euphoric effects on the user.
After the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which imposed heavy taxes on the possession, sale and transportation of the plant, the federal government had effectively banned “marijuana,” paving the way for the next 80 years of cannabis prohibition.
Based on the context used to describe Hemp and Marijuana, the defining characteristic between the two is based on a single factor — the amount of THC in the plant — or rather whether it will get the user high.
Due to such difference between their levels of THC, hemp and marijuana are regulated differently under the law: While hemp was previously regulated as an illegal substance under the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, it was removed as an illegal substance under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018, which federally legalized hemp and hemp-derived products that contain no more than 0.3 percent THC.
Marijuana, on the other hand, is still treated as a controlled substance and is federally illegal under the Controlled Substance Act.
