The cannabis industry is more than smoke
I had no idea.
Curious to find out what goes into the making of the medical cannabis I vaporize and inhale most nights to dull the pain and let me sleep, I spent an afternoon at the recent Grow Up Cannabis Conference in Niagara Falls; five hours in absolute awe at the immense reach of this vast new Canadian industry.
Because using recreational marijuana will no longer be a criminal offence come next July, the entire industry all across Canada is showcasing its products.
Here’s a brief look at what is involved. I’ve likely missed much of it but I think you’ll get the idea of its potential.
As it stands now, a potential grower must apply for a license from the Government of Canada. The paperwork takes a team, consultants, lawyers and financial advisors. Then there is a greenhouse set up, sometimes more than hundreds of acres that you either buy or lease. Your setup includes infrastructure such as electricity and water and then there is fencing around the actual buildings. Interior grow areas feature plant benches and containers, specialty soils, pollination, fertilizers and grow boosters, setups for water and fertilizer delivery, mildew and pest control which can be either insecticides or other bugs that eat the bugs eating the cannabis. And, you need exterior and interior security for the entire setup, much of it digital cameras, run by computers and a human being to monitor the computers.
Once you have decided what strains you will grow, bought seed or clones, and planted, the plants have to be nurtured with the right amount of light and water and movement of air. These can be analyzed for optimization and are imperative for a good harvest. Backup generators ensure there are no disasters.
And because you need to know exactly what percentage of THC ( it gives you a high) and CBD ( it doesn’t) your harvest contains, you need to have it analyzed so you can recommend strains to your patients for various conditions and guarantee quality.
Plants are continually inspected and trimmed to obtain the maximum output of useful bud. Once harvested, the plant is cured and then the bud pulled off by hand and put through a rotating machine that takes off the leaves, then it is packaged and stored until orders are picked from the supply on hand and shipped. All of this takes workers, the majority of whom must be trained to maintain sanitary conditions throughout the operation.
Then there is management that includes everything from payroll to advertising and the person who talks to you on the phone when you call up to ask what they’ve got for migraine headaches. An oil may be recommended.
To buy an extraction system for medicinal grade oils can average from US$ 40,000 to 50,000. This stainless- steel apparatus takes one to two hours per pound of trim to extract a small amount of oil from a large amount of cannabis trim. This means the entire plant is used but the time and cost is reflected in the price. Outside of actual growing there is a swirl of activity that includes packaging and label design and manufacturing, clinics that connect patients with providers, manufacturers of delivery systems such as pipes and vaporizers and the many shops that sell various cannabis paraphernalia.
And, if the government keeps its promise to let anyone grow annually up to four plants indoors, there are packages that can turn a closet into a growing area complete with lighting and reflective wall coverings. One company offers shipping containersize units as complete miniature grow operations.
There is now the International Medical Cannabis Association. Who knew? And how about the magazines, newsletters and blogs that are flourishing, the expos and conferences and stock investors. If you need help there are management teams for just about every area of the industry. Several colleges are offering growing medical cannabis training including Niagara College. And, thanks to funding from producers, legitimate research has begun on the beneficial rosy future for this newly discovered yet longmaligned plant.
Billions in tax dollars and hundreds of thousands of jobs will be just two of the many benefits of opening our eyes and minds. It’s about time.
ACCESS NIAGARA