When Mike Sassano, the founder of Solaris Farms, decided to root his business in Las Vegas, he did so for a variety of reasons. Initially, he settled on Nevada because the state is a limited license state. In other words, there’s less competition in the market. The state is also pro-business and pro-cannabis. There were several other perks that Sassano soon realized came with growing in this barren territory, though.
“One advantage is that you have almost infinite sun. We’re not in a rainy zone, you’re not going to get major cloud cover,” he explained. “It’s a very dry environment, and that leads to the second benefit: less contaminants and pests.”
It’s no surprise that cannabis plants flourish when a powerful light source is readily available. But what the humidless environment in Nevada essentially provides is a vacuum where mold and harmful pests are less likely to thrive. This is particularly helpful, considering strict (and expensive) testing regulations hold the final say over whether cannabis can be sold on the legal market. So, the lack of humidity and late season rains can make the desert a safe haven for flowering cannabis plants — under the purview of a talented greenthumb.
Another advantage of operating a greenhouse in the desert is that it can lower electricity costs. This is particularly helpful when it comes to implementing evaporative cooling systems, like a wet wall environment. This cooling method draws air into a greenhouse through the wet wall, ultimately allowing evaporated water to keep the interior cool.
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