710 Labs: The Arrival of Quality Cannabis in South Florida

Miami, FL – November 18, 2022 – “We’re just a collective of cultivators who have been doing this for decades, and love smoking the best quality hash and flower we can source,” said Brad Melshenker, founder and CEO of 710 Labs.

At the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, CO lies the birthplace of 710 Labs: an award-winning, multi-state cannabis brand “obsessed with making the richest flavored, organic, small batch cannabis on the planet”. Founded in 2010 by Brad Melshenker, 710 Labs is known for having the best concentrates (modern-day hashish) and flower in the industry. Its current home base is in California, however recently, 710 continued its expansion into South Florida.

The name itself, 710, is derived from multiple sources – “710” is known as the hash-smokers “420”. The term comes from the old oil caps on cars: When flipped upside down, “OIL” became 710, a term now used to refer to concentrates that come in the form of oils and resins. Oh, and: It is also Melshenker’s birthday (July 10th).

Since establishing its headquarters in Los Angeles in 2015, the company has expanded its product line introducing flower products and edibles. The brand has become renowned as a “craft producer” in the cannabis sector, recognized for selling premium, top-shelf cannabis products that place it at the peak of the industry globally.

The Process

The growing, harvesting, extracting, and packaging process takes place at the 710 Labs garden and lab. “Typically it starts with a flavor we feel is lacking from our current offerings,” says Ian Skelly, Chief Innovation Officer at 710 Labs. “We will tap into our knowledge of the cannabis genome and research what seeds are most likely to give us the desired end result. After tracking down the right seeds or pulling them from our seed bank, we germinate them.”

The plant will travel through several different rooms in a  state-of-the-art indoor garden before harvest: Seedlings are grown in the Clone Room, rooted plants are then transferred to the Veg Room until they reach maturity and are transferred to the various Flower Rooms. Buds are then harvested and stored in sub-zero temperatures in the Fresh Frozen room, unless they are being cured for dry flower and hand-rolled joints.

Afterwards, staff will sort through the brother and sister plants to select a phenotype, or “pheno”, that delivers the flavor 710 Labs sets out to find in the cultivation process. Once the pheno is identified, it is tested for flower, hash and yield, while the cannabinoids and terpenes are examined. If it passes their quality test, it is integrated into the 710 Labs genetic library, stored in the Mother Room, and added to their genetic harvest schedule, placing the cultivar into production. They are then grown, and depending on which product type is optimal for the genetics, will be released as hash, flower, vape, or joints and delivered to the consumer – as long as it meets 710 Labs standards.

“Occasionally we throw out batches that don’t meet our quality standards,” said Melshenker. “That’s just how we operate.”

Quality over everything is our ethos and we live by it.

Brad Melshenker

710 Labs’ commitment to the highest quality standards extends past the garden: It only produces the cleanest, freshest forms of Cannabis. For example, where most companies turn the leftover plant after buds are harvested and trimmed into distillate, 710 Labs founders would never consume low-grade distillate, which is why they’ll never produce or sell it. Most companies take the trimmings of the plant to make their vape pens and edibles, but innovation is one of the various qualities that distinguishes 710 Labs from others. They’ve brought to market solventless vape pens and full spectrum hash rosin gummies to elevate these more accessible forms.

Education: Debunking Misconceptions

710 also refers to its cannabis as “cultivars” (not strains) and offers various educational resources. “The word cultivar is defined as a cultivated variety; meaning a cultivar is selected and cultivated by humans.” Although some cultivars can be found in nature as mutations, most cultivars are developed and maintained by plant breeders and are referred to as “hybrids”.

Education is one of the pillars of 710 Labs’ business. Amongst the resources available to consumers on its site are important findings they’ve discovered about the cannabis plant, which includes debunking common myths. One of the misconceptions 710 Labs focuses on is using Indica / Sativa to distinguish effect, which is a common fallacy in the cannabis industry.

No company goes to this extent to preserve its hash – it’s unparalleled.

Brad Melshenker

At 710 Labs, you will never hear them describe how their cannabis products make consumers feel. Research has shown that an individual’s high is dictated by hundreds of different cannabinoids and terpenes interacting with each individual’s endocannabinoid system. When it comes to describing the physical aspects of a cultivar, Sativa and Indica have meaning – their growth differs greatly. But, when it comes to using the terms to describe the differences in how each cultivar makes an individual feel – Sativas delivering uplifting, “mind” highs and Indica more sedative, “body” highs – that is incorrect. 

Sativa and Indica refer solely to the physical growth structure of the plant. The same cannabinoids and terpenes could be present in a Sativa or an Indica based on their different genetics. Learning more about the different cannabinoids and terpenes and how they interact with an individual’s unique endocannabinoid system is essential in determining what is right for them, and this can best be achieved through trial and error.

Products

The inventory of 710 Labs products ranges from Solventless Concentrates and Pods (all produced in their state-of-the-art Solventless Lab) to Flower products like its hand rolled joints, they call “doinks” and its gummies, which will soon be available in Florida.

Cannabis is an agricultural product, and like wine, the quality can range from batch to batch. While all 710 Labs hash is extremely potent, different batches can vary in terms of flavor, so 710 Labs offers a tier system:

Tier 1: “The Cream of the Crop” (less than 10% of its products). These batches are reserved for hash that checks off quality-wise on all levels, from growing and harvesting, to washing and pressing. This tier would include low-yielding exotics like Zkittlez or Lemon Tart Pucker.

Tier 2: Typically, the most flavorful batches are broken into this tier. This would include high demand genetics that deliver on the cultivar’s potential – this is all about the terpenes.

Tier 3: These batches are made from cultivars that they have dialed in over the years and provide a flavorful, clean smoke, but won’t have the most unique terpene profiles in their library. Tier 4: Tier 4 may not have the most robust flavor, but it will taste smooth and the effect will be potent while still delivering clean, quality hash.

Some of the products offered by 710 Labs include concentrates like Water Hash, Live Rosin,  and Vape Pods, as well as Cured Flower, Noodle Doinks, Gummis, and RSO. 

Internally, 710 Labs has been referring to the products it keeps for its personal stash as “persy” for years. Their Persy line features the best of the best and includes Persy Rosin, Persy Badder (a more stable form of fresh press rosin with a butter-like consistency), Persy Sauce (the most stable, high-end form of solventless hash on the market), Persy Pods, and the rare, Persy Flower.

710 Labs’ also developed a direct-to-consumer platform,“The List”, which delivers a highly curated menu to clients and allows 710 Labs to control the process completely, from seed to sale. The platform was derived when the brand noticed a major flaw when distributing their products through third parties: the majority of dispensaries carrying 710 Labs were not storing the products properly and the consumers were not receiving them in their freshest form. Now with The List 710 can be confident that the finest quality product is being delivered directly to the consumer.

Packaging and Dispensing

The final step in the process is perhaps one of the most important of all. 710 Labs prides itself on its exclusive packaging: its air-tight seal technology maintains the products’ freshness – even after its opened. After carefully measuring the products, they are placed in containers made of mylar glass, then sealed and capped off with a proprietary secure-top to preserve flavor for longer. These patented, custom jars are designed to create and maintain a microclimate for products, sealed air-tight to prevent any oxygen from degrading the cannabis.

Since patenting and developing this technology, 710 Labs has begun selling its packaging to other cannabis companies as well.

While independent distributors carry their products, 710 has a few exclusive dispensaries throughout the country in California, Colorado, and now in Miami. Due to rigid regulations around cannabis in the state of Florida, 710 Labs partnered with The Flowery, a licensed indoor cannabis grower and treatment provider based in FL. After 5 years of establishing an organic friendship the brands cemented their relationship with a state-of-the-art dispensary in North Miami.

How can you get your hands on 710 products locally? Medical Marijuana doctor’s recommendations. In Florida, a patient can expect to pay about $75 for their medical marijuana card that is then issued from the Florida Department of Health, with a $75 renewal fee that covers the card for a full year. Currently, patients are limited to 2.4 ounces of flowers per month, however you can ask your doctor to apply for an exemption to receive more if they determine you need it. 

Past and Present: The Cannabis Landscape in Miami

The recent expansion of legal medical marijuana in Florida, as well as psychedelic medicine research, has opened up conversations around the future of these two sectors in the state. “Just like NYC and LA, Miami is quickly becoming a central hub for many emerging markets,” said Melshenker. “Cannabis, psychedelics, and Web3 are all being heavily embraced by South Florida which is exciting for us as we look to the future.” 

Miami has a landscape rich in cannabis history. “Miami has always had such a deep cannabis culture which started with OG Kush and Bubba Kush, also known as Florida Crippy back in the 90’s,” adds Melshenker. Prior to that era, the beat poets and philosophers of the 60’s brought cannabis to the mainstream community, and the shift was especially noticeable in Florida as the population began to get younger. In 1964, New College of Florida was founded, creating one of the most liberal universities in the nation. It became a haven for intelligent young people smoking weed in Sarasota.

Around 80% of our genetic library and strains we produce were developed and found in-house by popping seeds and going through the natural selection process, figuring out what we want to keep is a very personal process.

Brad Melshenker

Florida has been ahead of its time on many fronts, and marijuana culture was no different. In 1968, a whole year before Woodstock, the Miami Pop Festival staged two huge concerts featuring key hippie figures. By the end of the 70’s, Florida was known for its homegrown cannabis – “Gainesville Green”, which was widely considered one of the best cannabis strains in the country. 

Despite the advent of the “War on Drugs” in the 80’s, that struck the cannabis community with strict regulations, the progressive shift in politics of the 90s and early aughts placed the fate of this medicinal plant back in circulation.

The Future of 710 Labs in Florida

It’s clear that 710 labs expansion into Florida came from a local demand for its products. “There is a deep cannabis culture in Florida that we didn’t feel was being serviced at the highest level,” Skelly said. “…Too many low-end, mediocre products are being produced in Florida due to the limited number of licenses issued. The demand is so high that whatever these companies grow and make sells immediately.”

As 710 Labs continues to establish itself locally, expanding their reach and offering of high quality products, the company is sure to fill a significant gap in the market and change the landscape of cannabis in Florida. “Quality over self-interest is the formula.” says Melshenker, “and we look forward to servicing Florida with the premium product they have been searching for.”

Written by Raquel Martinez