Innholdsfortegnelse for Summer 2019 i Cannabis & Tech Today

It goes without saying that some of the most essential factors in cannabis growing are sustainability and efficiency. However, despite the major growth seen within the industry over the past few years, cultivators still face issues in both of these arenas. The environmental impact of cannabis is worth noting, considering that, according to Market Watch, one percent of energy consumption in the U.S. is used for indoor grow operations. Additionally, according to Marijuana Venture, 50 cannabis plants would require 24,000 gallons of water for a single eight-month season. Clearly, work needs to be done to streamline the growing process while making it more environmentally friendly. Luckily, one solution looks to take cultivation to the next level: Next Generation Growing (NGG). Let’s take a look at the essentials of NGG and…

The cannabis industry is flourishing. Unlike traditional gardening or farming, many cannabis growers and cultivators operate within a controlled agricultural environment. Whether for fruits, vegetables, or cannabis, indoor grow houses make it simple to monitor and control environmental factors such as air temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels, which dramatically increase yield and crop quality. Keeping plants healthy in a controlled indoor environment is extremely effective, with one major downside: it requires massive amounts of energy and upfront costs for HVAC, lighting, and the structure itself. One of the key challenges for growers is how to reduce their energy costs while still promoting a successful yield. Unlike greenhouses or outdoor gardens which benefit from natural sunlight, indoor grow facilities like growhouses and vertical gardens rely on artificial light. Colorado, in particular,…

Financial institutions working with dispensary owners have a unique challenge when it comes to partnerships. Because while cannabis sales for medical and recreational marijuana are legal in many states, federal sanctions still apply. Before doing business with a dispensary owner or other cannabis merchants, financial institutions often feel the need for more due diligence in terms of qualifying merchants and satisfying regulatory requirements in order to achieve the required transparency. Yet, the market is growing, and avoiding the cannabis market sector altogether excludes potentially lucrative and longlasting opportunities. One solution is to partner with an intermediary focused on providing transparency and financial legitimacy. This type of third-party partner can help close the uncertainty gap between financial institutions and cannabis retailers. By verifying adherence with regulatory requirements, these companies can assist…

Nic Borst became interested in the cannabis industry after he broke his back during a kayaking competition. To avoid physically debilitating surgery and the pain and anxiety associated with recovery, he turned to cannabis. The medicinal value he saw in the plant sparked a passion that led him to start his own cultivation facility. Using his background as an organic farmer, he founded this new family business shortly after cannabis became legal in Colorado. With cold, dry winters, spring hail, and summer heat, Colorado presented a challenging growing environment. Borst wanted to produce great product all year long, no matter the season. Once he started researching environmental systems, he found that most on the market were designed to work with traditional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning setups and didn’t offer…

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KEVIN SMITH’S SUBTLE SHOUTOUT Known in pop culture for his love of comics and his love of cannabis alike, Kevin Smith’s cover feature in the winter edition of Cannabis & Tech Today was one of our personal favorites. Apparently, Smith agrees with us. In a recently released video on Kevin Smith’s official YouTube channel, the Jay and Silent Bob star gave his opinions on the newest trailer to this summer’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. And, along with Smith’s collection of action figures and Comic-Con lanyards, you can clearly see his Cannabis & Tech Today cover in the background. It’s good to know our very own publication will be joining Smith’s impressive comic book collection. AN EVENT TO REMEMBER Our publication is honored to be featured at so many exclusive events…

In a clandestine, 40,000-square-foot cultivation facility in northern Arizona, we met with the founders of CEAD, Royce Birnbaum and Adam Klaasmeyer, a company that develops artificial intelligence applications for the cannabis industry. These two are no strangers to innovation. Birnbaum, the lead back-end developer for the project, has had a career in developing systems for monitoring nuclear reactors for the Navy and AI technology for the defense industry, while Klaasmeyer, the front-end developer and coder, has contributed to projects for companies such as Atari and Microsoft. The CEAD technology currently being tested at a cannabis research and development center in Arizona monitors operational and environmental systems including plant nutrition, growth rates, life cycles, and predictive pest outbreaks. In addition, it keeps a log of all movements made by the cultivation…

Hemp is one of nature’s most versatile crops. From textiles to food, building materials to paper and plastic, it’s the Swiss Army knife of plants. Now that hemp is legal both in Canada and the United States, consumers and businesses can finally explore the true potential of the long-overlooked weed. Further, the cannabis industry is going through some growing pains. It’s struggling to find a sustainable way to meet the demands of commercialization. Packaging, landfill waste, and high water and electricity use all lend to the industry’s less than green reputation. Fortunately, cannabis’ salvation may come in the form of new and innovative uses for the hemp plant. To learn more about some of the sustainable initiatives occuring in the hemp space, we spoke with Zaffia LaPlante, president and founder…

If it isn’t obvious already, we do everything we can here to champion sustainable practices in the cannabis industry. That’s why when Bill Ludlow, CEO of CRATIV Packaging, published an in-depth sustainability mantra on his company’s website, we were intrigued. While sustainability is growing in popularity and practice in the cannabis industry, it is still rare to see such public and open commitment to sustainable practices. We decided to speak with Ludlow further about what made him decide to make sustainability a core value of his business. Cannabis & Tech Today: Can you tell us what was the motivation for making sustainability so core to your business? Bill Ludlow: We took a step back to explore our “Why.” We knew we had to develop a core mantra that our team…

Futurist, filmmaker, and former Head of Mike’s Hard Lemonade Anat Baron has never tried cannabis. But she’s the perfect person to tell you everything you need to know about regulations, advertising, and building a brand from the ground up. Recently, Baron was asked to keynote at MJBizConNEXT, not because of her expertise in cannabis, but because of her background in the consumer space, especially with heavily regulated industries, like beer. In her film Beer Wars, Baron addresses the stifling regulations of the beer industry while highlighting the struggles of entrepreneurs trying to gain a foothold in a highly competitive market controlled by multinational conglomerates. It probably sounds like a familiar scenario for many cannabis business owners, as more regulation and more competition continue to add complexity to the nascent industry.…

If you stay tuned to cannabis legislations, then you have likely heard of the recent SAFE Banking Act. Short for the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act, the bill was originally introduced in March of this year and has been making its way through the federal government. The reason this bill is garnering so much attention is how it would affect one major aspect – and major point of contention – of the cannabis industry. You guessed it: Banking! Many cannabis businesses have had to become cash-only establishments due to banks not wanting to work with them. However, this bill could change everything. What is the SAFE Banking Act, exactly? As it stands currently, federal statutes create risk for banks that want to operate in the cannabis space. Facing threat…

For many, a world free from anxiety is a dream, but to one Scottish woman, it’s reality. Jo Cameron, now 71, has lived an anxiety and pain-free life. To Cameron, an epidural is merely a tickle, and the anxiety that should accompany childbirth or surgery dissipates before it’s ever felt. Her secret, once hidden within her DNA, now exposes a promising treatment strategy for the nearly 30 percent of the population who suffer from anxiety but fail to find relief from traditional medications. Cameron’s genetic mutation holds a striking resemblance to a mechanism by which cannabidiol (CBD) affects brain function, and so the spotlight is now on the endocannabinoid system, with CBD at center stage. People turn to cannabis for a spectrum of medical needs, and in California, treating anxiety-related…

Advertising is one of the most important cornerstones of business. No matter your industry, getting the word out is vital, as is choosing the proper avenue for advertising. However, there’s just one problem: not all products are treated equally. There’s a reason you don’t see cigarette ads on television or see people drinking in commercials anymore. These restrictions make it difficult for many industries to get the word out about their product and it’s been a major hurdle for the cannabis industry. While there are numerous ways to advertise a product, each avenue comes with its very own complications, something that remains a hot topic to this day. Television Advertising Cannabis restrictions for television advertising can be complex. For example, Nevada and Colorado, two states that have undoubtedly embraced the…

If you’re a U.S. citizen and you’ve ever cooked with sous vide, you may have Philip Preston to thank. Back in 1963, his father founded PolyScience, and they have been providing precision liquid temperature control solutions to a variety of industries ever since. Their technology applies to a number of industries, whether it is “paint or barbecue sauce or motor oil.” Eventually Preston added his passion for cooking into the mix and developed technology for chefs that would provide precise temperature cooking – or cooling. After seeing some of the medicinal benefits of cannabis, Preston set his eyes on the next market he would break into and for the past 10 years has provided this temperature control technology to cannabis laboratories all over the world. In this exclusive interview, Preston…

Earlier this spring, we were invited by St. Bernie’s CBD to get a firsthand look at the production of their unique products. We pulled up to a small facility located in Boulder, Colorado. Walking in, we were greeted by Janelle Wagner, vice president of product development, who introduced us to her husband Mark and son Daniel. Between the three, they make up the workforce of St. Bernie’s CBD. And, while spending a morning with the Wagners, we could tell they wouldn’t have it any other way. It all started with a simple conversation around a patio one morning. Janelle, an oncology nurse practitioner, was discussing with her husband how her patients had been inquiring about CBD recently, with some utilizing the substance for pain control. As Janelle told us, “It…

Regulations are a double-edged sword. In one way, regulations are the only reason the legal cannabis market has been able to flourish. Fair and balanced laws and requirements ensure consumers are safe and businesses are held accountable for their actions. In another way, regulations cost operators time and money and can create barriers to entering the legal marketplace. Whether you’re in support of regulation or tired of the headache and confusion, these cumbersome bits of legislation aren’t going away. California is the largest state yet to face the daunting challenge of creating policy to fit the diverse needs of its constituents. There have been successes as well as failures, and learning from the Golden State’s history may help every state in the union to develop stronger regulation in the years…

To say that Laurie Wolf is a major force in the world of edibles is a major understatement. The author of four cannabis-focused cookbooks, including Marijuana Edibles, HERB, The Medical Marijuana Dispensary, and Cooking with Cannabis, Wolf has made it clear that the substance deserves a place on the spice rack. Outside of her own published books, her recipes have been featured in the pages of The Cannabist, DOPE Magazine, Culture, and High Times, with a brownie recipe named the all-time best by Leafly. While her recipes alone would make her a leader within the edibles community, it’s Wolf’s work with Laurie + MaryJane that shows her mastery of the cannabis kitchen. A family-owned and operated business, Laurie + MaryJane offers high-end edibles such as Almond Cake Bites, Cheese Crisp…

Designing, building, and operating the ideal cannabis growing facility and getting every aspect right is no small task. Growing at scale is a new frontier for most licensed producers and it’s been referred to by many as the Wild West because of hectic pace of growth and perpetual innovation in a hyper-competitive landscape. There are countless vendors and consultants vying for your business, but do they really have all the answers? Are they truly experts? It’s not easy to know. There are no cookie-cutter answers and new and better solutions are evolving constantly for virtually every aspect of the industry. Creating the optimal indoor climate is a mission-critical aspect of your business that has a huge impact on your bottom line. Capital costs, installation costs, operating costs, and maintenance costs…