Depending on the market’s development, the climate, and the price that consumers are willing to pay for the products, businesses that grow cannabis in many states must employ various techniques.
Comparatively speaking, the California market is one of the most developed in the country, with a fiercely competitive flower market where farmers are only permitted to sell cannabis of the highest caliber.
Because of the long periods of daylight and little rain in California, farmers can cultivate very huge plants and concentrate on marketing “A buds,” the best section of the plant.
Contrarily, legal marijuana sales in Massachusetts began in November 2018, and the majority of the cannabis is cultivated inside due to the state’s humid, rainy weather.
Using hydroponics, crop steering, and inert growing mediums, like rockwool, for cleanliness and usability are profitable indoor cultivation techniques, according to Matthew Stevens, cultivation director for 4Front Ventures, a vertically integrated multistate operator with offices in Massachusetts and Arizona.
To maximize earnings while preserving the integrity of the plants they are cultivating, he continued, “Companies and their cultivators must align with the direction of the market they are in.”
What are the different strategies for a business wishing to operate in two states?
Quantity versus quality
According to David Catanzano, head of cannabis operations for Tilt Holdings, a multistate operator with its headquarters in Phoenix, successful grows will concentrate on good genetics, nutrition, great plant-care procedures, and crop steering, where necessary.
Crop steering is closely observing how plants are doing and changing controls as necessary.
Catanzano claims that understanding how to genuinely read a plant, controlling your surroundings, and controlling the precise inputs to drive crop growth are essential for producing high-quality flowers successfully.
Catanzano would rely more on hand-trimming methods to achieve a more boutique or craft-style final flower in a market with more discerning customers.
Naturally, he added, “We wouldn’t squander the rest of the plant.” To maximize our profits, we would shift this product to subsequent stages of manufacturing, such as making distillate for concentrates and supplying our edible program.
A similar strategy would be used by Florida-based cannabis growing consultant Ryan Douglas. Two steps of harvesting are suggested by him.
The mature top blooms, which normally contain the most cannabinoids, would be the only part of the first harvest that would constitute the cream of the crop, he said.
This product needs to be hand-trimmed, cured, and hung to dry.
According to Douglas, the second harvest would be processed to produce fresh-frozen extract after everything else was removed.
He would advise producers to steer clear of making any significant adjustments to the cultivation program that would interrupt the flow of production if the market is seeking for any and every flower due to excessive demand.
The objective in these circumstances, according to Douglas, is to collect favorable genotypes, develop them well, and repeat.
The goal should be to capitalize on the moment with high-quality flower and avoid excessively complex production because hot markets don’t often last long.
comparison of markets
“How can you industrialize, scale, and produce consistently high-quality product?” is the true question across markets. said Andreas Neumann, chief creative officer of Boca Raton, Florida-based Jushi Holdings, a multistate cannabis business.
The standard has been raised, and consumer demand today is actually much more consistent. This presents a challenge for everyone.
For starters, according to Neumann, Californians have bigger appetites.
He claimed that cannabis produced outdoors had long been regarded as the best kind in that region.
However, California is “ahead of the game” due to its continuous indoor and greenhouse flower production.
While indoor-grown flower is important and still valued for its “‘purity,'” Neumann continued, “the state is entering the industrialization phase of cannabis. There is also a bright future for greenhouse and outdoor plants there.
In Massachusetts, however, flowers grown indoors make up the majority of the market.
According to Neumann, “perfectly cultivated indoor flower is frequently dubbed ‘prime pot,’ grown in the ideal circumstances.
Consumer appetites automatically demand excellence.
Because there aren’t many suppliers and stores need product in younger markets like Massachusetts, growers frequently sell everything they produce, according to Douglas.
He continued, “Competition is much fiercer in mature markets, and cultivators are obliged to distinguish themselves by quality and distinctive product offerings.
According to Stevens, California has a very crowded industry with established items and brands in all cannabis-related sectors.
Which means that the user can find flower in all price ranges, from low-cost, basic cannabis to high-quality craft cannabis, he continued.
However, Stevens claimed that as the cannabis market in Massachusetts develops, the quality of the product is catching up.
He continued, “Many businesses are increasing their emphasis on growing strains with varied terpene and cannabinoid profiles.
Old versus young
Douglas advises businesses to cultivate utilizing tried-and-true hydroponic growing techniques in new markets. That keeps everything straightforward, he continued.
“With the correct genetics and a professional grower, a cultivation startup can quickly put together a good grow site and produce premium flower,” Douglas added.
He continued, “Growers should think about differentiating themselves in established markets like California with small batches of organically grown, craft-quality cultivars “that you can’t get in every dispensary.”
