Cultivation & Growing - Cannabis Industry Journal

Featured Articles

September 21, 2021

Cannabis Manufacturing Considerations: From Raw Materials to Finished Goods

By David Vaillencourt, Kathleen May

Facility design and construction is a complex task to tackle when building a new manufacturing facility. In this piece, Kathleen May and David Vaillencourt detail the most important considerations when it comes to building a facility, from raw materials and utilities to process flow and further expansion.

September 21, 2021

Ask the Experts: Aspergillus Across the Supply Chain

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

In this Q&A, we sit down with microbiology experts to discuss contamination throughout the cannabis lifecycle. From cultivation to the laboratory, they detail best practices for cannabis cultivation facilities and testing labs when it comes to identifying and remediating microbial contamination and specifically, Aspergillus.

September 1, 2021

Best Practices for Training New Hires and Documenting Operations

By Dede Perkins

Operational chaos in the cannabis industry is the result of rapid growth, mergers and acquisitions, and high levels of employee turnover. For those operators wanting to prioritize operational excellence, this piece will show you how to get control of changing SOPs, employee training and documenting operations, important first steps towards attaining operational excellence.

August 4, 2021

Craft Beer & Cannabis: Oskar Blues Founder Joins Veritas Fine Cannabis

Dale Katechis introduced the world to canned craft beer back in 2002. As the founder of Oskar Blues, he led the company and the country down a new path for independent craft brewers. In this piece, we sit down with Dale Katechis to learn about his new foray into cannabis and drink a few of his namesake beers, Dale’s Pale Ale.

August 2, 2021

Flower-Side Chats Part 8: A Q&A with Andreas “Dre” Neumann, Chief Creative Director of Jushi Holdings Inc.

By Aaron Green

In this series, Aaron Green sits down and interviews a number of integrated cannabis companies and flower brands. In Part 8, Green sits down with Andreas “Dre” Neumann, Chief Creative Director at Jushi, to learn more about their approach to branding in cannabis.

July 8, 2021

Flower-Side Chats Part 7: A Q&A with Max Goldstein, CEO of Union Electric and Founding Partner at OpenNest Labs

By Aaron Green

In this series, Aaron Green sits down and interviews a number of integrated cannabis companies and flower brands. In this Part 7, Green sits down with Max Goldstein, CEO of Union Electric and Founding Partner at OpenNest Labs, to learn more about his asset-light model for building a brand in California.

June 8, 2021

Flower-Side Chats Part 6: A Q&A with Fabian Monaco, CEO of Gage Cannabis

By Aaron Green

In this series, Aaron Green sits down and interviews a number of integrated cannabis companies and flower brands. In this Part 6, Green sits down with Fabian Monaco, CEO of Gage Cannabis, to learn more about the Michigan market, what he looks for in cultivation partners and his criteria for geographical expansion.

May 14, 2021

Flower-Side Chats Part 5: A Q&A with Bob Fireman, CEO of MariMed, Inc.

By Aaron Green

In this series, Aaron Green sits down and interviews a number of integrated cannabis companies and flower brands. In this Part 5, Green sits down with Bob Fireman, CEO of MariMed, Inc. (OTCQX:MRMD) to learn more about the history of MariMed and its recent equity facility from Hadron Healthcare Fund that has them poised for continued growth.

May 13, 2021

Defining Hemp: Classifications, Policies & Markets, Part 2

By Darwin Millard

The cannabis plant is an incredibly versatile plant used in numerous applications: construction materials, textiles, composites, bioplastics, food ingredients, phytochemicals, CBD products, and so much more. Or is that hemp? In this two-part series, Darwin Millard takes the reader down the hemp rabbit hole and discusses how the global market has evolved the definition of hemp over time and the challenges posed by trying to have your cake and eat it too. Millard proposes that we adopt policies for market protection of hemp products through standardization, not bifurcation of the cannabis plant.

May 11, 2021

Flower-Side Chats Part 4: A Q&A with Adrian Sedlin, CEO & Founder of Canndescent

By Aaron Green

In this series, Aaron Green sits down and interviews a number of integrated cannabis companies and flower brands. In Part 4, Green chats with Adrian Sedlin, CEO and founder of Canndescent, to learn more about their brand and product marketing as well as their recent social equity brand, Justice Joints.

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Columns

September 22, 2021

Think Your Cannabis Business Complies with Temp and Part-Time Employment Regulations? You Might Be Surprised

By Stacy Bryant

These often-overlooked regulations can lead to big challenges if you don’t pay attention. In this piece, Stacy Bryant details what you need to know about risks, regulations and compliance issues when it comes to temporary and part-time employment rules.

July 29, 2021

Soapbox

Can Cannabis Avoid Alcohol’s 3-Tier Distribution System?

By Rick Kiley

On the road to nationwide legalization, cannabis and spirits share similar stories. But here’s the one step the cannabis industry should avoid copying, if it can.

June 23, 2021

Essential Elements to Set Up a Green, Zero-Waste Grow Facility

By Anthony Franciosi

Consider a few of these tips to efficiently manage your resources and effectively enhance your bottom line.

May 25, 2021

Growing the Seed of Sale: Integrating Security with Business Opportunity

By Ryan Schonfeld

Security is critical, and thankfully, growers and providers have many tools available to protect their investment. For those businesses in the cannabis market looking to supplement their security operations with other workforce but may not have the budget or infrastructure to do so, remote security operations services are something you should consider.

April 21, 2021

Clean Green Farming is Good for Cannabis

By Khalid Al-Naser

In this piece, Khalid Al-Naser makes his case for how Clean Green farming practices with regenerative and sustainable agriculture operations are beneficial for the cannabis industry.

March 16, 2021

The Ten Biggest Mistakes When Building a Cultivation Facility

By Michael Burnstein

Here are ten of the biggest and most common mistakes that companies tend to make when building out a new cannabis cultivation facility.

February 9, 2021

The (Arrested) Rise of Craft Cannabis in Canada

By Steven Burton

While the cannabis legalization story in Canada has had its bumps, the clear path forward for greater legal market success lies in increased support for micro-cultivators. By increasing support for these small-scale producers to navigate regulatory requirements, more will be able to enter the legal market and actually compete against their illicit counterparts.

January 7, 2021

Soapbox

Break Up Vertical Integration

By Ryan Douglas

In this excerpt from his book, From Seed to Success: How to Launch a Great Cannabis Cultivation Business in Record Time, Ryan Douglas offers an interesting take on the vertically integrated cannabis business model. He argues vertical integration is not in the best interest of the consumer and that businesses should identify their strengths and seek to specialize in one aspect of the supply chain.

September 22, 2020

Why You Should Consider Parametric Insurance to Protect Your Outdoor Cannabis Crop

By Evan Stait

Outdoor cannabis crops aren’t covered by traditional crop insurance. But in a hardening property insurance market, a world of climate change and shifting weather patterns, growers are looking for a way to mitigate their risk. Parametric insurance may be your best bet.

August 5, 2020

The Brand Marketing Byte

The Hottest U.S. Cannabis Brands Right Now

By Cannabis Industry Journal Staff

In this week’s Brand Marketing Byte, we take a look at Pioneer Intelligence’s hottest U.S. (non-retail) cannabis brands for the month of July. Using their large data set and gauging metrics within social media, earned media attention and more, these are the companies that are getting the most out of their marketing.

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Upcoming Events & Webinars

November 16, 2021 – 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Infused Products Virtual Conference

Registration is now open! This complimentary virtual conference consists of 4 back-to-back webinars, all on the same day. In a number of states across the country, edibles, topicals, beverages and other infused products are taking up a larger percentage of the market share. They come in all shapes and sizes- from granola bars to lotions, lubricant and scented candles; manufacturers are infusing a wide variety of products with cannabis, creating a market that meets a larger consumer demographic. Different states have different rules when it comes to product safety. Some states require ServSafe training and local health inspections, while others have more stringent lab testing rules, require documented GMPs and even a form of certification demonstrating proper food safety protocols. State regulations shouldn’t be the reason why infused products manufacturers have robust safety and quality standards, consumer safety is. Getting ahead of regulations with proactive safety and quality planning can improve a business’s bottom line tremendously. There are a number of tools and tricks cannabis companies can learn from the food industry to streamline their businesses and gain a bigger chunk of the market share.

December 9, 2021 – 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference

The Cannabis Labs Virtual Conference continues! For five years now, we have been hosting this complimentary collection of webinar presentations, designed to help attendees better understand some of the more technical aspects of starting and operating a laboratory. We will take a deep dive into various cannabis and hemp testing methods, laboratory accreditation, microbial testing, standards, method development and more. Attendees registering for this complimentary series of webinars will get access to veterans of the cannabis lab testing industry, who are all available for Q&A after each presentation. In addition to getting the opportunity to chat with these subject matter experts on September 14, a recording of the presentations will be made available to all who register. Practical and educational information from experts in the cannabis lab testing industry, all on the same day and all from the comfort of your lab, home or office. Want real inside knowledge on the cannabis testing industry? Stay tuned for important updates on the agenda. Registration coming soon!

December 15, 2021 – December 17, 2021

NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit

The industry’s most influential trade show is coming back to San Francisco! We’re thrilled to be gathering in person December 15-17, 2021 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center for the 7th Annual Cannabis Business Summit & Expo. At the premier cannabis business event, industry entrepreneurs, experts, and thought leaders will come together to learn, network, and discover new products & services to help their businesses grow. With unique content presented by the best and brightest minds in the industry, unmatched networking opportunities, and 400+ exhibitors, this is an experience you won’t want to miss.