Category: Featured

October 18, 2022

4 Surprising Benefits of Marijuana

Marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. In recent years, there has been a lot of debate over the legalization of marijuana. Supporters argue that marijuana has many benefits, while opponents claim that the risks outweigh the benefits. We will explore the pros of marijuana.

1. Marijuana Can Help Decrease Anxiety

According to a study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, “self-reported reductions in anxiety from smoked cannabis have been supported by standardized laboratory measures.”

It was further concluded that there are no risks associated with using marijuana to reduce anxiety. Additional research agrees with these findings. The use of marijuana may help temporarily decrease feelings of social anxiety and general anxiety. This is especially true for medical marijuana users who have PTSD or other mental disabilities. However, despite what studies claim, there haven’t been many clinical trials conducted on humans.

Therefore, it is impossible to say if the smoking pot has the same effect on everyone. At this point, only future research will be able to show if the smoking pot does help decrease anxiety.

2. Marijuana Can Act As an Antidepressant

Although it’s unclear how marijuana works, some studies suggest the use of weed can help treat depression. “THC inhibits the uptake of serotonin,” which is a chemical that helps elevate mood. Furthermore, THC also acts on cannabinoid receptors in brain regions that control depression and pain sensations.

However, certain strains of medical marijuana have high levels of CBD (Cannabidiol), while others have low levels. Therefore, you should always ask for specific information about what your preferred strain contains before trying it out.

3. Marijuana Can Help Treat Some Diseases

ADD/ADHD Psychiatric disorders like ADHD and ADD are very common among children worldwide. Unfortunately, many modern medicines such as Ritalin and Adderall do not work for everyone and sometimes have harmful side effects. This is where medical marijuana comes in. Research has shown that people who use marijuana to treat ADD/ADHD symptoms often experience a significant decrease in impulsivity and hyperactivity. Studies also show no observed side effects on cognitive performance or neuropsychiatric issues. Other studies recommend smoking pot daily for maximum results.

4. Marijuana Can Help Treat Cancer

Numerous studies have been done that conclude that cannabinoids from the marijuana plant can kill cancer cells. One of these cannabinoids is Cannabidiol (CBD). CBD “turns off a gene (Id-1) that is responsible for the spread of cancerous cells and significantly, can reduce tumor size.”

Conclusion

There is a lot of evidence that supports the benefits of smoking weed when dealing with different types of cancer. More research is needed to confirm these findings. But until then, many people in California and other states will continue to have cheap weed and use it as a form of treatment against their illness.…

March 18, 2021

Attempt to Achieve Post-Harvest Success

Cannabis harvest pruning and drying, cultivation enterprises must cure, package, and store their product.

Here’s a quick rundown of each phase, as well as some pointers for success:

Curing

Curing is a way of bringing out the distinct flavors and fragrances of cannabis. It can also improve the smokability of the finished product. As opposed to drying, which focuses on the fast removal of moisture from the plant, curing is more concerned with the delayed alteration of substances within the flower.

Cannabis, like cured tobacco or aged wine, can improve with age—but only under the correct conditions.

Curing is typically performed in a sealed container periodically “burped” by hand or de-gassed using automated equipment. Cannabis permits CO2 and wet air to escape from the curing container as the chlorophyll within the dry bloom progressively degrades. This process should occur in a cool, dark, and somewhat dry environment, with temperatures in the mid-60s Fahrenheit and humidity levels between 55 and 65 percent.

The majority of farmers think that the longer the cure, the better. But how far is too far? As with most things cannabis, there are differing and passionate viewpoints.

Some cannabis connoisseurs believe that a six-month cure is the best option. Although this is true, logistically, commercial operators find it impossible to accommodate this time range with each harvest.

It’s challenging to juggle available space and storing many batches of cannabis over the course of six months.

For one thing, most operators do not want to wait 180 days for revenue after spending 120 days growing the crop. They want their money as quickly as possible.

In addition, a lot can happen in six months. If the individual in charge of the process is inexperienced and circumstances are not adequately controlled, the extra time spent curing will not benefit – and may even harm – the final product.

A six-month cure is not a possibility for most commercial producers. Two to four weeks is more attainable. This quicker treatment creates a balance between quality, storage logistics, and revenue.

Keep the following tips in mind while choosing a curing container:

• Stay away from plastic buckets. They are not as airtight as you may believe, and they can harm the aroma of your cannabis.

• Glass jars are effective, but only on a small scale. Burping hundreds of glass jars might be difficult.

• Use metal containers with airtight covers. They’re simple to use and stack well for long-term curing or storage.

Packaging

Nitrogen gas is a popular method of packaging dried cannabis. Nitrogen gas substitutes oxygen, which helps to postpone the deterioration process. cannabis is useful for packaging into retail-ready, sealed one-eighth or quarter-ounce containers. These are usually white-labeled before being delivered or stored.

Another popular method is to vacuum seal cannabis. This technique, like nitrogen, prevents decomposition by reducing the amount of oxygen in the bag. The average bag holds roughly 2 pounds of stuff, and the idea is to remove enough air without crushing it.

Bags of vacuum-sealed cannabis are small and compact, making them ideal for stacking, storing in bins, or filing on shelves like library books. Vacuum sealing allows more product to be moved in a given space while also protecting it from crushing harm.

Vacuum sealing is perfect for storing cannabis for brief periods of time, such as when a grower is awaiting the results of a laboratory test before selling.

Keeping dried cannabis flowers

In theory, nitrogen and vacuum sealing can enable cannabis blossoms to be preserved for an extended period of time. Still, cannabis should not be stored for more than six months under any circumstances. The longer the dry flower stays after harvest, the more mistakes can occur.

Mold is the most dangerous concern, as it can permanently alter the smell and flavor of your goods. The hue of dry cannabis flowers varies over time. Experienced consumers understand that cannabis that has been cured for a long time loses most of its green tint, but inexperienced consumers may be put off by brown weed.

However, in other cases, operators may be required to store their goods for several months. For example, a producer may desire to store their product to sell when there is a higher demand. Holding on to the fall harvest until winter, when supplies are few, may benefit the gardener.

Conclusion

The essentials for success are the same regardless of the curing, packaging, or storing method: remove oxygen and store it in sealed containers in a dark, cold, and fairly dry space.

However, if you are producing cannabis flowers and are unable to sell them after a few weeks of completion, your attention should not be on the storage method; rather, it should be on why you cannot sell what you create.

Whether it’s because of quality difficulties, poor genetics, or a lack of demand, you could be better off examining the fundamental cause of the need to store rather than figuring out the best way to maintain it.

Remember that the greatest producers with desired genetics in the hottest market do not have this issue. Their product is sold out before it has had a chance to dry.

This should be the ultimate goal of any farming company. If you’re juggling stuff to make room for the next harvest because the last one is still in your vault, you’ve got a bigger problem than long-term storage.…

February 18, 2021

Sustainable cannabis growing has a “triple bottom line” value.

It’s strange that growing a plant as beneficial as cannabis puts a greater strain on natural resources than other crops. Legalization, fortunately, is paving the road for more ecologically responsible production and growing by allowing for more scientific study and allowing cannabis entrepreneurs to publicly explore, test, and exchange best practises.

From breakthroughs in automation technology to time-tested soil management approaches, cannabis farmers and processors now have a plethora of sophisticated tools at our disposal—as well as more compelling reasons to implement these solutions than meets the eye.

The ‘triple bottom line concepts discussed in economics are well within reach of today’s forward-thinking cannabis enterprises. Cannabis leaders can meet people, planet, and financial goals in one fell swoop by adopting holistic organic agricultural practises, embracing new technologies, and factoring carbon footprint into a wider strategy.

Four principles of sustainable cannabis farming for people, profit, and the environment

Cannabis companies have an opportunity to mimic the plant that can do so much good, whether they specialise in natural, plant-based therapies or adult recreational products—or both. With these four sustainability principles, you may increase both your global effect and local consumer satisfaction:

If you enrich the soil, you will also improve your products’ quality, flavour, and aroma. Many cannabis growers use synthetic salt-based fertilisers, which pollute the environment and destroy the soil. Others claim to be organic but base their claims on a single addition or two rather than participating in 100% organic soil management. However, as a botanist, I’ve learned both in the lab and in the field that holistic permaculture and organic agricultural practices are better for the planet and the customer.
In a nutshell, the richer the soil, the greater the terpene flavour and scent profiles: Organic farms produce twice as much terpene as conventionally cultivated farms. They also enhance the contrast between strains, providing a rich flavour that lingers even at the bottom of the bowl.

In what way? Start with peat moss and cocoa to help with drainage and aeration, then add organic ingredients like earthworm compost, humus, minerals, bird and bat guanos, and azamite. This rich composition provides the soil with a strong yet permeable architecture, preventing waterlogging. On top of that, we apply a fertiliser blend composed of malted sugar beets, cold-pressed seaweed, and refined kelp regularly. As needed, we also use aloe vera, soy protein, and other nutrient-dense applications such as compost tea.

We produce a healthy rhizosphere surrounding the roots by combining quality components in the appropriate amounts and at the right time, allowing for healthy nutrient and microbial activity and uptake through the stem and leaves, which adds to a more diversified terpene composition.

Improve your water-saving habits. Flushing and water management should not be one-size-fits-all. Most industry professionals adhere to the two-week rule of thumb, which states that two weeks of clean water is sufficient for an appropriate flush, regardless of whether you’re working with salt-based or organic nutrients. However, if the plant is not properly cleansed of resident nutrients during the dormant stage, it might have a grassy or hay scent, which can detract from the overall experience with the product. However, having living soil with the proper nutritional balance, as explained above, improves terpene content as well as product flavour and smoothness. The ash also burns a cleaner, brighter white, which might be a nice surprise for users who haven’t previously encountered cannabis grown in this manner.
Invest in environmentally friendly monitoring, packing, and cleaning solutions that are technologically advanced. Smart, data-driven horticulture systems can assist cannabis enterprises in reducing energy use while promoting optimal growing conditions in real-time. To begin, consider implementing an environmental monitoring system that includes hardware and software for climate control, energy conservation, and efficient water reuse. Install low-voltage sensors throughout the cultivation facility to monitor soil composition, including nutrients and heat and moisture levels. Use artificial intelligence software to process sensor data and make decisions to change nutrient supplies and other adjustments to optimise growing and water utilisation. Customize the technologies to produce perfect settings for each strain, such as tailoring the fertiliser recipe for a certain strain to production goals such as increased THC % or yield.
Furthermore, solar arrays minimise total energy consumption; automated packing equipment lowers product waste and enhances quality; and sterilisation technology protects against powdery mildew, improving quality while minimising the need for pesticides or fungicides.

Use geographical considerations to reduce your carbon footprint. Consider placing your growing and processing equipment in the same building as your retail dispensary. Having a one-stop-shop reduces the carbon footprint of moving goods and personnel from an off-site farm. This “under one roof” method benefits more than just the environment. Customers gain as well when cannabis concierges can readily refer questions to cultivation specialists and vice versa for greater on-demand customer service.
Consider the big picture while assisting communities on a smaller scale.

Cannabis businesses have the potential to deliver vital services to our communities. We may also help mitigate the consequences of climate change by retaining more carbon in the soil, lowering energy emissions, and preserving water resources through sustainable practises like those indicated above.

Let us use the greatest environmental practises to benefit the communities and businesses we serve, and together we will construct a triple bottom line success storey that benefits everyone.…

January 18, 2021

Five Key Concepts That Every Member of Your Cultivation Team Should Understand

If a company’s chief grower is competent, the remainder of the cultivation crew does not require horticulture knowledge to be hired.

However, in order to avoid costly mistakes, new employee training should focus on immediately getting them up to speed on the principles of commercial plant production.

Make the following five concepts a priority for all new cultivation staff:

1. How to keep accurate records.

Record keeping is essential for everything from troubleshooting to regulatory compliance, yet rookie growers frequently fail to keep any production records at all.

When I visit grow sites that do not prioritise record-keeping, problematic shooting is at best a guessing game and, at worst, a futile exercise.

Examining the fertiliser and watering plan is usually the first step in determining what happened to a crop. In the absence of records, this frequently entails going around on the radio to inquire as to who last fed the plants. When numerous staff split watering responsibilities, the problem becomes even more complicated.

Keeping records for regulatory compliance guarantees that the product is grown in accordance with the company’s SOPs. In heavily controlled markets, the quality assurance department will be unwilling to sell cannabis if it cannot prove that it was grown in accordance with its SOPs. Recalls may be issued for non-compliant products.

Digital records are preferable, but a clipboard and pencil hung in an easily accessible location are preferable to nothing.

2. Testing should be done on a regular basis.

Growers should conduct soil, water, and fertilizer testing on a regular basis to ensure that plants receive appropriate nourishment.

Testing the electrical conductivity (EC) of the fertilizer solution and the fertilizer runoff (leachate) might assist discover potential imbalances inside the plant. When I ask to see the results of these tests, I am occasionally met with a blank expression. “What exactly is EC?” “What exactly do you mean by leachate?”

Allow this to happen to your nurturing team. During the crop cycle, these tests should be performed every two weeks, and the results should be recorded. Ensure that your team understands how to conduct these tests, that they have the necessary tools, and that they understand how to interpret the results.

3. The importance of timing cannot be overstated.

Failure to complete cultivation duties on time might result in poor plant development and increased production costs. Most jobs have a small time frame in which they must be completed, and retroactively addressing plant faults caused by missed timing can eat into your profits.

Young plants that are not spaced properly will grow tall and spindly, necessitating additional labor to support. Mother plants that are not harvested on time grow huge and unwieldy, and they do not produce a sufficient number of healthy cuttings when needed. Failure to release predatory insects or apply pest control agents on time might lead to disease or insect infestation.

Your cultivation team’s sense of timing will help to create a cost-effective operation.

4. Understand when and how to water.

In traditional gardening, there is a phrase that goes, “The one on the end of the hose grows.”

This indicates that the person in charge of making day-to-day irrigation decisions for a crop has the most effect over its health. Large facilities typically divide production among multiple section growers, each of whom is responsible for selecting when to irrigate their plants.

The majority of plant problems are caused by either under or overwatering. A crop that has been continuously waterlogged will develop slowly, yield less, and be more sensitive to pest and disease pressure. Root rot stopped growth, and plant mortality will occur in an overwatered crop that cannot dry out between irrigations.

When a plant reaches 50% of the weight of a fully saturated container, it should be watered. Too much or too little might have a significant impact on the economics of your crop. Make certain that your crew understands when and how to water.

5. Be gentle with yourself.

Growers can forget how sensitive plants are, but they are quickly reminded when their crop begins to show signs of stress.

Plants might be startled if they are not adequately acclimatized and are exposed to something too early. When farmers shift plants from low-light vegetative growth rooms to the dazzling brightness of a bloom room, this is frequent. Plants that are subjected to light and heat stress can begin to wilt within a few hours and turn yellow within 48 hours.

Plants can also be stressed by benign actions performed at the wrong time. Plants can be burned by spray treatments applied in the heat of the day or under intense grow lights. Water droplets can behave like miniature magnifying glasses, focusing light and permanently harming the leaves.

Remind your staff that plants are more delicate than we realize. Ensure that any important changes are adequately planned and that plants are gradually acclimated to the new shift. It is preferable to spend one week carefully acclimating plants rather than three weeks mending damaged ones.

To successfully develop your crop, your staff do not need a four-year horticulture degree, but they should understand basic plant production principles. If your in-house training program focuses on these five key elements, you’ll be well on your approach to building a cultivating dream team.…

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