CannMed Coffee Talk

Manny Maminakis is the inventor and CEO of Cannamatrix INC, a cannabis bioinfomratics platform. Prior to Cannamatrix, Manny spent 12 years in the cannabis industry as an award winning cannabis cultivator and edible chef.

At CannMed 26, he presented a poster titled “Computational Identification of Volatile Sulfur Compound Synthase Homologs in Cannabis sativa Using Profile Hidden Markov Models”

During our conversation, we discuss:

What volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) are and why they give certain cannabis strains their skunky, garlicky smell

How Manny’s path from cannabis cultivator and award-winning edible chef led him into bioinformatics at Canimatrix

Why the GMO (“garlic mushroom onion”) cultivar was chosen as the ideal candidate for studying VSCs

How hidden Markov models were used to find candidate VSC genes by comparing cannabis proteins to garlic, onion, and other sulfur-producing plants

And more!

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: Cannamatrix

Cannamatrix is a genetic software company that empowers growers to select the best of the best from their seed stock. Their patented system of genetic testing with predictive algorithms helps growers harness the maximum potential of Cannabis while preserving the natural genetic makeup and reducing resource allocation, and saving time and money!

Visit cannamatrix.com to learn more

Related Resources

@MannytheCannaBiologist on IG

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CannMed Archive

Dr. Kristofer Marsh is the Chief Scientific Officer of Smithers Cannabis Testing Services Division, as well the State Director for Smithers’ New York laboratory. He has over 9 years of experience in the Cannabis testing industry spanning operations in 11 U.S. states and is a member of the Cannabis Science Section with the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL).

At CannMed 26, Kris presented “Pyrocannabinoids: An investigation into smoked cannabinoid isolates”

During our conversation, we discuss:

What pyrocannabinoids are and how they’re formed

Why THCA, CBD, and THCV isolates were chosen as the focus of the study

What new cannabinoids were created after those isolates were combusted

How this change in cannabinoids raises questions about the entourage effect in smoked versus ingested cannabis

Next steps for pyrocannabinoid research

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: Cannabis Chemistry Subdivision of the American Chemical Society (CANN)

Since 2015, CANN has been building a strong network of scientists in the cannabis space to promote scientific innovation, safety, and development through education, research, and the empowerment of the scientific community.

To learn more about what CANN has to offer please visit their website at www.cann-acs.org.

Additional Resources

Real Isolates

Smithers

Connect with Kris on Linkedin

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CannMed Archive

Alisha Holloway is the Chief Scientific Officer at Phylos where she leads the R&D group that focuses on foundational genomic research, development of high-throughput genetic and chemical testing capabilities, discovery of genetic markers, and the development of new cannabis varieties via classical and marker-assisted breeding.

At CannMed 26, she will present “Enhancing Cannabis Quality via Marker-Assisted Selection for Improved Solventless Extraction Yield”

During our conversation, we discuss:

What solventless extraction is and why it’s gaining popularity

The traits that make a cannabis plant a “good washer”

How Alisha’s team designed and conducted a washability study across hundreds of plant samples

How they identified genetic markers for good washers that hold up across diverse genetic backgrounds

How marker-assisted selection accelerates the breeding process

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: The Cannabis Research Center & Coalition

The Cannabis Research Center & Coalition (CRC), founded by Dr. Allison Justice, is a professional group dedicated to advancing cannabis cultivation and post harvest processing. CRC partners with Universities and The Hemp Mine LLC, an industry leader in cannabis genetics and production, to tackle the cultivation and post harvest challenges facing today’s cannabis industry.

Their cooperative research model, inspired by successful horticulture and greenhouse research collaborations, allows members to benefit from pooled resources, gaining access to cutting-edge, science-based research at a fraction of the cost.

Learn more at cannabisrc.org

Additional Resources

Phylos.bio, Instagram, Linkedin

[Blog] What Makes a Cannabis Variety “Wash Well”? The Science Behind High-Yield Hash Plants

https://www.instagram.com/shwale/

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Meet the CannMed 26 Speakers

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CannMed Archive

Morgan Keefer is a Board Member for the Institute of Cannabis Science, and an experienced cannabis testing laboratory accreditation professional. She has presented at conferences, including CannMed, Pittcon, and Cannabis Science Conference regarding the importance of inter-laboratory comparison and method validation for the cannabis industry.

At CannMed 26, Morgan will present Frequently Identified Nonconformances Applicable to Cannabis Testing, which will explore some of the challeges that come with operating a cannabis lab as well as opportunities for improvement.

During our conversation, we discuss:

Cannabis labs must be ISO/IEC 17025 accredited to prove they are competent to test for potency, contaminants, and other critical safety markers that protect consumers.

Inconsistent state regulations and federal illegality create unique challenges for cannabis labs, including the need to rapidly validate new test methods as rules change.

Sample manipulation by producers (i.e., bleaching samples or inflating potency) is a real problem that undermines lab results and puts consumers at risk.

Many labs fall short on method validation and measurement uncertainty, sometimes reporting results for years without fully validating their methods across all product types.

Consumers can protect themselves by requesting certificates of analysis, asking labs to confirm their results directly, and watching for measurement uncertainty disclosures.

Thanks to This Episode’s Sponsor: CANN

Since 2015, CANN has been building a strong network of scientists in the cannabis space to promote scientific innovation, safety, and development through education, research, and the empowerment of the scientific community. To learn more about what CANN has to offer please visit their website at www.cann-acs.org.

Additional Resources

Institute of Cannabis Science Tip Line – tipline@cannsci.org 

Coalition for Cannabis Worker Safety – Cannabisworkersafety@gmail.com

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Meet the CannMed 26 Speakers

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CannMed Archive

Dr. Harold Hom is the Founder of PhytoRX. He has dedicated his career to the art and science of nanoemulsions, transforming plant-derived active ingredients into stable, predictable and effective formulations.

He founded PhytoRX is to bring consistency and efficacy into the plant-based therapeutics, and  give clinicians a tool they can confidently use.

At CannMed 26, Harold will Moderate a panel titled “Drink Your Cannabionoids – How it changes cannabis research and patient care”, which brings together leading clinicians, researchers, and innovators to explore how emulsion-based cannabinoids are improving outcomes in oncology, geriatrics, and clinical trials. 

During our conversation, we discuss: 

How cannabis emulsion technology solvers composition, degradation, and absorption challenges in medical cannabis

How turning oil-based cannabinoids into water-compatible emulsions improves bioavailability, dosing precision, and patient adherence

How emulsion-based products improve the “therapeutic window” via predictable PK profiles that smoking, tinctures, and edibles can’t match

Why drinking cannabinoids better fits patients’ existing habits, afterall, people are already drinking fluids throughout the day.

A preview of the CannMed Emulsion Panel 

and more 

Thanks to this Episode’s Sponsor: PhytoRX 

PhytoRX was born from the expertise of Vertosa, a pioneer in advanced infusion technology with years of experience delivering precision and consistency for next-generation botanical therapeutics. The product improves on traditional cannabinoid formats by delivering accurate dosing, rapid absorption, optimized bioavailability, and ease of use. 

Go to phytorx.co to learn more, and if you decide to give it a try, use promocode CannMed at checkout to get 15% off.

Additional Resources

PhytoRX

Register for CannMed 26 Today