Scientific research and development of cannabis is an exciting and rapidly changing field. To study and analyze this plant, it’s necessary to have a laboratory that adheres to specific engineering protocols, building structures, and guidelines.
This article will cover some of the fundamental objectives for cannabis lab design.
Lab Location and Orientation
Location is a crucial factor in cannabis lab design. For most labs, the priority is security. Since cannabis is still illegal on a federal level, there is no reliable way to protect the building from break-ins or theft continuously.
The structure itself must be secure against intrusions from human beings and animals. The exterior should be solid, with windows that are difficult to break through and metal doors that lock securely.
There should be video surveillance of all common areas such as hallways, stairwells, and entrances/exits on the inside. There will also likely be additional surveillance cameras in more sensitive areas like vaults or research labs where valuable materials are stored.
The lab location should be private but accessible to those with authorization to enter it. Accessibility is important for reasons of efficiency as well as safety.
A remote location could prove inconvenient for researchers who need to work there regularly or for emergency personnel.
Eliminate Potential Sources of Contamination
When designing a cannabis lab, the overall objective is to create an environment for your team to be creative, innovative, and collaborative.
It is essential to consider the social aspect of your space as well as the physical aspects. Increased collaboration between individuals increases creativity and innovation, leading to tremendous success in the cannabis industry.
It is important to create a space that promotes this culture of innovation because it will lead to more success for businesses in the cannabis industry.
Flow and Access
A good workspace presupposes an organized layout and well-planned traffic flow. The objective here is to ensure that work can be conducted as efficiently and seamlessly as possible without causing hindrance to others in the same workspace.
Therefore, you will need to identify each individual’s workflow and adjust accordingly. For example, you will need to decide if the counter space is adequate for each employee’s needs or if it should be allocated differently, depending on the type of work being performed.
Functionality
Laboratories should be designed to allow the plants to pass through the process as easily as possible.
This is particularly important for drying, trimming, and curing, where the objective is to remove water from the plant.
Bottom Line
These basic objectives will help your lab design team create a safe and efficient environment that can keep pace with the demands of the industry.
Of course, no two lab spaces are alike and certainly no two pieces of software, so don’t be afraid to bend the rules if necessary.
Whether you’re creating templates for regulatory compliance or receiving information from other departments within your operation, it’s important to keep all teams within the cannabis industry up to date on new regulations and testing procedures.