Testing freshly-harvested cannabis material with a third-party laboratory is logistically more complex than testing cured flower samples. The plant material is more pliable, requiring modified grinding and processing procedures. Additionally, the high moisture content provides the perfect growth environment for mold and bacteria, so it is essential to minimize delays between harvesting and sample extraction for accurate analysis. 

Ekidna’s As-Is Fresh Bud Potency test enables growers to accurately test their product immediately at harvest in approx. 7 minutes – no drying, grinding, or additional processing required. Identical to HPLC measurements performed at third-party testing facilities, the Ekidna test provides as-is potency results. This means the cannabinoid potency value is calculated without accounting for water, so the value will appear dramatically reduced compared to the cured potency that is normally reported. For example, fresh bud tested at harvest might yield an as-is potency value of 9%, but after curing to 13% moisture content, this sample could yield a potency value of 26%. The total amount of cannabinoid was the same at harvest and after curing, the only thing that changed was removal of water during the drying and curing process.

Moisture content must be accounted for when potency testing pre-cured or pre-harvest fresh flower samples. The graphic atop this page shows the theoretical range of potencies when projecting cured potency values. Before launching our as-is test kit, which can accurately account for pre-harvest flower samples, Ekidna’s lab team had to understand moisture content’s role and how to account for it. The findings were illuminating, and we’re passing them on to you in our report below.

Sunrise Cannabis, located in Ottawa, is a pioneering force in blending the precision and rigour of advanced systems with the potential of cannabis. At Sunrise, quality, innovation, and transparency are combined with a relentless pursuit of excellence and unwavering commitment, resulting in products of the highest calibre.

Due to this commitment and drive to produce the highest quality cannabis, Sunrise uses Ekidna’s pre-harvest fresh flower test to investigate how cannabinoid potency might vary throughout the plant and throughout the grow room to inform future grows and optimize conditions for potency production. Additionally, Sunrise was able to confidently use Ekidna’s pre-harvest result to begin their sales cycle with pricing based on the forecasted post-dried COA potency – Sunrise is able to do so because Ekidna’s pre-harvest test aligns with High North’s COA potency result as indicated in the table below.

Check out the complete case study to see how Ekidna’s pre-harvest test confirms plant variability, the importance of monitoring environmentals, and how our results compare to an academic HPLC!

Ekidna’s on-site potency test system offers licensed producers a game-changing solution to assess the strength of their cannabis products within seven minutes. This groundbreaking technology eliminates lab-induced delays and enables producers to make informed decisions based on HPLC-accurate THC potency results. By knowing their grow beyond physical attributes, Ekidna empowers cannabis companies to drive production and enhance quality assurance during R&D, pheno hunts, and the extraction processes.

Cropsify has established itself as a leading all-in-one software platform designed to simplify and centralize cannabis production management. From cultivation compliance to packaging and distribution, Cropsify’s comprehensive suite of tools helps cannabis companies stay compliant and monitor their products seamlessly. By removing the complexity associated with managing multiple software systems, Cropsify enables businesses to focus on growth and productivity.

Recognizing the shared goal of optimizing cannabis production and data management, Ekidna and Cropsify have teamed up to provide an integrated solution for cannabis businesses. Through this integration, Ekidna’s potency test data can now be seamlessly uploaded to Cropsify’s software, creating a unified hub for record-keeping and performance analysis. This integration empowers producers to access a comprehensive overview of their production performance, facilitating data-driven decision-making and enhancing operational efficiency.

You can learn more about this new integration by reaching out to our team!

About Ekidna: Ekidna is a leading provider of on-site potency test systems for the cannabis industry. By offering licensed producers a quick and accurate testing solution, Ekidna empowers businesses to make informed decisions and drive production efficiency. For more information, visit our product page.

About Cropsify: Cropsify is an all-in-one software platform designed to streamline and centralize cannabis production management. With features ranging from compliance monitoring to product tracking, Cropsify simplifies operations and enhances productivity for cannabis companies. For more information, visit Cropsify online.

Ekidna uses sensor technology to deliver instantaneous insights at the point of production in an easy-to-use fashion, requiring no external qualifications for the user. Their first application is a phytocannabinoid potency test system designed to help cannabis cultivators and breeders understand their plant beyond physical attributes without the bottleneck caused by relying on third-party and in-house labs. 

After being selected to join the program from over 2160 applicants in September 2022, Ekidna is among 6 of 24 agricultural stream ventures to graduate. 

“Working with CDL and the team of mentors helped us to deeply define what makes Ekidna special and how to best position ourselves in the marketplace. Coming out of the CDL, Ekidna is a refreshed company well on the path to building something massive, and we’re excited to see our growth continue,” said Nic Boileau, Ekidna’s CEO & Co-Founder.

Upon graduating from the CDL, Ekidna has its sights set on growing its team and leveraging the knowledge gained to expand into new industries and verticals.

About Ekidna

Ekidna provides point-of-production testing for chemically complex manufacturing companies, with current applications in phytocannabinoid potency testing. Supporting cultivators of all sizes, focusing on nurseries and phenohunters, Ekidna helps to streamline the production process without sacrificing quality or accuracy in data gathering.

About the Creative Destruction Lab

The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a seed-stage program for massively scalable, science-based companies. The thirty-six-week program employs an objectives-based mentoring process to maximize equity-value creation. The CDL is particularly suited to early-stage companies with links to university research labs. Launched in 2012 at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, the program has expanded to Atlanta, Berlin, Calgary, Estonia, Halifax, Montreal, Oxford, Paris, Seattle, Vancouver, and Wisconsin. Companies that graduated from the CDL have generated over $28B (CAD) in aggregate equity value.

All media inquiries are to be sent to:
Cali Barnstead, Sales & Marketing Coordinator
cali@ekidnasensing.com 
subject line: Ekidna Media Inquiry  

As the cannabis industry grows, Ekidna is committed to providing innovative solutions to its challenges and aims to expand its lab-on-a-chip technology into other industries, such as wine and beer brewing and other agricultural applications. 

Through collaboration with ventureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative program, Canada’s first and only semiconductor-focused hardware incubator, Ekidna received support in product development, testing, and access to resources, which helped launch our THC potency test system. 

Check out the interview between Ekidna’s CEO, Nic Boileau and ventureLAB’s Kai Lim for the whole story: How Ekidna is Revolutionizing the Cannabis Industry with Accessible Testing Devices.