Nitrogen enriched cannabis? Debunking a myth about marijuana packaging

When we go to the store for a sealed bag of chips, say potato chips, we find that the bag is filled with empty space or “air” — that’s not air, it’s nitrogen. Each packet of chips is nitrogen sealed to preserve the chips and prevent them from losing their crispness. This space or air is what manufacturing companies refer to as the “slack fill.” For many years, bags of various snack foods have been filled with nitrogen to help preserve the product. it keeps the product fresh and ideal for consumption. And since nitrogen is good enough to protect potato chips, it’s just as important for preserving cannabis in packaging. Here’s why

If oxygen is allowed to enter cannabis packaging, much is at risk; Loss of freshness, a significant risk of weight deterioration (flower) and a higher likelihood of the product developing mold and other dangerous microbes. Nitrogen has played an important role as an additive in food and commonly consumed packaged goods worldwide for decades. In fact, nitrogen is a key element in our daily lives, making up 78% of the air we breathe, yet many people are unaware of its importance in packaging and product shelf life.

Myths about nitrogen

A recent survey conducted by the Brightfield Group revealed that the average cannabis user does not understand the role of nitrogen in packaging and why the gas is so important in packaging. After interviewing multiple budtenders and cannabis users, the survey found that there are several misconceptions and myths pervading the cannabis space about nitrogen.

• First: The nitrogen gas is not safe for the environment and is quite dangerous to inhale

• Second: Nitrogen gas often freezes cannabis products while reducing and altering their potency

• Three: Sealing cannabis packaging with nitrogen creates an ideal environment and atmosphere for algae and mold growth.

Challenge every myth

Nitrogen is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that is present in all living things and the air we breathe. The gas is safe to ingest and inhale (we do this daily). In fact, the nitrogen dosing method has been used in the food and beverage industry for decades. The nitrogen dosing method helps eliminate oxygen from food and beverage packaging by replacing oxygen with nitrogen to preserve the packaged content(s).

Similar to other types of food additives, nitrogen has undergone careful safety assessment measures before being certified safe for food use and human consumption. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization (JECFA) has also assessed the food safety of nitrogen. The joint commission concluded that nitrogen is safe when consumed in the right amounts according to good manufacturing practices and when used in product packaging. The same claims also apply to the use of nitrogen as a preservative in cannabis packaging. So the next time you order your exceptional nitro coffee or open a chilled beer, remember that the creamy, tasty and rich sip is made possible by the added nitrogen.

It is also important to understand that nitrogen in its gaseous state has no freezing properties. This is to debunk the second myth about nitrogen gas. Nitrogen only has freezing power in liquid form. Nitrogen also does not affect the potency and quality of cannabis. Replacing nitrogen with oxygen in cannabis packaging creates an atmosphere that preserves quality. Nitrogen-filled packaging helps slow spoilage by creating an atmosphere unsuitable for algae and mold growth. Thus, it ultimately helps extend the shelf life of cannabis products. Nitrogen helps protect and cushion delicate flowers in packaging if handled appropriately during shipment.

To address the last myth, for nitrogen to work as a preservative, the package must be properly sealed with nitrogen gas. Upon opening the package, the cannabis product is immediately exposed to moisture- and oxygen-laden air. From a biological point of view, oxygen and moisture are the essential prerequisites for algae and mold growth; For this reason, it is not surprising that mold grows on products after exposure.

Without nitrogen to protect food and beverage products in a controlled environment, contents are vulnerable to mold growth, oxidation and spoilage. Therefore, it is best to only use products as soon as possible after opening them to the natural atmosphere.

Why use nitrogen gas for cannabis storage?

An inert gas that does not react with other molecules, nitrogen has been used for decades to preserve perishable goods during storage and transportation. Nitrogen is still a preservative in typical foods like chips and wine.

Two main reasons for using nitrogen as a preservative are its inert nature and its higher density compared to oxygen. Because of its density, nitrogen is used to displace oxygen in packaging to keep the product from spoiling, and this is also true of cannabis.

The reason for the airtight tagline is that oxygen is the last element you want to let go dormant with cannabis compounds like THC. Oxygen is fully reactive and interacts with THC molecules in cannabis, converting it into CBD. This reactive nature of oxygen is known as oxidation. It’s what makes apple science turn brown and metal rust.

You should note that there is nothing wrong with CBD; It is a cannabinoid that offers numerous medicinal benefits. However, if what you need from your cannabis product is more psychoactive, you want your THC to remain intact as much as possible. This is because CBD induces a more relaxed and sleepy feeling than the usual high. This means you need to keep your cannabis away from oxygen as humanely as possible.

Conclusion

So the next time you open a bag of snacks and find that it is filled with “air”, know that this is not only a marketing strategy to get more profit, but also a way to preserve the snacks and to protect against spoilage and damage from handling while maintaining freshness.

As nitrogen-enriched cannabis packaging continues to grow, the industry will look at how this form of packaging can become a well-known CPG product, while also leveraging the technologies that CPG is developing to gain greater consumer acceptance.

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