Darwin Millard, Technical Director of CSQ Cannabis Safety and Quality – Interview Series

As the American cannabis industry expands—driven by state-level legalization and potential federal reform—engineers across all specialties are in higher demand than ever. From mechanical engineers designing elaborate extraction systems, to electrical engineers powering massive cultivation facilities, to chemical engineers refining precise cultivation strategies, engineering expertise is becoming essential across every stage of cannabis cultivation and manufacturing.

To better understand the crucial role engineers play in cannabis businesses—and how cultivation facilities can implement Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)—mycannabis.com had the pleasure of speaking with Darwin Millard, Technical Director at CSQ (Cannabis Safety & Quality).

What were the most interesting or otherwise worthwhile courses from your Mechanical Engineering studies at the University of Colorado? Why did you decide to study those subjects to begin with?

I would say (from what I remember) the most worthwhile courses were materials science, experimental design, applied mathematics, and entrepreneurial business. These were mandatory courses that were part of the Mechanical Engineering program. So, it was less of me deciding and more of me having to take them. I am glad I did because I used the skills I learned from these courses throughout my cannabis consulting career.

Prior to working with cannabis companies, how did you use your Mechanical Engineering degree and studies? Which industries and companies did you mainly work for?

I am incredibly lucky to say that my only career out of college was in the cannabis industry. I did not pursue a job or career in Mechanical Engineering because, at the time and still to this day, the only real opportunity was to design and build slurry pumps for the fracking industry. No, thank you. So, I used everything I learned in college and dove headfirst into Colorado’s fledgling medical cannabis market.

When did you realize the need for people with mechanical engineering backgrounds in the cannabis industry, and when did you first witness that need?

 Immediately. Detail orientation, understanding of science, ability to work under pressure, these were invaluable skills to have in the beginning. Over time, that evolved into realizing that people needed help not only designing facilities, but they also needed help designing processes and products. Knowing how to setup a project, layout deliverables, execute on those, and be able to design, implement, and contribute beyond project management are all skills a mechanical engineering background provides and are valuable in any industry, not just cannabis.

What are some of the most innovative cannabis extraction systems and methods that you’ve designed throughout your career? From an engineering standpoint, what all went into those designs?

Probably the most innovative process I developed was a low-temperature method of desolvating ethanol extracts that produced a powder/dust consistency by pulling a vacuum until the material “muffin-topped” and hardened/dried into a honeycomb-like structure which was later broken and milled into a uniform powder. This was back in 2010, years before vacuum oven purging shatter or hydrocarbon extracts was a common practice.

From an engineering standpoint, a lot of time, energy, and money goes into designing, building, breaking, redesigning, rebuilding, breaking again, and so on until you have a prototype or proof of concept that you can try to commercialize. Commercializing an idea is a whole other animal. That takes even more time and money to accomplish. Unfortunately, none of my bench-scale projects ever made it to prime time.

Through the Chief Scientific Officer role you held with Final Bell, what were the largest differences you noticed between Canadian cannabis businesses and American cannabis businesses? How does Canada having federally legalized cannabis help the manufacturing operations of the individual cannabis businesses throughout the provinces?

 The paperwork was the biggest difference. There was so much paperwork. I don’t mean like mundane administrative filing type stuff. No, I mean every process for every part of the business operation has an SOP, a batch record, and must be verified by a Qualified Person (QP). Every process also had to be documented and validated before it could be implemented. So, you develop a cleaning protocol for a piece of equipment; you must prove it cleans the piece of equipment and doesn’t pose a risk to product safety. Or, you develop a new method for making liquid live rosin at scale; you must prove it produces a homogeneous batch, and cannabinoid content is uniform. It’s not like in the US, where each state defines its own rules related to safety and quality. 

Federal legality in Canada makes a huge difference. One set of labeling rules alone saves licensed operators millions compared to their US counterparts. On top of this, the purchasing is done by the provincial governments at predetermined rates and quantities, giving licensed operators in Canada a level of certainty that US operators just don’t have.

How would cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facilities becoming fully GMP compliant impact overall product quality? Would the quality of some product formats (flower, edibles, concentrates) benefit more than other formats?

Becoming GMP compliant has significant benefits, besides that fact that it is required in every legal state either directly referenced in regulation or codified by incorporating elements of GMPs. These benefits include mitigating business risk, demonstrating legitimacy and stability, lowering operating costs, improving efficiency, and streamlining regulatory compliance. These benefits compound to help licensed operators elevate the consistency of their product, refine their craft, and improve overall quality.

Standards like Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Good Agricultural and Collection Practices (GACPs) are tried and true best practices that industries like agriculture, food, beverage, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals have relied on for decades to help ensure the safety and quality of consumer products.

When a licensed cultivator, extractor, or manufacturer uses GACPs and/or GMPs, they gain greater visibility over their processes and understanding of where to focus their resources to achieve better results and continuously improve their operations. All products benefit from these best practices, and they allow licensed operators to capitalize on each product format.

For example, if you have more control over water activity in flower/buds, you have more control over the cannabinoid, terpene, and contaminant content, as well as net weight, and therefore market value of your product. Similarly, if you have more control over your process parameters, you have more control over the consistency of your concentrates and extracts, and repeatability and efficiency of your processes. The same concept applies to edibles. Not only do GMPs ensure consumer safety, but they also give you more control over homogeneity, costs of goods, ingredient wastage, and most importantly your daily margins.

So how did you receive the name “The Spock of Cannabis”? I would imagine being compared to Leonard Nimoy would be quite epic.

 A colleague at the ASTM D37 coined me that after observing how I approach the standards development process in an emotionless, logic-oriented manner. I thought it fit my personality pretty well, so I adopted it, and it just took off from there. Spock is a great character and Leonard Nimoy’s depiction of the character is one of the best. It’s an honor to be compared to either person, the character, or the actor.

As someone very familiar with cannabis regulations and operations, why is it so monumental that ASTM International would have a committee focused on the cannabis industry? As Vice Chair, what are some of your regular duties?

ASTM International is a nearly 130 year old standards setting body that is incredibly conservative in its actions. Its standards are used to govern the global oil and gas, airline, steel and aluminum, and shipping industries, among others. It is known for its highly technical market-relevant standards. For it to take a stance and establish a formal technical committee to create standards for the cannabis/hemp industry, is a big deal.

As vice chair, my role is to support the chair. It’s pretty basic. But as a member, my role is to be engaged in the process and to vote on standards when they come to ballot. That said, I go far beyond the basic requirements. I assist members with joining, I help them find training, I connect them to active working groups developing standards they are interested in, and I help them register, draft, submit, and work standards through the ASTM Process. I love what I do and wouldn’t change it for the world.

Why is the CSQ 2.0 Certification Program a beneficial program for cannabis manufacturers and retailers alike?

The CSQ 2.0 Certification Program framework is a benefit for cannabis/hemp licensed cultivators, extractors, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers because it provides a flexible, level-based, approach to GMP conformance. It has been redesigned from its 1.0 and 1.2 frameworks to better fit the regulatory requirements and business case of each individual license type. So, if the business only wants GMPs, no problem; CSQ Level 1 fits their needs. If the business is in a State that requires adherence to 21 CFR 111, again no issues; CSQ Level 2 with the dietary supplement addendum fits their needs. This modular-based system makes certification more approachable for any sized licensed operator, allowing them to take advantage of the many benefits of GMPs.

Through the ASTM International committee, why do you feel like it’s important to hear and consider the insight of cannabis operators in other countries? For instance, how could German cannabis operators provide beneficial guidance and advice for well-established American cannabis operators?

ASTM International is an international standards development organization that creates technical standards for 150 industries. ASTM International has published over 12,000 standards, ~8,500 of which have been adopted by countries outside of the US. Since the cannabis/hemp industry is global, the standards that will facilitate international trade and commerce should also be global. For US licensed producers to supply Europe, and vice versa, standardization is required to ensure materials and products meet the requirements for import and export of goods. By collaborating with stakeholders from around the world, the ASTM D37 can ensure its standards are informed by perspectives that would not otherwise be captured by a US based membership or US market focus. 

How do you see the ASTM International committee and cannabis regulation within America in particular changing in the future?

The ASTM D37 is a volunteer driven member organization. It is designed to evolve with the market. So as the industry landscape evolves, so does the D37. The D37 has already changed several times to reflect the market. We added a hemp subcommittee when it was clear standards were needed to support the international marketplace for seed and fiber products, and we recently added a new health subcommittee to focus on medical and self-care applications of cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid products.

Within the US, I see some major changes coming to cannabis and hemp regulations. State-level medical cannabis programs were formally moved to Schedule III in April of 2026, and we are currently (as of July 9, 2026) in the middle of the DEA Reschedule Hearing that will decide how to reschedule the remaining aspects of cannabis, i.e. adult-use. 

To top that off, on November 12th, 2026, non-intoxicating cannabinoid products containing less than 0.4 mg per container total THC-class cannabinoids (natural cannabinoids with similar cannabimimetic effects as d9-THC, i.e., they get you high) become federally legal and will most likely be regulated as dietary supplements and licensed under hemp. This is where CSQ’s accredited certification program becomes invaluable, since the CSQ Dietary Supplement Addendum is conformant with 21 CFR 111 and meets ASTM/ISO standards.

Overall, I am excited for these changes and look forward to the next 20 years of my career in cannabis. Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questions.

Thank you for joining us, Darwin! For more information on CSQ and its certifications, please visit its website.