The new year has just started, and we have published yesterday an article on what to expect from the cannabis industry in 2021. Everyone feels that things will be better this year, but of course, this won't happen just because, but each one of us is asked to put in the work to make 2021 a year to remember positively. Although 2020 has seen major changes in the world, we focus only on the cannabis industry, and this sector has shown an unprecedented resilience, to the point that there was a shift from understanding cannabis as an illegal substance to an essential one. The global pandemic was an unnecessary testing ground, one that anyway has allowed many companies to step up and show what the cannabis industry is capable of.
Today, we are going to look back at 2020 and see the best read articles on MMJDaily during the just-passed year. So, in the event you have missed out on some of our 2020's greatest hits, now it's your chance to catch up!
Growing on volcanic soil: cannabis in St. Vincent and the Grenadines
The cannabis industry is a very competitive sector, and it’s becoming even more so as a consequence of the increasing number of countries regulating these types of operations. Even though it has been flying a little under the radar, the Caribbean islands are paving the way to a place at the green table of the industry. One of the most promising Caribbean islands is St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which finalized the legislation recently. “St. Vincent has a history of cannabis growing, though in an illegal setting,” Andrew Hadley, General Manager of Medicinal, a Vincentian medical cannabis company, explains. “The country has taken the most stringent legislations from North America, Europe and Australia, and combined them to come up with our own framework.”
We strive to find the most unique and interesting stories on the global cannabis industry, and our readers have shown that they also want to know about those small realities that can have a bigger impact. Do you want to know more about the cannabis industry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines? Then, what are you waiting for! Click here.
Pruning cannabis for indoor farms
Our top mission is to share as much knowledge as possible on how to grow the best crop. And indeed, our second most-read article describes the best practices for pruning cannabis in indoor farms. Consultant Glen Johnson has allowed us to pick his brain and to share his extensive experience in operating large-scale cannabis operations.
When you flip the lights to 12/12 on an indoor cannabis crop, you trigger the production of hormones that tell the plant to begin building flowers. Within a couple days, those hormones are in full production and the race is on. At that point, a countdown clock starts and it cannot be stopped no matter what happens. After that date, you must try to avoid stressing your plant in any way. Stress in the flower cycle is the equivalent of tripping a runner in the middle of a race. That runner can still get up and finish, but it will be later, and flowers will be smaller in proportion to the level of stress you created. Curious to know more? Just click here, then!
Exploring greenhouse cannabis cultivation with Paul Selina
Speaking of picking the brain of experts, who else than Paul Selina with Pure SunFarm could explain the challenges their solutions of cannabis greenhouse growing?
“When it comes to growing cannabis, there are some aspects which are still to be fully understood,” says Paul Selina with Pure SunFarms, during his talk at the ACT Summit in Las Vegas. Paul has been operating greenhouses for more than 25 years, and now, he is working with the almost 2.2 million sqft of cannabis greenhouse of Pure SunFarms. In addition to learning more about the cannabis crop day by day, they also optimize the cost efficiency of their production thanks to their growing knowledge on the cannabis crop.
Australian cannabis poised for global momentum
Who said that the cannabis industry is only about North America? We have seen St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the top of this list, but here it comes another story coming from another hemisphere!
Australian Natural is the only GMP, GACP certified cannabis producer in Australia. Achieving such a goal did come with its hurdles, especially because the GACP certification was introduced in Australia with cannabis in order to enable companies to comply with European regulations, and thus being able to tackle one of the most profitable cannabis markets. “Initially, our operation was set to grow medicines for domestic consumption,” James Gaskell with Australian Naturals explains. “However, when it became clear that the Australian market would grow slowly, we decided to broaden the scope of our operation and ultimately enter the European market. As of now, we are the only company with a GMP and a GACP certification in Australia, which allows us to comply with the strict European regulations.”
The job of the master grower
We conclude this list with a hot take on a job title that many people don't fully understand: why master and not director of cultivation, for instance? To answer this and other questions, Jason Talmage, consultant and director of cultivation with years of experience on his shoulders, has opened up about the things that a true master grower should be aware of and knowledgeable about.
According to Jason, a completely different set of skills is required in order to ensure the success of a cannabis operation. “You need to know how to manage the budget, how to come up with repeatable SOPs,” he explains. “On top of this, you need to create training programs, meet with vendors: the duties of a master grower are vast, and a lot of people think the job is only related to growing.”