Portugal is increasingly shaping up as the cannabis hub within the European Union, with many different growers setting up their cultivation facilities capitalizing on the favorable climate the country offers. "It's the perfect place to grow cannabis," says Gonçalo Gonçalves from Canna.biz, a privately-owned medical cannabis based in western Portugal, founded in 2019. "Here, summers don't get too hot and winters don't get too cold. In other words, this location offers ideal conditions for growing medical cannabis." Despite delays caused by the pandemic, the company has slowly but steadily developed its operations and is now fully operational.
"We received our GACP certification last year and, two months ago, reached a new milestone with the EU-GMP certification," he continues. "That was a great achievement. It opens up a range of possibilities we didn't have before."
High-density, automated growing
The facility is built around three core pillars: flower cultivation, EU-GMP processing, and soon, extraction. Cultivation takes place in a fully closed glass greenhouse, allowing them to harness sunlight alongside supplemental lighting. "Allows us to have a great combination of natural and artificial resources. It's completely sealed, glass-covered, and highly automated," Gonçalo explains.
The cultivation approach is based on high-density growing with shorter plants, something not commonly seen in the cannabis space. "Our head grower comes from the Dutch ornamental sector, and we use very specific genetics to suit this style. Every part of the plant gets light, which requires careful selection and planning."
Benches glide from the vegetative to the flowering area, flawlessly moving through the greenhouse until harvest. This setup allows for minimal human contact with the plants, improving microbiology control and overall quality. "It keeps costs low and results high," he adds. The facility uses ebb and flow systems and grows in organic soil, a combination of peat, wood fiber and clay. "Our head grower prefers organic soil because it increases plant resilience due to bacteria and fungi and improves water retention. That improves nutrient uptake and plant health, maximizing quality and yields," Gonçalves explains.
Advanced environmental controls and a set of 52 sensors in different locations monitor temperature, humidity, CO2, and even leaf temperature, giving a full insight and possibilities of control in the cultivation areas. Lighting is automated and adjusts to conditions in real time, but growers still fine-tune the process when needed to maintain consistency across cycles.
The right genetics
Canna.biz currently grows three strains. One was developed in-house through an initial pheno-hunting project based on seeds. "At the beginning, variations were huge, some plants were short, some tall, but after a thorough testing period and recuring to all the data and analytics, we selected the phenotype that worked best for our setup," Gonçalves says. The other two varieties are grown from clones sourced in Portugal, chosen for their stability and compatibility with high-density cultivation.
GMP processing and cryo-pasteurization
For their first shipment, Canna.biz is processing EU-GMP cannabis flowers through an external partner but plans to bring EU-GMP processing fully in-house in Q3 this year. The goal is not only to handle their own product but also to offer third-party EU-GMP manufacturing services. "There are growers outside the EU who want to enter the market, or simply growers that don't have their EU-GMP certification, and we can help with that," says Gonçalves.
One of the company's assets is a cryo-pasteurization unit, "Currently the only one of its kind in the EU," he points out. "Which enables bioburden reduction without irradiation. It will help us keep the product in spec without requiring an additional license for irradiation for the German market, which can take up to one year to obtain. This gives growers that work with us a faster market access with a product that's safe and compliant."
UK, Germany, and more markets
Canna.biz is currently focused on the UK and Germany, preparing its first shipment expected in the next month. The company is also working toward entering Poland, although the documentation process is more complex and time-consuming. Other markets under consideration include Switzerland, Czechia, and possibly France and Spain, should extract-only regulations open the door.
"Our landspace allows us to expand cultivation and processing up to threefold if needed," says Gonçalves. "We're not looking outside the EU for now, there's enough demand here, but if that changes, we'll look into markets like Australia."
One future project already in planning is a solar park to offset energy costs. "Energy is one of the biggest cost factors, and with all the sun we get here in Portugal, a solar park would help cut costs and make our operation greener," he concludes.
For more information:
Canna.biz
Rua Quinta da Gaga nº3, Aldeia Nova, 2560-580 Torres Vedras, Portugal
canna.biz