Photo credit: Green Crown Extracts
While working as an engineer in the cutting tool industry, Jason Kasinski became curious about wellness solutions other than Big Pharma to help people find relief from everyday aches and ailments. His colleague, Chance Fredrick, shared that same interest, so after Wisconsin’s hemp pilot program was created, they saw an opportunity to help people by converting hemp into cannabidiol (CBD). This past August, they launched Green Crown Extracts farm and extraction facility in Dousman, Wis.
Kasinski and Fredrick studied CBD processing from experts in Colorado to learn how to make tinctures. Kasinski has an engineering degree from UW-Milwaukee, which he credits with helping him understand extraction equipment and the processes. They researched the market for the hemp flower, which Kasinski found includes everything from raw flower, pre-rolls, tinctures and edibles.
They use an organic hydrocarbon extraction method that utilizes butane as the solvent. “A lot of people say that’s a solvent-based extraction method, but so is CO2,” Kasinski explains. “The process we use also has a vacuum purge, so all of the solvent is out of the raw product base oil for tinctures.” Now that Wisconsin’s hemp industry has taken root, they primarily use biomass from Wisconsin, and some from Oregon.
Green Crown Extracts’ products are third-party-lab tested, in which a neutral laboratory tests cannabis products for purity and quality. The product line includes various strains of raw flower and tinctures in 500 or 1,000 milligrams, flavored in lemon or peppermint (blood orange is coming soon). Their tinctures are full spectrum, which contain CBD and other cannabinoids from the hemp plant.
For those who prefer edibles, Green Crown Extracts repackages Sweet Red Fish, a high-strength CBD isolate (pure CBD extract) that tastes similar to Swedish Fish. Kasinski and Fredrick partnered with another CBD company to supply those so they would have an edible option.
Fredrick’s homestead has farmable land, which is where they will plant their first hemp crop for the upcoming summer. Their crop includes unique strains not commonly found in Wisconsin, such high-CBD strains Wife and Cherry Wine, as well as flavorful Chardonnay and Sweet Grass. Strains are often named after the flavor and aromatic attributes of the strain, as well as after people, places, animals or legendary folklore creatures.
They obtained their seeds from a breeder in Colorado. He observes that Colorado growers had a couple of years head start on breeding and provide seed, and now growers here can get strains that have already been approved in other states and have gone through the rigorous testing for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels that fall below the 0.3% federal limit.
Kasinski is highly optimistic about hemp’s future in Wisconsin. “According to the number of hemp licenses issued, we’re on our way to becoming the top dog again in hemp production. Our seed provider in Oregon didn’t expect the demand out of Wisconsin, because now their seeds are unavailable. We have the fertile soil and farmers ready for a crop that will bring them profits again.”
Green Crown Extracts can be found at Hazy Dayz, Starbuds Medical, Bay View Clubhouse, Full Spectrum Healing, CBD Waukesha Wellness, Body Awareness Center, CBD Cellar and Naturally Inspired. They’re also at locations in Hartford, Baraboo, Madison and Deerfield, Wis.
For more information, visit facebook.com/greencrownwisconsin.
