How Cannatrol Adapted Cheese-Aging Science to Cannabis

What do top-shelf cheese, aged meat, fine wine, and premium cannabis have in common?

One thing: precise control of time, temperature, and moisture.

The science of preservation is what unlocks quality, whether you're aging cheddar or curing cannabis. Get the environment right, and the product reaches its full potential. Get it wrong, and value evaporates, literally.

Cannatrol, a family-owned company based in Vermont, applies these same preservation principles to cannabis drying. The result: less labor, less product loss, fewer inefficiencies, and stronger margins for growers.

By minimizing touch points and preserving valuable terpenes, the system helps growers protect potency, quality, and profit. Postharvest is where premium cannabis is made or lost. Cannatrol is built to make sure it's not lost.

How did a cheesemaker's invention end up drying cannabis?

Cannatrol was founded by Jane and David Sandelman to solve a problem David kept seeing in the cheese world.

David, an inventor with a background in energy and temperature controls, watched cheesemakers struggle to recreate the conditions of a traditional cheese cave. Precise aging requires precise environmental control, and most facilities didn't have it.

Using his temperature-control expertise, David developed a method to manage vapor pressure in these environments.

When cannabis began moving toward legalization, the connection became obvious.

"The physics of drying cheese and cannabis are remarkably similar. Both require precise moisture and temperature control to preserve quality, whether you're producing a fine cheese or top-shelf cannabis."

— David Sandelman

Conventional cannabis drying relies on air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Temperatures swing. Humidity fluctuates. Moisture levels move up and down throughout the cycle.

Cannatrol takes a different approach. Temperature stays stable. Moisture levels stay stable. The flower dries evenly, consistently, all the way through.

That stability matters because the most valuable parts of the plant are the most fragile.

"Minimal variations in airflow, temperature, and humidity can damage the glands that cover the flower. These glands, known as trichomes, host the cannabinoids and terpenes that give the flower its quality and potency. These represent the true value in premium cannabis."

— David Sandelman

What does precise vapor pressure control actually do for the flower?

At the core of Cannatrol's technology is a patented approach: controlling temperature and dew point independently. That independent control is what enables pinpoint vapor pressure management.

"We're not just controlling humidity. We're controlling the entire environment, down to the molecular level."

— David Sandelman

For a deeper look at why dew point and dry bulb matter more than relative humidity alone, see our breakdown of the science behind perfect drying and curing and why water activity is the missing link.

What the research shows

Research conducted in partnership with the Cannabis Research Coalition found that flower dried in Cannatrol systems retained, on average:

• 16% more terpenes than cannabis dried with conventional methods
• Only 1–2% trichome damage, compared to 25–35% with air conditioners and dehumidifiers

That trichome difference is the whole game.

"The trichomes are where all the valuable cannabinoids and terpenes are stored, so any damage directly affects the product's quality and potency. By preserving more of the trichomes, growers not only improve the overall quality of their cannabis but also protect their top-line revenue."

— David Sandelman

What sizes does Cannatrol come in?

The technology scales. Cannatrol units range from a consumer model the size of a dorm fridge to large-scale commercial rooms that handle up to 720 pounds of wet flower per run.

• Home growers: the Cool Cure lineup handles up to 2.5 lbs of wet flower per cycle
• Commercial cultivators: commercial systems sized for production-scale harvests
• Long-term holding: the S-Series storage rooms extend shelf stability after the cure is complete

"Our units are turnkey. They're designed for easy setup, whether it's a home grower or a large commercial operation."

— Jane Sandelman

The system also removes the manual labor that traditional drying rooms demand.

Conventional drying requires constant monitoring. Growers have to watch for over-drying, mold, and humidity drift. Miss the window, and the product suffers.

Cannatrol removes those risks.

"Once the flower is in our system, it doesn't need to be moved or checked. You don't risk over-drying and the flower is ready to be stored or consumed directly from the unit."

— Jane Sandelman

How much money does precise drying actually save?

The financial impact is direct.

"Facilities using conventional methods can lose as much as 5% of their revenue by overdrying their flower and volatilizing terpenes. That's throwing money out the door. We're not just helping growers save money — we're helping them build a brand based on consistent, high-quality flower."

— David Sandelman

There's also a downstream benefit: shelf stability. Cannatrol-dried flower stays fresh longer, which matters for brands that want to stand out in a crowded dispensary case.

"We've had clients tell us that our system has led to longer-lasting products on dispensary shelves, which ultimately translates to better consumer satisfaction."

— Jane Sandelman

What's the story behind the company?

Cannatrol's success comes from the Sandelmans' drive to solve problems through engineering and invention. The path from Vermont restaurateurs to cannabis postharvest pioneers wasn't planned. It was followed.

"We didn't set out to revolutionize cannabis drying. We saw a problem, and we came up with a solution. The cannabis industry was just the next frontier."

— David Sandelman

The philosophy is simple. Build something that works.

"Our focus has always been on creating the best product possible. If you're solving a problem and making something better, the business success will follow."

— Jane Sandelman

That focus is paying off. Thousands of units are now in use across 16 countries, with growing demand from large-scale commercial operations. The Sandelmans' vision keeps expanding, and they're showing no signs of slowing down.

Want to see what precise vapor pressure control does for your own harvest? Explore the Cool Cure lineup or reach out to our team.