Hand trimming dried flower is still considered by many cannabis growers as essential to processing top-shelf caliber cannabis. Many commercial operations use trimming machines to offset the labor costs of hand trimmers as business sizes scale up. Sometimes operations run most material through trim machines, then send flower to technicians for a final manicure. Smaller craft producers often skip the machines for all flower, or hand trim their top-shelf offerings and machine trim lower-grade product. Regardless, many find a combination of machine and hand trimming to be ideal for their operations. Hand trimming may preserve trichomes and calyx structure and tends to highlight the flower’s natural appearance. By contrast, trim machines can move material faster, but may degrade flower structure and, in some cases, negatively impact potency due to trichome loss.
Hand trimming can add value when factoring in the increase in flower-to-trim ratio that often results with a switch from machine to hand trimming. At Galenas, which has cultivation operations in Ohio and Michigan, we saw up to a 7% increase in flower-to-trim ratio, depending on the cultivar, when switching from machine to hand trimming. With the falling prices for trim considered, this has allowed our company to sell higher quality product at the same labor cost. The labor cost of hand trimming can vary dependent upon the trimmers’ skill levels. It can also be hard to project, but a ballpark efficiency expectation is 2 pounds per person per day, or 2 grams per minute, from an experienced worker.
Hand trimming is a very subjective task. Pace and ability can vary from person to person. Previous experience is not necessary to achieve sufficient pace and technique if trimmers receive appropriate training. Regardless of individual competence, it is important to provide the groundwork necessary to meet planned objectives.
To standardize the trim department and to consistently meet efficiency and quality goals, several steps can be taken to optimize infrastructure, training and process protocols. Even seasoned trimmers may be able to enhance quality by refining certain techniques. To best support the trim department, and to increase pace and improve product quality, outfit the team, teach and develop technique, and know how to spot quality issues.
Even seasoned trimmers may be able to enhance quality by Refining certain techniques.
1. Set the foundation with proper PPE.
Plants with growth cycles more than 100 days can be contaminated in a matter of seconds, leading to a batch failure, which could value in the tens of thousands. Consider all possible cross-contamination sources in the trim room and work to minimize them with the appropriate PPE guidelines and structure around hygiene and personal items like clothing, accessories and cellphones. It is best to keep phones away from trim stations to avoid cross-contamination, and break room items like water bottles should be housed outside of the trim room in a designated area.
Frequent glove changes can help to minimize contamination. If employees touch anything besides the flower and their shears or freshly sanitized surfaces and tools, it makes sense to do a quick glove change.
Keep in mind that disposable gloves can be a vehicle for theft, so have a disposal bin inside the room to collect gloves before the trimmers leave as a security precaution.
Outfitting your team with the right tools and resources is the first step toward establishing a successful trim team. Proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is crucial in the trim room. Fully stock necessary PPE accessories and have dispensers directly outside the trim room so that staff can walk in fully protected. Necessary items include hairnets, beard nets, disposable or clean reusable sleeves, disposable gloves, and face masks. Have multiple sizes of gloves and beard/hairnets available for the best fit and coverage.
2. Establish strong security protocols.
In addition to preventing theft via gloves, there are other proactive measures to mitigate theft, such as providing pocketless clothing like scrubs, and monitoring trim room activity on camera. Establishing strong security protocols helps to eliminate product loss, but also can eliminate unjustified suspicion by providing transparency between management and other staff. Good supervision and attention to cameras can catch lapses in PPE coverage, as well.
3. Provide the right tools and environment.
Ensure that trimmers have the appropriate tools that are sanitized and ready for use each shift. Each trimmer should have a clean trim tray and trim bin, sanitized stainless steel trays for finished product, sharp shears, and sanitizer spray bottles and shear soaks available for cleaning equipment. Calibrated scales, bags, twist ties, labels and bins are necessary as well for storage and should be organized with easy access.
Disposable table covers should be used over plastic tables, which are difficult to fully sanitize, or stainless-steel tables can be sanitized and used uncovered. Trimmers should clean shears at the end of the shift, break down all stations, and clean and sanitize work areas, tables and floors to prepare for the next shift of trimming.
In addition to cleaning protocols, consider the ergonomics of the trim room. Adjustable-height tables and chairs can better accommodate people, and comfort is key to long shifts. Offer trimmers frequent breaks (at least two 15-minute breaks and a 30-minute lunch break per day) to move around and get replenished, and to help avoid repetitive motion injuries. The trim room should be well lit and well ventilated, and each person should have adequate space to feel comfortable.
4. Refine and train on technique.
Trimming requires keen vision and great attention to detail. When possible, trimmers should preferably pick the bud up by the stem to avoid compressing or damaging the flower. Each bud is structurally unique and requires individual attention. Trimmers should first focus on the base of the bud and work up, rotating the bud while working. Most leaves will be found around the base of the bud. Small leaves, fully covered in trichomes and often referred to as sugar leaves, are generally not trimmed away, but all other leaf material is removed.
Visual inspection during this process is critical. A skilled trimmer is studying the flower for what to remove while keeping an eye out for potential problems such as mold, pest damage or other quality control issues. Trimmers check for and remove seed pods, browned material, bleached material due to light burn, long stems and winding stems with small branching structures often called “crow’s feet,” and any other damaged material.
However, aggressively removing material can cause divots or damage to the flower, so it is important to be conservative. Trimming is a very mindful task and requires an engaged degree of thought and attention. Although trimmers may find a rhythm, the task requires close attention for optimal performance. Find a balance of stimulation while avoiding distractions in the trim room. At Galenas, we have found that encouraging employees to use headphones to listen to music or podcasts enhances focus and mitigates boredom.
5. Prioritize quality standards.
The goal of hand trimming is to preserve cannabinoids and other chemical constituents and to enhance and display the natural flower structure. Trimmers should be making strategic cuts, removing the undesirable material only. Shears should never be used to “shave” the bud, or remove material quickly over all flower surfaces. “Bud shaving” occurs when trimmers use the entire length of the scissors to make hasty cuts around the flower, eliminating everything that sticks out. In some cases, this is leaf, but collateral damage occurs when flower calyxes and other floral structures with high trichome density are removed as well. Over-trimmed buds tend to look very uniform in shape and can resemble machine-trimmed flowers, and this can diminish product value.
If the trimming shears are sticky with resin or hash down to the hinge or handle, often this is due to bud shaving. Extremely fast clicks of the shears often indicate that a trimmer’s technique needs adjustment, as deliberate cuts are slower and more methodical.
Another instance of over-trimming occurs when trimmers remove too much material and cause the flowers to become unnaturally shaped. This misunderstanding often occurs with newer trimmers who may over-attentively focus on individual flowers. Time-limiting suggestions can help to keep an established pace and avoid situations of trimmers spending too much time on individual flowers. Over-trimming destroys trichomes and lowers quality, and the flower can even potentially lose potency.
Explain bud shaving and over-trimming in detail during training to enhance understanding of these quality-degrading practices. Emphasize that the process of trimming should be conducted with deliberate movements. Keep in mind that pushing for speed can negatively impact quality, as trimmers may adopt or change styles to meet efficiency goals.
Stressing the importance of quality over speed can help to develop proper skills. PowerPoints with side-by-side videos of proper and improper techniques can be immensely helpful in illustrating the impacts of each. With the right equipment and environment, comprehensive training and detailed communication of quality standards, trimmers will have what they need to succeed. Realistic efficiency goals and a focus on steady, long-term improvements in pace and technique will meet business goals while retaining valued personnel.
