Despite technological progress and broader legalization efforts, the cannabis industry remains a tough business. According to Shane Hutto, cannabis consultant at Cultivation Coaches, lots of growers are still struggling to turn a profit, and the key lies in marrying skilled labor with efficient processes and the right tools. "My goal is to make a cannabis business profitable," Shane says. "That means asking a million questions, analyzing processes, equipment, and the team's skill level, and then building a better system."
Having grown in the legacy market for years before stepping into a licensed facility in 2011, Shane has watched cultivation evolve from hand-built analog timers to AI-powered systems. "When I started, automation was almost nonexistent. Today, computers not only monitor your environment, they can make decisions for you."
From hand-turned knobs to AI
One of the biggest evolutions, Shane explains, is in irrigation. "Nobody talked about crop steering when I started. Now, we're adjusting EC, moisture content, timing, and AI can fine-tune those parameters automatically." While he remains cautious about over-relying on AI, he acknowledges its growing value, especially in areas like pest detection. "At one facility, AI cameras spotted pest outbreaks five days before I could, and I walk the crop every day."
Lessons in efficiency
Despite such advancements, many cannabis businesses remain stuck in high-cost models. Oversized indoor facilities with intense labor demands and bloated utility bills are still common. "Labor is your number one cost. And if you're running lights-only indoors, you're spending hundreds of thousands more per month than a greenhouse or hybrid setup would require."
To avoid these pitfalls, Shane's current projects are deliberately scaled down. "Half a hectare may seem small compared to those flashy facilities from the early days of regulated cannabis, but it's about what you can run profitably."
One of his Nevada projects illustrates how environmental awareness and agronomic skill go hand in hand. "It gets hot over there, so one may think that indoors is the way to grow." Shane is a big proponent of cannabis greenhouse cultivation. Where external climate factors may put a strain on a facility capabilities, agronomic skills and tailored cultivation strats can make up for it. "For instance, during the peak season, we lower fertilizer concentration to make plants pull more water for cooling. But we balance nutrients to avoid compromising growth." He explains that in such a scenario, you don't want big, rotund buds. That can very easily become a breeding ground for mold and various diseases. What a grower wants, he says, is to have the top flower stretched out, so that it's thinner than larger, without compromising on the yield. And to do that, indeed, irrigation strategies and a carefully planned nutrient dosage and delivery do the trick. "You've got to know how to adjust seasonally."
That is exactly the way he went in another project he worked on. In Florida, where disease pressure is the main issue, Shane selects mold-resistant strains and tweaks irrigation to encourage leaner, longer buds that are less prone to rot. "In the summer, I might irrigate 20 times a day. In winter, just 12. It's about manipulating the plant's shape and health through irrigation."
From red ink to black
The results speak for themselves. At a site he began consulting for in January, Shane reports a 200% yield increase in just six months, along with a 4–5% jump in potency. "In May, they had the most profitable month in their company's history, up 75%. They went from planning to shut down a site to deciding to keep growing."
The genetics dilemma
Strain selection remains another key variable. While many companies are keen to launch in-house breeding programs, Shane is skeptical. "Less than 10% of what they produce meets my standards. I prefer working with proven breeders. You need strains that deliver on potency, yield, and quality."
He recommends rotating about 25% of a facility's genetics menu each quarter, using real data to decide what stays and what goes. "Don't change the whole menu too often, or you never get good at growing any one strain."
What quality really means
In Shane's view, quality cannabis isn't about potency alone. "It's about the full experience, taste, smell, the ritual of consuming it. I'll take something less potent if it smells amazing and that aroma carries through. That's what makes a product memorable." As far as markers go, terpene content is a big one. "If a plant hits 4% terpenes, that's a winner. Anything under that, it's not high on my list."
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