About Vice-Principal ResearchCold Plasma Group (CPG) participates in programs offered by ĂŰĚŇ´«Ă˝ Partnerships and Innovation (QPI), that have been made possible with support from the Government of Canada through the via the , and the WE-CAN Project, as well as other partners in the Kingston innovation ecosystem.
Initially targeting the cannabis industry, has developed a patented platform technology which uses cold plasma treatments for the sterilization of plant material.
“CPG’s cold plasma technology destroys bacterial and fungal species without altering the quality of cannabis flower nor the concentrations of cannabinoids and terpenes,” says Dr. Florina Truica, Chief Technology Officer for CPG, who was introduced for the first time to the problem of microbial contamination for cannabis medical products in 2017, following a discussion with Dr. Luc C. Deschenes, a cannabis industry executive and industry scientist. Dr. Truica developed the concept of cold plasma treatments specifically tailored for the microbial remediation of plant material, combining strong germicidal efficacy with a gentle, non-destructive approach. Importantly, the technology was developed to be eco-friendly and fully compatible with organic practices by avoiding the use of chemicals altogether. After successful initial trials and validation, Dr. Truica and Mr. David Johnson co-founded Cold Plasma Group in early 2019 to bring this innovation to market.
“Investors were excited to throw money at cannabis innovation,” says David Johnson, President of CPG. The timing for entering the industry with the cold plasma technology for cannabis sterilization was right, as medical use of cannabis was growing in usage across Europe and Canada. In late 2018, general use of cannabis became legal in Canada.
Making moves to new verticals
“For the last six years, we have been heavily focused on developing the technology for use with cannabis. At the time it felt all-consuming,” says Florina. “At the start of 2025, we made a deliberate decision to begin building new verticals for our technology.” Guided by its mission to develop and commercialize innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective technologies, CPG has expanded into new agricultural technology verticals: processing of seeds, grains, wool products, and organic fertilizers.
Traditional methods for treating agricultural products often rely on chemical or biological agents that are difficult to scale, environmentally harmful, inconsistent, or costly. In contrast, cold plasma processing, when optimized for each product type, can deliver equal or superior results in a safer, scalable, and more sustainable way. “Microbial remediation can be achieved without compromising product quality or performance; moreover, plasma treatments can also provide added benefits, contributing to the enhancement of crops’ drought resilience,” explains Florina.
CPG’s decision to focus on plasma agri-tech is driven by government priorities that promote technologies supporting sustainable agriculture and easing pressure on global food supply. This strategic direction will allow CPG to diversify its product portfolio, expand its intellectual property, and capture opportunities in the growing bio-based market. At the same time, it advances circular economy practices, fosters green innovation, and creates new avenues for revenue growth and job creation.
The role of patent protections for CPG
Early in the company’s evolution, CPG joined Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation’s Startup Runway Incubation Program and the WE-CAN Project, which gave them access to an abundance of resources, including QPI’s patent services, mentorship and programs, (then the Southeastern Ontario Angel Network), and connections at St. Lawrence and Loyalist Colleges.
With the help of QPI’s Patent Agent Angela Lyon, the company had their US patent granted in September 2025, four years after filing the initial application and several rounds of back and forth with patent examiners.
“We are deeply grateful for the support of the Partnerships and Innovation Patent Team,” says Florina. “Their guidance throughout the process has been invaluable.”
The patent process has allowed CPG to develop a licensing agreement with a company in Germany, who is using the technology for cannabis sterilization. “We are happy to have them hold the exclusive license in that vertical,” says David Johnson.
The company has plans for expanding their patent portfolio because of their work within the new verticals.
Moving the projects forward
With so much on the go, CPG has no shortage of work ahead of them. Their cannabis sterilization technology continues to progress toward EU GMP certification, which will help to get clients onboard and generating revenue.
“We have been collaborating with Loyalist College over the past year on validating our lab-scale technology,” says Florina. “Our goal is to complete this stage so we can scale up the machines and begin pilot testing. The process will take longer, as the study must follow the full growth cycle, from seed to plant to seed, to capture comprehensive results.”
“We've always been of the opinion that we can do a lot more with Cold Plasma Group than just sanitize cannabis or other agricultural products,” says David. “Agriculture ticks all the boxes that our technology can address at this point and time, but we’re excited about where we can take the technology in the future.”
“It has always been our vision to develop new technologies and services that leverage our expertise in taking plasma innovations from the lab bench to full-scale implementation,” says Florina. “That is the vision for Cold Plasma Group-to bridge the gap and make plasma technologies more accessible to everyday end users.”