Partner Spotlight: Purpl Scientific

Partner Spotlight: Purpl Scientific

Here at Delta9 Systems, we’re always looking for new products and solutions to help our customers maximize their budget and make their cultivation, packaging and retail operations a success. That’s why we’re proud to be an authorized distributor of Purpl PRO, one of the most exciting pieces of tech to hit the cannabis industry in recent years. 

Purpl Scientific is a company in St. Louis, Missouri, backed by a development team of innovators, scientists and engineers based in Finland. Leveraging their extensive experience in agricultural testing and plant analysis, the Purpl team created a revolutionary potency measurement device geared specifically towards the cannabis industry. Purpl PRO is a “laboratory bench” device the size of a Post-It stack that turns your smartphone into a lab-accurate tester for THC and CBD potency in cured, ground flower. 

How does Purpl PRO work?

Purpl PRO utilizes near-infrared spectroscopy, which involves shining light on the sample and analyzing the light that is returned. In this part of the light spectrum (just beyond the red light human eyes can see) molecules react to specific regions of the light to generate a “molecular fingerprint” that can be correlated with concentration. Purpl PRO was calibrated against HPLC measurements from multiple state-certified testing laboratories. Overall, Purpl states a +/- 2% accuracy on THC and CBD for simplicity. Statistically, it is +/- 1.89% on THC and +/- 0.96% on CBD, determined by comparison with lab HPLC measurements.

The hand-held Purpl PRO device connects to the Purpl app on your phone, providing accurate potency results in seconds. It allows you to test unlimited samples and gain valuable insight into the CBD and THC potency of your flower. 

Who needs to measure cannabis potency?

Purpl PRO is intended to be used any time a potency measurement is needed that doesn’t require third-party lab testing. Everyone from cultivators to distributors to manufacturers, dispensaries, extractors and consumers can take advantage of this tool to measure cannabis potency. Our customers use Purpl PRO for pheno hunting, risk management, R&D testing, transparency in transactions and more. This tool gives already skilled growers new capabilities to refine their techniques, improve their craft and gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.  

Does Purpl PRO replace the need for third-party lab testing?

No. Purpl PRO is not supposed to eliminate mandatory third-party testing of final cannabis products, which is required for compliance. For any case where third-party testing is NOT required, Purpl PRO provides meaningful and actionable data. 

New Add-On Function: +H20 Pack

Purpl recently introduced the “+H20 pack,” an optional add-on that measures water activity and moisture percentage in cannabis and hemp flower. This new function brings the usefulness of Purpl PRO to another critical component of the cannabis cultivation cycle: drying and curing. 

Drying and curing is a make-or-break step in the cultivation process. Everything could go smoothly for six months — perfect conditions for the mother plant, low-stress transplants, optimal temperature and humidity, seamless harvest — but if anything goes out of range in the last three days of drying, all your hard work could be undone. 

Dry your material too fast and you can ruin the nose of your flower. Dry down your material too slowly and you will greatly increase occurrances mold, mildew or fungus and you could lose an entire batch. And if you over-dry your flower, the finished flower becomes brittle and turns to shake before your customers can enjoy it. Timing is everything! Anyone who’s experienced a botched drying/curing process knows how heartbreaking it is to lose months of hard work in a matter of days. 

Enter the new Purpl PRO +H20 Pack. This upgrade will allow you to use the Purpl PRO device to measure the moisture and water activity in your drying cannabis flower in seconds, without destroying the sample. The +H20 Pack is available to users of the Purpl PRO as an optional, separate upgrade for $39 per month in addition to the unlimited THC/CBD potency tests. It’s currently undergoing beta tests and will be released soon. 

This tool won’t replace the need for Harvest Managers to examine the stems and flowers by hand and check them for too much moisture and dryness. It will always be important to trust what your senses are telling you. However, Purpl PRO is a good tool to back-up a good drying process with data. It enables you to test a lot of different areas in your drying room, helping you know for sure if your cannabis is ready to process, smoke or sell. 

Curing cannabis is an art, much like aging fine wine. Time it just right, and you’ll get the best out of your unique flower — deepening the intensity of its aroma, the complexity of its flavor and the effectiveness of its intended cannabinoid profile. When you use the Purpl PRO +H20 pack to track the curing process in real-time, you can release harvests at peak readiness and be positioned to command the best possible prices in the market. Note: anyone that owns a Purpl PRO or purchases a new unit can use it to test potency forever, for free. The new +H20 pack is a separate add-on.

Get your Purpl PRO today! 

Want to learn more about Purpl PRO? We’ve got you! The Delta9 Systems team is happy to answer any questions you may have. Shop online here and contact us for details, demos and consultation.