As CEO and co-founder of Innexo, Dominique van Gruisen leads one of Europe’s most advanced cannabis research and development facilities, where cultivation science meets pharmaceutical precision. Innexo is a Dutch cannabis contract research organization that designs and conducts cultivation and technology trials for clients across the cannabis sector, helping companies test innovations under controlled, data-rich conditions.

His impressive career in cannabis spans two decades and encompasses Belgian patient advocacy and clinician networks, as well as European biotech lobbying and cultivation consulting on both sides of the Atlantic. Van Gruisen’s goal is ambitious: to take cannabis beyond cultivation and into a world of validated data, reproducible genetics and true pharmaceutical reliability, which demands consistency. So, how do you do that?

Based in Meterik, a village in The Netherlands, Innexo is conducting independent trials on lighting, nutrients and genetics in an effort to generate measurable, reproducible data that brings cultivation closer to pharmaceutical standards. And through some key partnerships, they’ve come up with some profound techniques. The research center is currently working with Las Vegas-based lighting company Fohse, examining how precision lighting from their Cobra LED system affects plant structure, cannabinoid expression and energy efficiency.

“We’re using the Cobra Pros, and soon we’ll have tunable-spectrum models from Fohse,” van Gruisen says. “They have sensors that constantly read the natural light in the greenhouse and adjust automatically. If we can work with a dynamic spectrum that mirrors the sun, we can replicate the same conditions anywhere on Earth, in any season.”

The study benchmarks a range of metrics—from cannabinoid and terpene expression to morphology and energy use—to quantify how light affects consistency. “Their system fills your stack with data,” van Gruisen says. “That’s what we’re after: information that lets us build validated cultivation models rather than assumptions.”

Lighting defines the environment; genetics define the foundation. To address that, Innexo partnered with sister companies Innoveins Seed Solutions and SeQso to develop—wait for it—the world’s first AI-driven seed-sorting system for cannabis.

“They collect the spectral data of each seed in a non-destructive way,” van Gruisen says. “Then they grow that seed, record its traits, feed those traits back into the system and the algorithm learns which spectral patterns predict which plant characteristics.”

When he first heard of the technology, van Gruisen says, “I literally pulled my car over to call people.” Tests confirmed it worked for cannabis, opening the door to non-destructive quality-control certification at the seed level. “If there’s something you can distinguish, you can design a seed-sorting algorithm and push a batch through to separate the good from the bad,” he says.

The implications of this technology stretch beyond yield. AI analysis can detect pathogens such as hop latent viroid and certify genetic quality before cultivation begins. “Companies are developing F1 hybrids—stabilized lines,” van Gruisen says. “By scanning the seeds, you can fine-tune even further so your starting material is as robust as it can be.”

Van Gruisen believes AI-based seed fingerprinting could also reduce the industry’s dependence on cloning. “Even when you use clones, you still find big deviations in secondary metabolites depending on the season or humidity,” he says. “It’s very difficult to provide a consistent product in flower form.” Regulatory frameworks, he notes, demand pharmaceutical precision.

“When regulators say cannabis has to be a medicine, they mean it should be 98 to 102 percent consistent with what’s on the label,” he says. “That’s almost impossible with a natural product. But with solid F1 hybrid genetics that start from seed, you add another quality-control checkpoint.”

For cultivators, F1 seeds offer cleaner starts, lower costs and easier scalability. For patients, they promise reliability—the same genetics, the same relief—every time.

Van Gruisen describes Innexo as a link between two sectors that rarely speak the same language. “Growers talk in grams per square meter,” he says. “Pharma talks in validated datasets and deviation tolerances. We sit in the middle, making those conversations possible.”

That bridge extends beyond technology. Innexo is also reviving iconic legacy cannabis genetics—long-flowering, terpene-rich cultivars—and reintroducing them through advanced lighting and AI-guided cultivation. He aims to right some of the wrongs the industry has made. “We took a lot of wrong turns with cannabis in the last 20 years,” he says. “It’s time to rediscover what made this plant valuable in the first place and do it with proper science.”

The post The World’s First AI-Driven Cannabis Seed-Sorting System Is Here appeared first on Cannabis Now.

If you’ve ever torched a bowl with a regular lighter, you may have accidentally cooked off half the terpenes before you even had the chance to enjoy them. It happens so fast. One second, you’re aiming for a smooth inhale and the next your strain tastes like a campfire.

Most of us have used the same butane-fueled flame for decades while everything else in cannabis culture has evolved. We’ve upgraded our glass, grinders and knowledge…but not the thing that starts it all. As cannabis gear gets smarter, Clean Torch is stepping up to modernize the one tool that never changed.

The Tech That Makes Clean Torch Different

At first glance, Clean Torch may seem like just another lighter, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. It’s a rechargeable, eco-friendly lighter and vaporizer that replaces open flame with heated air, so you can take clean hits without the chemicals.

It’s the only windproof lighter to combine both vaporization and ignition in one portable unit, using button-activated or breath-activated temperature control. It also lets users create a flameless heating chamber right on their own bong or pipe without needing to pack flower into a built-in chamber like with traditional vaporizers.

Instead of scorching your bowl, the temperature rises with your inhale. Fast breath? Pure vaporization. Slow breath? Vaporization plus ignition. No preset temps, no guesswork, no blasting your flower into ash. Just butane-free, flameless heat.

It’s precision smoking made intuitive. That means no special glass, no proprietary bowls. You still pack and use your own piece, and still take your hit the way you always have. It just upgrades the gear you already own without changing how you smoke. But suddenly the flavor is cleaner, the setup feels intentional, and the lighter in your hand actually matches the quality of the experience you want.

This kind of sleek, sustainable innovation comes from someone who’s spent years figuring out how to redefine the way people light up.

Meet the Mind Behind the Modern Lighter

The story of Clean Torch didn’t begin in a boardroom or a lab, but during a frustrating lunch break more than 25 years ago. When founder Sev Isayan found himself without a proper lighter, he improvised with a car lighter to light a bowl. Fast forward to 2019, and that idea became a patented device designed to improve every part of the experience.

What started as a small problem grew into a mission that became much bigger than just solving an inconvenience.

“At Clean Torch, we are driven by a commitment to perfection and safety,” explains Isayan.  After nearly five years of research and development, I perfected the materials and design to create the cleanest, highest-quality material device possible—the only plastic being the on/off button. My goal is for everyone who smokes marijuana to switch from traditional butane lighters, which expose users to harmful chemicals with every inhale, to a cleaner, safer and life-changing alternative.” 

The company’s hands-on approach reflects this philosophy.

“I founded Clean Torch, developed the product, and hold a utility patent for the device,” Isayan proudly shares. “I work closely with our manufacturer in China and a social media manager based in Los Angeles. I personally oversee shipping and customer service to ensure product quality and understand exactly what our customers love and what we can improve—keeping a close pulse on the business as we grow.”

The Winning Combination of Innovation and Accessibility

Tools like Clean Torch are quietly rewriting the rules of how we light up. It’s not only flameless and butane-free; it’s rechargeable, windproof and designed to work with the pieces you already have. In short, it’s a tool built for the way real people smoke. Whether you’re looking to enhance your home sessions or outdoor adventures, this modern lighter is a huge step forward in the way we enjoy cannabis.

Consumer feedback highlights exactly why Clean Torch is resonating. Users praise its smooth, chemical-free hits, reliable performance, and ability to enhance the taste of their flower. One reviewer noted, “I’ve suffered from headaches for years, and since purchasing a Clean Torch, I haven’t had cluster headaches. It’s been life-changing, and the high is so much cleaner.” Others point to the durability and long-term value.

A New Standard for Cleaner Smoking

Clean Torch is part of a larger shift in cannabis culture toward cleaner, smarter and more intentional consumption without breaking the bank. While most advanced vaporizers cost hundreds of dollars, Clean Torch delivers versatile, dual-function performance for just $35 with a compatible battery. As cannabis culture leans toward cleaner consumption, flameless tech like this is poised to become the new standard. It’s the kind of tool that slips effortlessly into your routine and reminds you how much better small improvements can make the whole experience. Visit cleantorch.com and use code “Canna” for 15% off sitewide.

The post How Clean Torch Is Redefining the Way We Smoke appeared first on Cannabis Now.

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How high-tech dab rigs are shaping the cannabis industry is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs