Cannabis travels a long way from seed to smoke. Some people may wonder how it’s possible to get fresh bud that burns evenly months after harvest and many miles away from the farm.
Jack Grover is one industry professional with an answer to that question. As the founder and CEO of cannabis storage company Grove Bags, he created a solution for the weed supply chain: a durable bag that locks in flavor using proprietary technology. Used for both curing and storage and available in sizes capable of holding anywhere from a couple grams to multiple pounds, Grove Bags have become increasingly popular with both producers and consumers alike.
Grover answered GreenState’s Fast Five questions, sharing his personal connection to the plant, how Grove Bags works, and what’s ahead for 2024.
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GreenState: How did your journey with cannabis begin?
Jack Grover: Coupled with everything I saw going on at home with my brother Charlie’s battle with cerebral palsy, developments in the cannabis industry and medical cannabis community, and how I could fulfill a serious need in the supply chain through plant-specific packaging solutions, I started Grove Bags.
Charlie was a big inspiration for me to get involved in working so closely with the cannabis plant, diving deeper into how this plant medicine can transform patients’ quality of life and what it means to advocate for people who rely on it as a significant part of their treatment.
GS: What is your favorite way to consume?
JG: There are a lot of really neat modern options in the marketplace. It’s been an amazing experience to try everything from new vape technologies to rapid-onset edibles and refreshing infused beverages. However, my number one go-to has always been, and likely will remain to be, fresh flower rolled up in a joint. There’s just something special about the ritualistic joint rolling process that I’ve always appreciated and enjoyed at the end of a long day.
GS: Where did the idea for Grove Bags come from?
JG: I became interested in cannabis and saw how it was a great way to make an overarching impact. I understood packaging and supply chains, and how there was quite a bit of work to be done to improve these aspects of the industry, especially with plant-specific solutions that were tailored to the unique physiology of cannabis and how its medicinal properties are cured, stored, and ultimately preserved.
GS: Your bags contain proprietary TerpLoc technology. What is this exactly?
JG: Designed around the plant’s physiological properties, TerpLoc technology utilizes a blend of several film elements to create the optimal cannabis atmosphere inside every package. Grove Bags allow growers to take advantage of key permeability and protective properties that suit the specific needs of cannabis, eliminating the need for ‘burping’ while curing entirely. All unwanted gasses and water vapor are actively diffused through the film elements, forming the ideal environment to retain weight, consistency, and potency… all key factors to maintaining quality.
The way that all mature agricultural industries are dealing with extending product shelf life is by carefully controlling gas mixtures. Gas mixtures are the key to the enzymatic process that occurs within the plant residually after the actual drying process has ended and the curing process has begun. What we’re trying to do for cannabis is really understand how these residual sugars, chlorophylls, and nutrients of the plant continue to be broken down. This is all critical to preserving the medicinal integrity of the plant from cure to consumption.
GS: Is there anything special on deck for 2024 you want to share?
JG: Coming into 2024, our SafeVac solution represents a historical development in the ability for cultivators to continue taking advantage of the benefits that vacuum-sealed films bring, especially in transporting cannabis, with the added benefits of our TerpLoc technology. By bringing a modified atmospheric environment that’s tailored to the unique physiology of the plant, we’re enhancing the shelf life and the quality of the final product that gets into the hands of consumers. We’re also saving cultivators time by enabling them to take full advantage of auto-curing while their flower is in transit, ultimately cutting down on valuable time to shelf.
With that said, this is a significant advancement as far as logistics and supply chains are concerned, especially in markets where cultivators are continuing to scale their efforts due to steady increases in consumer demand. SafeVac is especially important for fresh or frozen verticals, and particularly the international market, which we’ve all witnessed blossom.
One aspect of the plant we want to make sure we preserve entirely are the trichomes. Trichomes have about 90 percent of the terpenes of the plant. When using a high-static environment like traditional, food-grade vacuum seal film, that’s a material that doesn’t create the proper atmospheric environment and fuels substantial trichrome degradation. SafeVac protects trichomes and the volatile compounds they hold while still allowing operators to get all the benefits of the vacuum-seal format.
All in all, SafeVac represents an opportunity for the industry to leverage TerpLoc’s class of technology across larger, more sophisticated operations and markets to maintain operational efficiency, and enhance product quality and bottom line efficiency.
Jack Grover is the founder and CEO of Grove Bags, a provider of cannabis packaging specifically tailored for the unique physiology of the plant to create the perfect climate for cannabis preservation. After graduating from Babson College, Jack was inspired by his brother Charlie’s battle with cerebral palsy to enter the cannabis industry and create packaging that preserves the plant at its highest quality. Fast forward from March 2016, Grove Bags continues its commitment to manufacturing its packaging solutions in the United States for the global cannabis market and has gained industry-wide praise for its proprietary TerpLoc technology.
The answers given by Q&A subjects do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GreenState. The subject is solely responsible for the views stated in this piece.
