Cannabis News

Using plasma to kill airborne pathogens

Published

5 months ago

November 26, 2025

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Whether it’s cannabis or produce, every grower faces a constant battle against mold and similar threats. Cannabis is particularly vulnerable, as its humid growing environment and the physical structure of its flowers create an ideal breeding ground for many pathogens. Fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, on the other hand, often die in large quantities as they sit in containers or trucks before reaching their final destination.

For the past two years, DDH has been working with an industrial plasma manufacturer to adapt cold plasma technology for controlled environment agricultural and shipping environments. The result is a variety of products sold under the name Quantum Clear (QC).

plasma
DDH’s Travis Higginbotham says the original inventor had used plasma technology in other sectors and was looking for a partner to bring it to agriculture and horticulture. “It took us two full years of design and testing to get the equipment to work in grow facilities, centralized HVAC systems, shipping trailers and cold rooms,” he said. The company has collected data on various USDA fruit crops, third-party air quality testing for 50 different pathogens and volatile organic compounds such as ethylene, and pilot projects with large ornamental and cannabis operators.

The appeal of this approach, Travs points out, is that the plasma field does not produce ozone, which is a concern with some current plasma technologies. The company has UL and Carb certifications, which verify that there is no ozone and that the units are safe for plant and human workplaces.

Preservation of products
The way it works is pretty simple, practically speaking, at least. Air enters on one side of the device, passes through a plasma area and exits on the other side. In this area, gases are energized into a plasma state that produces reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, including hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide. These compounds interact with airborne pathogens and organic molecules. “The idea is to create an area in the environment that breaks down the cell walls and changes the structure of certain compounds,” explains Travis.

Fruit storage and shipping environments have been an early focus. “The combination of darkness, low temperatures, humidity and well-packaged produce creates ideal conditions for mold,” he says. “Less air exchange and increased ethylene levels also encourage faster fruit ripening and smoother texture. USDA work with bananas, tomatoes, apples and strawberries showed that shipments treated with cold plasma maintained quality and had virtually no visible mold.”

Due Diligence Horticulture has designed versions of the unit for shipping containers, refrigerators, HVAC systems and growing spaces. This enables flexibility throughout the supply chain, providing redundancy and centralized air handling.

All of this potential implementation was also based on the company’s focus on safety, Travis noted, not just for the humans working in the grow rooms, but for the plants as well. Several data sets suggested neutral or positive effects on performance and quality, although the company is still gathering more information. “We’ve doubled and even tripled the application capacity without negatively affecting the pistils of cannabis flowers. The technology is gentle on the plant, but destroys pathogens.”

cannabis
For cannabis growers, interest centers on airborne pathogens associated with empty fills, including aspergillus. “Operators also want to cut down on powdery mildew losses or limit the cost and frequency of IPM interventions during flowering. Since plasma treatment can be applied from tissue culture rooms to post-harvest spaces, trials have looked at how the units behave during the crop cycle.” The graph below shows the results of a producer trial in November 2025 where the Aspergillus count was reduced by 90% after 4 days of use.

Growers of vegetables and ornamentals are also in trouble. Trials in shipping with coastal farms and cooler storage with Metrolina Greenhouses have been completed, and further work is underway in Central American Tissue Culture facilities and other controlled environments with good air exchange.

Travis emphasized that installation is easy compared to systems that rely on chemical injection. “The units are stand-alone boxes designed for different voltages and room sizes. There is no subscription service attached to the equipment, and the devices come with a standard warranty and optional extended coverage. DDH also offers financing to help manufacturers secure Quantum Clear cold plasma units.”

In various studies, the company reports an average reduction of 87.2% in airborne pathogens in less than a week and a greater reduction of over 95% when the units are run continuously for up to a month. “It’s a practical tool for growers who want to not only monitor air quality, but better understand air quality management.” he says “He’s responsible for getting the technology into the hands of producers through our testing program and QC to make sure it’s the solution they expected.”

Want to know more? tune in DDH December 10 webinarth at 10:00 a.m. PT. Click here to register.

For more information:
Due Diligence Horticulture
www.ddhort.com

Related Topics:airborne kill pathogens plasma

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Cannabis growth facility eyes new spot for growth facility near Crisfield

Published

10 hours ago

May 1, 2026

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The Somerset County Board of Zoning Appeals approved another special exception for a cannabis-growing facility after negotiations to purchase a previous location failed to reach an agreement.

Trilogy Group LLC was granted a license to grow by the Maryland Cannabis Association, with the condition that the business be operational by July 2026. Trilogy Group wants to operate on the county-owned, undeveloped industrial site on Revell’s Neck Road in Westover. However, this project time frame does not coincide with the license term.

In September 2025, the producer was approved for a special exception for a facility at 4630 Crisfield Highway. The existing building houses Jed’s Auto Refinishing, which would be renovated to accommodate the growing operations. When the sale of that property ultimately failed, Trilogy Group purchased the land at 4381 Crisfield Highway and obtained another special exemption.

Jesse Drewer, Somerset’s Director of Technical and Community Services, said: “They looked for a site they already owned before coming to us and working through the process. “They are landlords and developers all in one.”

Cannabis News

Trump’s New Surgeon General Pick Said Using Marijuana Can Give You ‘Man Boobs’

Published

10 hours ago

May 1, 2026

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President Donald Trump’s new surgeon general nominee has raised concerns about marijuana, at one point saying its use is linked to the development of large breasts, or “man boobs,” in men. However, he also admitted that medical cannabis has “potential benefits”.

Trump announced Thursday that he would tap Nicole Saphier, who is now the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering, to be the surgeon general of the United States.

Saphier has repeatedly discussed what he sees as the dangers of marijuana use, and has been more open to the potential benefits of its non-intoxicating ingredient CBD.

“There is a common misconception that marijuana is safer than alcohol and other drugs,” he wrote on Fox News in 2019. “As a doctor I know that marijuana is not harmless and can have serious adverse effects on the health of users.”

“And as a mother of three (one in college), I’m concerned that legalizing the drug for adults sends a clear message to kids that they can get pot without negative health effects,” she said.

Saphier went on to criticize the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates who supported marijuana reform, saying it’s “politically a popular cause, especially among young voters.”

“These candidates are more interested in how legalization of pot will affect their electoral prospects than how legalization will affect public health,” he said. he wrote.

Among the health concerns he has raised is that cannabis use is “directly linked” to “man boobs”.

“Physically, we know that marijuana is directly linked to respiratory problems (if smoked), cardiovascular disease, and gynecomastia (“man nipples”). As a breast radiologist, the first question I ask men when they come in for breast augmentation is whether they currently smoke marijuana or have smoked it in the past. Often, the answer is “yes.”

Trump’s appointment of Saphier comes just as his administration is moving forward with federal rescheduling of marijuana.

Although the surgeon general has no formal involvement in the drug program, which is administered by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services, the position is seen as “America’s doctor” and plays a role in addressing health issues on behalf of the government.

In a podcast earlier this year, Saphier admitted that there are “potential benefits” to medical cannabis.

“Of course, there is evidence supporting cannabinoids for chemotherapy-induced nausea, certain seizure disorders, chronic pain syndromes, multiple sclerosis,” he said. “But that’s very different than, you know, the general normalization of high-potency recreational cannabis on a daily basis, especially in developing brains, which doesn’t happen until age 25.”

In the same podcast, he said that he personally “doesn’t like” and has “never tried” cannabis.

“I think CBD products are probably significantly less harmful if they don’t have THC. I’m not a fan of THC,” Saphier. he said. “I think if people are trying to get away from alcohol and want to take low doses of CBD, not inhale it, not smoke it, I’m sure it’s probably less risky than some of the other things out there.”

“Let’s be honest, today’s cannabis is not your parents’ marijuana. The potency of THC has increased dramatically over the last two decades. High-concentrate products, vapes, dabs, edibles, what the kids are doing these days, I don’t even know.”

In another interview focused on concerns about cannabis use by pregnant women, Saphier he said “As we continue to legalize marijuana, people are equating that to, ‘it has to be safe.'”

In a separate interview, he suggested that the legalization of cannabis is increasing its use among young people, which he said increases rates of addiction and psychosis.

“One in six children who try it, becomes addicted. Cannabis use in children, the risk of psychosis is four times higher,” he said. “What have we done? Legalize. Normalize.”

Trump’s predecessor, now retired Candidate Casey Means discussed his “significant experiences” with psychedelics beforehand Saying that marijuana “can greatly decrease your ability to generate good energy.”

Means himself said during a confirmation hearing in February he would not advise Americans to experiment with psychedelics as he has donebut noted that there is “exciting” research indicating that substances such as psilocybin can effectively treat serious mental health conditions.

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Cannabis News

Missouri cannabis growers file class action against Good Day Farm

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2026

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CPC of Missouri-Smithville, LLC and GF Saint Mary LLC, licensed cannabis growers and manufacturers in Missouri, filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Jackson County on behalf of independent wholesalers, alleging that Good Day Farm (GDF) and its network of conspiring companies and investors were harmed by an intentional, coordinated and unconstitutional scheme. The complaint alleges that the “GDF Cartel” illegally controls or manages the state’s share of dispensary licenses and uses that market power to manipulate Missouri’s $1.52 billion cannabis market for its own profit.

GDF and its co-conspirators allegedly built the cartel by arranging for third parties to invest in limited liability companies (LLCs) that then acquire additional dispensaries, cultivation and processing facilities, all of which are owned, operated or controlled by GDF. The result: The alleged cartel exercises effective control over at least 61 dispensaries, nearly triple the 22 allowed by the Missouri Constitution, with more than 10% of dispensary licenses “under substantially common control, ownership or management.” With 224 dispensaries currently licensed statewide, the alleged GDF Cartel controls more than one in four dispensary licenses in Missouri. But its influence is even greater, with alleged Cartel dispensaries accounting for more than 40% of wholesale cannabis in the state, giving it significant — and illegal — influence over all independent growers and manufacturers forced to sell through its network.

To avoid the Missouri Constitution’s 10% licensing limit and avoid regulatory oversight, the alleged cartel operates under five different brand names:

Good Day Farm (21 dispensaries),
CODES (20 dispensaries),
Green light (10 dispensaries),
Fresh Karma (6 dispensaries), and
3 Fifteen Primo (4 medications).

But they’re all part of a single, coordinated operation, the complaint says.

Purchase cannabis products from non-Cartel wholesalers at artificially depressed prices;
They supply their 61 dispensaries with the same products—mainly those produced by Cartel growers—significantly excluding products from independent wholesalers;
Force independent drug wholesalers to purchase the Cartel’s finished products as a condition for their wholesale products to be placed on the Cartel’s drug store shelves; and
Boycott non-cartel wholesalers who refuse to agree to anti-cartel demands.

Bob Hoffman, one of the attorneys leading the case, said: “The GDF Cartel is removing competition from the wholesale cannabis market and enriching itself with illegal profits through a counterproductive, clandestine business conspiracy. Missouri growers and manufacturers have been suffering under this scheme for a long time; many of them know something is wrong, but we don’t realize how the cartel has manipulated the market through this manipulation framework. Missourians to approve recreational cannabis in 2022 They voted for a fair and competitive market. Missouri licensed cannabis businesses that have suffered these practices should join us because they may be entitled to substantial damages.”

The complaint alleges the financial toll the Cartel has taken: Since the Cartel began illegal price-fixing, it has used its collective market power to lower wholesale prices by more than 20%, and continues to squeeze wholesalers and threaten the viability of their operations.

The unconstitutional complaint alleges that GDF knew its plan to build cartels could create legal risks for the company under the Constitution’s 10% licensing limit. The complaint quotes from a document provided by GDF to potential investors: “There can be no assurance that the Missouri Department of Cannabis Regulation will not dispute the number of marijuana dispensaries operated or supervised by the operator or its affiliates…”.

This action is brought on behalf of a putative class that includes all licensed independent wholesalers in Missouri that are not members of the alleged GDF Cartel for purposes of injunctive relief. Wholesalers who believe they have been financially harmed by the alleged Cartel’s practices should join the case because they may be entitled to substantial damages. The putative class is represented by the law firms of Feuerstein Kulick LLP and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP.

Source: Feuerstein Kulick LLP and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP