Growing cannabis for medical use in Maine requires the right type of equipment. Quality machines and systems are essential considerations for any grower looking for large scale production capabilities. This starts in the growth and care of plants, and then moves into the harvesting, curing and trimming of the harvest.
Many of the larger cannabis producers, or even some smaller operations that grow for personal medical use, use automatic bud trimmer or weed trimmer machines. When choosing the right machine for your processing requirements, there are several critical factors to keep in mind.
Processing Capacity
One of the first considerations is the size of the weed trimmer that is the best option for your needs. For small operations or for use in processing your own marijuana, a smaller system that is designed to trim a pound or two an hour is more than enough, and it offers a cost-effective solution.
For high volume types of production, larger systems that can trim up to 10 pounds per hour are cost-effective and ensure production capacity can be maximized.
Rotary Vs. Mechanical Scissor Mechanism
The most common options in equipment on the market in Maine are the rotary types of tumble and trim systems. This limits the ability to control the damage to the bud, and it results in the removal of a significant amount of the trichrome, which is a rich source of cannabinoids. This is largely due to the pounding the bud takes in the process, similar to clothing in a dryer.
The mechanical scissors type of weed trimmer equipment is very different. The blades move horizontally on a continual basis, and the bud is placed on the surface. It is then rolled or moved gently by hand, while the blades continue to trim excess leaf material and stems.
The result is compact, well-formed buds that are free from stems and excess leaves, without the excessive loss of trichomes found on other types of systems.
