As the nitrogen infusion cannabis packaging industry advances, both growers and consumers should embrace this development. Photo: N2 Packaging Systems/Sustainable Cannabis Coalition
For growers and producers of cannabis, oxygen can be both friend and foe. When the plant is growing, a healthy amount of oxygen is essential to ensure the plant can thrive and grow in its environment and produce high-quality flower. But once that cannabis has been harvested and packaged for sale, oxygen can quickly become a grower’s greatest enemy.
When oxygen enters cannabis packaging, the harvested flower is at risk of weight degradation, loss of freshness, and susceptibility to developing mold and other potentially harmful microbes. For brands, their reputations hinge on the quality of their product, and any one of those risks can jeopardize their standing in the marketplace and in the eyes of consumers. To combat these risks, growers are turning to another gas that has been proven for decades to preserve organic food products: nitrogen.
Nitrogen has been an extremely prevalent additive to food products and general consumer packaged goods globally for more than a century. Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air we breathe, yet many consumers lack awareness of its impact on our packaging and may wrongly associate the gas as a harmful supplement when in reality it’s protecting them and their cannabis.
According to a survey conducted by the Brightfield Group, the average cannabis consumer is typically not educated on the use of nitrogen and why the gas is crucial in packaging. The survey questioned cannabis consumers and budtenders and found there are some common myths surrounding nitrogen:
- First: Nitrogen is not safe to breathe in and is not environmentally friendly in my product’s container
- Second: Nitrogen will freeze my cannabis product, and reduce or alter its potency
- Third: When packaging is sealed with nitrogen, it creates an environment for mold growth
Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is found in all living things. It is safe to breathe in and ingest. In fact, the food and beverage industry has been utilizing the nitrogen dosing method for decades, as it pushes any oxygen out of the packaging, preserving the contents inside.
Like other food additives, nitrogen has gone through rigorous safety assessment before it is ascertained as safe for food use. The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has evaluated the safety of food-grade nitrogen and considered that it is safe upon normal consumption when used in foods following Good Manufacturing Practice. The same applies to using nitrogen to dose cannabis packaging.
Nitrogen does not have freezing powers in a gas form — in respect to the second myth — only as a liquid, and it does not affect the cannabis’ potency. By modifying the atmosphere inside the package, nitrogen preserves the quality of the cannabis, slows down spoilage, and extends the products’ shelf life. It also cushions and protects the delicate flower inside from being crushed during handling.
Tackling the final myth, the package must be sealed tightly to prevent the nitrogen from escaping. Once the package is unsealed, the cannabis is exposed to atmospheric air containing oxygen and moisture. With the lack of nitrogen protection in a controlled environment, the contents are then prone to moisture pickup, spoilage, and oxidation. Therefore, it is best to consume the products soon once the package is opened.
As the nitrogen infusion cannabis packaging industry advances, customers should embrace this development and begin discussing with their budtenders if the product they are purchasing has been infused with nitrogen. That simple question could protect them from molds that may have developed since the product has been packaged and better ensure that they truly are receiving the most potent, fresh, and enjoyable cannabis they can buy.