The Post-Harvest Technician I executes the foundational processes that transform harvested cannabis plants into stable, marketable products. This position operates at the intersection of agricultural science, manufacturing discipline, and rigorous regulatory compliance. The technician is directly responsible for the careful handling and processing of plant material, a task that fundamentally determines the final quality, market value, and safety of the inventory. Through meticulous execution of bucking, trimming, drying, and curing protocols, the role preserves the valuable cannabinoids and terpenes developed during months of cultivation. Success requires a blend of manual dexterity, process-driven efficiency, and an unwavering commitment to data integrity within state-mandated seed-to-sale tracking systems. This role directly impacts revenue by ensuring product meets quality standards and avoids loss due to contamination or improper handling.
The operational day for a Post-Harvest Technician I begins with a structured preparation phase. Technicians enter a controlled, sanitized environment and don required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which includes gloves, hairnets, and dedicated lab coats, to prevent any contamination of the product. The first task involves reviewing the daily production schedule assigned by the Post-Harvest Manager. This schedule outlines the specific harvest batches, or lots, designated for processing. Before handling any plant material, the technician calibrates digital scales to ensure accurate weight measurements for compliance reporting and verifies that all tools and work surfaces are sanitized according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The primary morning activity is typically bucking. This involves taking large, freshly harvested cannabis stalks and carefully removing the individual flowers. Each harvest batch is identified by a unique RFID or barcode tag, which is scanned into the facility's seed-to-sale compliance software, such as METRC. The technician weighs the initial plant material (wet weight) and logs it against the batch tag. The process requires a delicate touch to minimize the dislodging of trichomes, the fragile resin glands on the flower that contain the highest concentration of active compounds. All separated stems and fan leaves are collected and weighed separately as plant waste, a critical step for state compliance tracking.
Following bucking, the focus shifts to trimming. The technician meticulously removes the small sugar leaves from the surface of the flowers to improve the product's final appearance and potency. This can be a highly repetitive task requiring sustained focus and manual dexterity. Depending on the product's destination (e.g., premium flower vs. material for extraction), this may be done by hand with fine scissors or with the aid of automated trimming machines. Throughout this process, the technician performs constant quality control, inspecting for any signs of mold, mildew, pests, or other defects and immediately segregating any compromised material for review by a supervisor.
The afternoon involves preparing the trimmed flower for the drying and curing phase. The technician carefully places the trimmed flowers onto sanitized drying racks or hangs them in a dedicated, environmentally controlled drying room. This transfer of material is again documented meticulously in the compliance software, reflecting the change in the product's physical location and status. The technician assists in monitoring the dry room's environmental controls, checking digital readouts for temperature and humidity to ensure they remain within the narrow parameters set by the SOP. The day concludes with a thorough cleaning and sanitization of the entire workstation, including all tools and equipment, to prepare for the next day's processing and prevent microbial growth. Final data entries are double-checked for accuracy before the shift ends.
The Post-Harvest Technician I has ownership over three distinct operational domains that are critical to the company's success:
The Post-Harvest Technician I directly influences key business performance metrics through the following mechanisms:
| Impact Area | Strategic Influence |
|---|---|
| Cash | Minimizes inventory write-offs by preventing product loss from physical damage, contamination, or improper drying, thereby protecting cash-equivalent assets. |
| Profits | Directly determines the final grade and wholesale price of flower through meticulous trimming and curing, maximizing the revenue generated per gram. |
| Assets | Preserves the chemical integrity (cannabinoids and terpenes) of the cannabis flower, which is the company's primary biological asset and the source of its product differentiation. |
| Growth | Builds a reputation for consistent, high-quality products, which fosters brand loyalty and enables entry into premium market segments. |
| People | Contributes to a culture of quality and accountability. The repetitive and detailed nature of the work requires a high level of teamwork, discipline, and shared responsibility. |
| Products | Is the final artisan of the raw material, shaping the product's aesthetic appeal, aroma, flavor profile, and overall consumer experience. |
| Legal Exposure | Reduces liability risk from potential product recalls by ensuring strict batch segregation and preventing contaminants from reaching the finished product stage. |
| Compliance | Serves as a frontline operator for state-mandated chain-of-custody protocols, where accurate data entry and physical inventory management are essential for maintaining the facility's license to operate. |
| Regulatory | Ensures adherence to health and safety standards for agricultural processing, which are frequently audited by state regulators and health departments. |
Reports To: This position typically reports to the Post-Harvest Manager or a Post-Harvest Team Lead.
Similar Roles: Professionals from other industries can find equivalent responsibilities in titles such as Food Production Associate, Agricultural Technician, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Operator, or Cleanroom Assembly Technician. These roles share a common foundation of working in controlled environments, adhering to strict sanitation protocols (like GMP or HACCP), following detailed SOPs, and performing repetitive tasks that require high levels of precision and quality control. The core skill set of process discipline and attention to detail is directly transferable.
Works Closely With: This position maintains critical communication links with the Cultivation Team to coordinate harvest schedules, the Quality Assurance Department for submitting lab samples and receiving feedback on product quality, and the Packaging Team, which receives the finished, cured flower for final processing.
Proficiency with specific technologies and tools is central to operational success:
Success in this role leverages experience from highly structured, process-oriented industries:
The role demands specific professional attributes:
These organizations create the rules and standards that define the daily operations of this role:
| Acronym/Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Biomass | The total mass of plant material from a harvest, including flowers, stems, and leaves, before processing. |
| Bucking | The process of separating cannabis flowers from the main stalk and stems after harvesting. |
| Chemovar | A chemically distinct variety of a plant. In cannabis, it refers to the unique cannabinoid and terpene profile of a specific cultivar. |
| Curing | A slow drying process in a controlled environment that develops the final aroma, flavor, and quality of the finished flower. |
| METRC | Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance. A widely used seed-to-sale software system for regulatory tracking. |
| PPE | Personal Protective Equipment. Items like gloves, lab coats, hairnets, and masks used to prevent product contamination and ensure worker safety. |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure. A set of step-by-step instructions for performing routine tasks to ensure consistency and quality. |
| Sugar Leaves | Small, trichome-covered leaves that grow within the cannabis flower and are typically removed during the trimming process. |
| Terpenes | Aromatic organic compounds produced by plants that are responsible for their distinct smells and flavors. |
| Trichomes | The microscopic, crystal-like resin glands on the surface of the cannabis flower that produce and store cannabinoids and terpenes. |
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