More commercial cannabis growers are opting to grow their plants in greenhouses rather than in warehouse environments thanks to many of the efficiencies a greenhouse environment will provide. Energy costs are greatly reduced in both heating and lighting thanks to the natural light allowed in through the greenhouse which is a major benefit in an industry that requires growers to become more efficient.
The demand for cannabis is increasing exponentially but unfortunately the same cannot be said for the research to accompany that demand. As acceptance increases and more people turn to cannabis to treat a variety of medical symptoms, it seems there is more confusion than ever which is largely due to a lack of resources and government funding to provide quality research that provides information beyond mere anecdotal evidence.
With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill last year, the United States gave the green light for farmers to begin cultivating hemp by removing it from the list of Schedule I Controlled Substances. Hemp has been grown for hundreds of years all over the world due to its versatility as a textile and for its health benefits, but because of its similarity to marijuana, hemp was made illegal in 1937 under provisions in the Marihuana Tax Act. The 2018 Farm Bill allows hemp to be treated as the agricultural commodity it has always been.
From semi-automatic control systems, to fully automatic control systems, more and more growers are seeing the benefits that automation brings to their growing environments.
Here are a few of the reasons to consider automating the environmental controls in your commercial greenhouse:
The legal cannabis industry is rapidly expanding with new legislation being considered and often passed in one state or another almost weekly. However, strict regulations, high taxes and restricted sales have created obstacles for cannabis cultivators to grow their product and see a profit, especially those catering to the THC market. This is why so many growers are entering the CBD market, or more specifically, opting to grow hemp instead.
When the legal industry began to emerge, indoor cannabis grow facilities were considered ideal for optimal growing because of the ability to control the environment entirely. However, the industry is seeing a steady decline in cannabis prices so it’s becoming increasingly expensive to operate an indoor grow facility. As such, more and more growers are turning to greenhouse structures for their cannabis grow operation.
Justin Trudeau recently announced that recreational cannabis will finally be legal across Canada as of October 17th. This is a very exciting time for Canada as advocates and businesses around the world are watching. With just over three months to go until the official legalization date, we’ve created a timeline of cannabis legalization in Canada:
Learn why cultivators are seeing the benefits of designing the ideal greenhouse facility to produce top quality and high yield crops. There are many considerations to be made and there is no “one size fits all” solution.
We find that find that there are two main factors which influence the type of greenhouse system that a group may consider for cannabis production.
Nothing evokes passionate debate in the cannabis community like the threat of big business taking over. The arguments against big marijuana fill the internet. The heartfelt plea to preserve small farms is echoed throughout the US, Canada, and Jamaica. At the Marijuana Business Conference in Las Vegas last November there was even a debate dedicated to arguing which was better: Craft Cannabis vs Big Marijuana.