With a small reduction in the new daily cases, Shenzhen has lifted restrictions in 5 districts on Friday 18th of March and for the rest of the city on this Monday, March 21st . A few exceptions still exist, like a South Futian and a number of singled-out residences.

This news comes as the Chinese Officials have focused on mitigating the economic impact of Covid and adopted a more pragmatic approach to managing the spread; “The next step for Shenzhen is to control the pandemic with scientific and precise methods, while ensuring the stability of production and the supply chain” Huang Qiang, deputy secretary general of the Shenzhen government, said in a press conference on Friday. Controls via QR code from residence and business buildings are still enforced with compulsory daily testing.

The Blinc China office was able to open today, and with full staff on site we are happy to be back to normal operations. Even better and most important – all Blinc suppliers have resumed 100% activity allowing Blinc China to be fully operational. Blinc will still monitor the evolution of the situation and will report on any potentiation production impact. For now we are happy to say that business is back to normal!

#notjustvapor

As the director of customer success for the Blinc Group, one of the great pleasures of the job is getting out on the road and visiting manufacturing facilities and dispensaries. Vaping is such an important part of the cannabis market that the more knowledge and experience shared, the better.

But recently, in my efforts to orchestrate a road show on the importance of quality, safety and compliance in the manufacturing of vape cartridges, I had a dispensary owner tell me that he would not be interested in me coming in to discuss these topics with budtenders as he did not see it as directly benefiting sales.

This was obviously disappointing to me. After all, it is a fact that the cartridge chosen will determine the safety and overall performance of the vape experience. Spit back, clogging, leaking, harshness and contamination are all real problems that a user can and does experience as a result of cannabis brands pairing their oil with the wrong hardware or, even worse, choosing hardware based on price alone.

This rejection got me thinking that if this dispensary is not questioning the vape hardware it is purchasing from its distributors and if these distributors are not demanding the best hardware from their processors, then we have failed as an industry to protect the consumer. 

Sadly, there is great demand in the cannabis industry for cheaper and cheaper cartridges. As margins get squeezed and retail prices begin to fall, saving a few dimes on a cartridge seems to make sense. However, the health and reputational risks are enormous.

An example of what separates some low end cartridges from others is the use of glass or plastic in the construction of the tank. Despite the obvious manufacturing and cost advantages of plastic over glass, the safety of the material has been a constant source of controversy for years. Health effects of bis-phenol A (BPA), warnings from the American Academy of Pediatrics, debates over the safety of microwavable plastics to water bottles to Keurig coffee pods have been a constant theme in our lives for decades. 

Science has taught us that as acidity and temperature increase, so do the health risks of using plastics. Granted, not all plastics are the same, and no doubt there are many safe uses of plastics in the world, but consider this: Cannabis oil is highly acidic and temperatures within vaping devices reach 100 C to 400 C. Those two facts alone should be enough to convince cannabis brands, distributors, dispensary owners and state regulators to think twice about plastic vape cartridges. 

Why take the risk? The only answer to this question is the insatiable demand for profit over the safety of patients and consumers.

Since inception, the Blinc Group has resisted the temptation to supply the cannabis market with these highly sought after plastic cartridges and has insisted on only bringing cartridges to market that use borosilicate glass, with exceptional chemical durability and high heat resistance. This sentiment is deep rooted in the culture of the company beginning with Arnaud Dumas de Rauly, co-founder, CEO and also chairman of ISO/TC 126/SC 3 on vape and vapor products: 

“All in all, the precautionary principle states that if a product, an action, or a policy has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or to the environment, protective action should be supported before there is complete scientific proof of a risk. In this case, we know that  polycarbonate contains BPA, so why take the risk of using a poly based cartridge if it contains a possibly toxic component?” – Arnaud Dumas De Rauly

When Blinc set out to create a low cost cartridge, we did so by redeigning the cartridge itself to use less parts, rather than looking at lower cost materials. Our entry level cart, the XPro V1 is still powered by a ceramic core and is still made of quartz glass. Granted it doesnt have all the customization flexibility and bells and whistles of our higher end carts, but it checks all the boxes on safety, compliance and consistency – ensuring the absolute safety and satisfaction of the end user. 

As the vape segment of the cannabis market continues to grow exponentially, it’s important the safety education keeps up. The glass vs plastic debate is only one of many differentiating variables in the design and manufacturing of vape hardware. Patients and consumers should be aware of the risks. Budtenders should be stearing patrons towards higher quality vape products and that starts with an understanding of the cartridge itself, not just what’s inside.

#notjustvapor

PRESS RELEASE

 

New York — The Blinc Group, Inc., the regulatory-focused designer and provider of premium, customized and bespoke vaporizer technologies, has partnered with Green Revolution, a highly acclaimed, multi-award-winning cannabis producer/processor to develop their first vape line which delivers experience driven flavors – Relief, Elevate, Fly, and Chill.

“I am excited to partner with the Blinc Group and leverage our creative product development synergies to bring to market a next-generation vape cartridge that meets and surpasses the expectations of the most demanding vape users,” said Leo Shlovsky, co-founder, and CEO of Green Revolution.

“Green Revolution and its team are dedicated to developing the highest quality, innovative products to better the lives of their consumers for years and it only makes sense that they would take that same approach with their first vape line,” said Arnaud Dumas de Rauly, co-founder, and CEO of the Blinc Group.

Green Revolution vaporizers make the most of flavor and effect in a ceramic cartridge. Available in classic strains with our expertly curated terpene blends – Ensemble Effect Approved. All cartridges are terpene-enhanced, pesticide-free and are powered by a 100% ceramic heating element for consistently remarkable flavor. The Green Revolution vape line is offered in four signature experiences:

RELIEF/CBD
The RELIEF experience features classic CBD strains of cannabis. Known for gentle, calm, and relieving effects. Pairs well with: A yoga flow, a coffee break, or a walk in the park

FLY/Sativa
The FLY experience features classic sativa strains. Known for uplifting, euphoric, and joyful effects. Pairs well with: A pre-workout stretch, a night on the town or a hike.

ELEVATE/Hybrid
The ELEVATE experience features classic hybrid strains. Known for balanced, creative, and tranquil effects. Pairs well with: A good book, your favorite record, or a day at the beach.

CHILL/Indica
The CHILL experience features classic indica strains. Known for relaxing, peaceful, and dreamy effects. Pairs well with: A Netflix binge, your bedtime routine, or a day off.

“‘Powered by Blinc’ is more than just branding, it’s a guarantee to bring you the best in class vape technology available and that’s just what we’ve done for Green Revolution,” added Dumas de Rauly.

About the Blinc Group
Headquartered in New York City, the Blinc Group designs, develops, supplies, and supports premium cannabis vaping hardware. The company offers a curated collection of proven cartridges, batteries, ready to use vaporizers and complete bespoke device development to multi-state operators, licensed producers, and brands. Blinc completes the value chain by providing its clients access to a suite of support services ranging from research and development, production, testing, standard operating procedures, training and all the way to go-to-market strategy and brand communications consulting. With full control of the supply chain, the company’s unique “Powered by Blinc” process enables clients to provide innovative, safe, and quality-controlled products to cannabis consumers worldwide. 

About Green Revolution
Green Revolution has bult a reputation as Washington’s most trusted cannabis wellness brand and is now taking the California market by storm. They offer a variety of products formulated with four consistent cannabinoid-terpene profiles for reliable results across product applications. As a pioneer of nanotechnology in cannabis edibles, Green Revolution is proud to use the best of science and nature to chart a clear path to wellness.

Media Contact:

Gretchen Gailey

ggailey@panoptic-strategies.com

202-489-3821

As the world struggles to return to normal life, COVID-19 has a tendency to return for a grim reminder of its existence. Originally one of the hardest-hit territories, China has instituted a zero-tolerance policy on COVID-19 to ensure it never spreads again. The country leverages local lockdowns, mass testing, and population control through tracking on mini apps via WeChat that are necessary to go almost anywhere and do almost anything in China.

Last month, there was a small spike in cases, causing the government to institute a local shutdown in Shenzhen. While Blinc China offices were closed for a week and everyone worked from home, our factories and suppliers were not affected.

On Sunday, March 13, around 3,400 new daily cases were recorded in mainland China, with 121 cases in Shenzhen.

With very short notice, the government announced yesterday (i.e.: 03/13/2022) that 17.5 million residents of Shenzhen are being placed on lockdown for at least a week. The lockdown, which came after virus cases doubled nationwide, will be accompanied by three rounds of citywide mass testing. The lockdown order followed earlier restrictions placed on Shenzhen central business district, and will last at least until March 20, 2022.

The Blinc China team will continue to work from home while our suppliers and assemblers are closed. It is the same for most raw material suppliers, and clearly, any products in ongoing production will suffer at least a week delay.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will report in full transparency. For those of our clients in need of cartridge supply to weather this storm, we do offer blank inventory that has already passed U.S. customs and is in our warehouse, ready to ship. To all of our clients, we thank you for your support and will continue to bring you the best in vape technology “Powered by Blinc.”

#notjustvapor

Scaling up is challenging for any business, but in the cannabis industry, MSOs looking to scale their vape operations have a particularly difficult time planning. Vape cartridges are ordered eight weeks or more in advance and strain specific customizations are made to those cartridges in China. Many times the end result is a projection mismatch between the number of customized cartridges delivered and the number of customized cartridges to serve demand. In other words, the cannabis company ends up sitting on cartridges that cannot be repurposed because the colors, logos or other custom design elements are strain or brand specific. There are a variety of reasons for this misalignment. It could be that sales projections were way off due to the speed with which consumer preferences and prices fluctuate. Or, it could be that a particular batch of a vape formulation was larger or smaller than anticipated.

So the question is, how can this supply chain process be better managed? Perhaps ordering blank cartridges with no differentiating factors is the answer? Well then how does your brand differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive space? And how will consumers tell the difference between your vape SKUs?

Recognizing that this was a serious pain point for its MSO and LP clients, The Blinc Group began researching how to solve this problem. In 2021, the RingSystem was introduced by Blinc at MJBiz. Its reception was nothing short of jaw dropping as client after client soon realized that this could be a game changer for them.

The RingSystem is an innovative derivative of the 510 thread cartridge that gives cannabis vape brands better control of their inventory. The Ring System consists of a slender metal ring that slips over a portion of the mouthpiece (Tip Ring) or slips over a portion of the base of the tank (Base Ring). Each ring is branded using soft touch, etching or a wrap. Instead of custom cartridges that cannot be repurposed, custom rings are produced to identify each specific vape SKU. Those rings are then shipped with the blank cartridges to the client. The client is now in control of exactly how many cartridges are branded given their immediate manufacturing needs and if those needs change, the rings are easily swapped out so the cartridges can be allocated to another SKU.

Putting this inventory control back in the hands of the producer allows for great flexibility and market experimentation as even small test batches can be branded State-side quickly and easily. But having such control requires the ability to install these rings onto the blank cartridges at scale. Thankfully Blinc’s engineering team has been forward thinking and designed a tray and jig system that now allows for 50 rings to be installed on 50 cartridges at a time. This semi-automatic process has now made the RingSystem concept a complete solution for managing this supply chain headache.

Vape cartridges are one of the largest ancillary expenditures an MSO or LP makes. The industry is spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these hardware SKUs because the vape segment of the industry continues to grow exponentially. With the RingSystem now available, we expect to see those early adopters save considerable money as no longer will unused branded cartridges be left to rot and collect dust in warehouses across North America.

#notjustvapor