Marijuana Venture
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WWW.MARIJUANAVENTURE.COM VOLUME 3 / ISSUE 1 M A R I J U A N A THEVENTURE JOURNAL OF PROFESSIONAL CANNABIS GROWERS AND RETAILERS SPACE-AGE GROW Inside the nation’s most high-tech aquaponic production facility 2015’s TOP STORIES A look back at the past year of legal cannabis DIRT WEED IN NAME ONLY Low-tech grow, high-potency bud JANUARY 2016 $6.99 Vuber Waters UrbanGro Clarity Farms features 46 COLORADO LEAF Snowfall tests Colorado Leaf’s contingency plans as the Sprau brothers work through the final weeks of phase two 50 YEAR IN REVIEW The top stories that changed the legal cannabis industry in 2015 72 CONSTRUCTION Experts provide an inside look at best practices for constructing a grow facility 94 DIRT WEED Uncle Buds opts for low-tech cultivation, produces high- potency flower ABOUT THE COVER: One of the hundreds of seed- lings being developed with the latest in aquaponics, LED and automation technology at Ceres in Bellev- ue, Washington. Photo by: Kristen Angelo. MJVenture 4 | Marijuana Venture // January 2016 Terpp features 66 SECURITY Security experts outline the pitfalls of operating in a cash-only industry 80 WOMEN IN SCIENCE Science and cannabis — two sectors that have traditionally been dominated by men — are benefiting from the rise of female leaders 86 SPACE-AGE GROW Ceres gets ahead of the curve by operating with cutting-edge of technology 102 WINTERS IN JAMAICA Leslie Sherman takes readers back 30 years as she recalls her winter vacations spent at one of CEO Kevin Sullivan (left) and Chris Colby, from Jamaica’s secret gardens Forever Green Indoors, visit the Ceres grow facility in Bellevue, Washington. Photo by Kristen Angelo. 6 | Marijuana Venture // January 2016 Elem•n•tal contents 18 56 132 BASICS 120 18 | Calendar ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENTS 26 | Market Watch Humidity and temperature are tricky 40 | Blowing Smoke variables; make sure to consider 115 | P.O.V. 54 them when designing a grow facility. 143 | Ad Directory BUSINESS APPLICATIONS California attorney Michele Brooke 130 PROFILES gives a step-by-step guide on submit- CASH AND E-COMMERCE 28 | Meg’s Marijuana ting a winning license application. Maverick Labels devises simple 30 | Growing ReLeaf plan for cash-only customers. 32 | Summit Medical Compassion 56 PRODUCT LIABILITY 132 SPOTLIGHTS The cannabis industry may need to BREEDING 34 | RezinOFF take extra steps to remain compliant Molecular geneticist, C.J. Schwartz 34 | Rx Green Solutions with labeling and standards. explains how to map plant genomes. 36 | LightRail 4.20 AdjustaDrive 36 | OdorBoss with Heat 108 GUEST COLUMNS 38 | Stoned LEGAL PAGES 136 | Alen Nguyen 38 | Agri-Mon • Tribal leaders are urged to tread 138 | Amanda Reiman carefully into legal cannabis LIVING THE DREAM • New York’s emergency program is OPINIONS 42 | Danielle Rosellison ripe with opportunities 12 | Message from the Publisher 42 | Bethany Niebauer • Get ready for California’s licens- 16 | Letter to the Editor 44 | Shawn DeNae ing requirements 140 | Letter from the Editor Marijuana Venture’s goal is to provide the best information possible to the legal, licensed, commercial marijuana business. Our mission belief is that a great business publication will help professionals in the industry create more efficient and profitable businesses. 8 | Marijuana Venture // January 2016 For Sale: Grow Operation BotaniPack A MESSAGE FROM THE PUBLISHER Contrasting styles Best techniques haven’t been determined yet ne of the interest- operators can focus on refining their mar- Oing things about keting and sales messages, as well as their the marijuana business back office functions. On the other hand, is that its relative new- low-tech has a significant advantage cost- ness means just about wise, but it comes at the expense of pre- everyone in the indus- dictability and consistency; factors like try is a pioneer. In par- the weather and seasonal price fluctua- ticular, the cultivation tions can have a big impact. and production sector has no real tried Who wins? That’s the $64,000 question and proven commercial models to follow. that won’t be answered for several years. Unlike other forms of agricultural pro- Finally, what’s important when mea- PUBLISHER duction that have been refined for de- suring success in this unique business GREG JAMES cades, growing marijuana is a crapshoot can also vary because of unique person- [email protected] in which cultivators take their chances and al goals, rather than traditional measures EDITOR based purely on numbers. What are the roll the dice on a particular grow method GARRETT RUDOLPH or model. Thus, all growers are basically most important metrics of success? Is [email protected] in a wait-and-see game that will ultimate- it year-over-year growth? Gross sales? SALES MANAGER ly be decided by market forces, marketing ROI? Margins? Quality? Margin dollars? LISA SMITH prowess and consumer demand. Low carbon footprint? EBITA (earnings [email protected] If you read about the two cultivators fea- before interest, taxes and amortization)? tured this month, you’ll discover two com- Market share? At this stage of the game, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AARON GREENREICH pletely different approaches to the same it’s all a complete unknown because the endeavor. Both are growing legal marijua- future — unlike with most businesses — STAFF WRITERS is also a complete unknown. CHRIS BAYLEY As I’ve said before, I owned and oper- PATRICK WAGNER ALL WE REALLY ated one of the top-10 largest consumer GRAPHIC DESIGN software companies for 20 years. It was CHLOÉ MEHRING KNOW IS THAT a lot of work, but also super rewarding. MARKETING There were plenty of parallels with the SHELBY TALMADGE marijuana industry: venture capital, fast WE DON’T KNOW CONTRIBUTORS growth, excitement, new companies, Ben Adams Amanda Reiman na for the retail market, and both have the dreamers, emerging technologies, crazy Michele Brooke Lauren Rudick Karen A. Canton C.J. Schultz ultimate goal of making a profit. However, valuations, etc., etc. Tom Dillon John Strieder the approaches are at complete opposite However, there are several big differ- David Hodes Sue Vorenberg Martina L. Jaccarino Jana Weltzin ends of the spectrum: One license-holder ences between the two industries. Unlike Alen Nguyen cannabis, computers are perfectly legal created a state-of-the-art indoor facility MARIJUANA VENTURE VOL. 3, ISSUE 1 that can fairly be described as “space age,” everywhere, and there was no chance of Marijuana Venture (ISSN #2376-0710) is published monthly “ by MJ Directions LLC. PO Box 1419, Renton, WA, 98057. while the other went a different route and the government stepping in to stop the ad- Phone: (425)656-3621. Website: www.marijuanaventure. vances in technology. And, perhaps more com. Copyright 2015 by Marijuana Venture. All rights re- settled on an outdoor grow best described served. Reprinting, in whole or in part, is expressly forbidden as “old-school” or “back-to-nature.” importantly, scaling up was relatively without written permission from the publisher. Which is the better way to go? That’s easy once you knew the game and had re- ADVERTISING For advertising rates, call (425)656-3621 or email Greg@ the unanswered question. High-tech has lationships with big retailers. Neither of MarijuanaVenture.com. much higher initial set-up costs, as well the above are present in the current legal SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES marijuana industry. For subscription services, please call (425)656-3621, visit www. as significantly greater ongoing opera- marijuanaventure.com or email Editor@MarijuanaVenture. tional expenses. Low-tech is the opposite: I’ll end by saying this: Indoor, out- com. For change of address, please include the old address and new address, along with an address label from a recent issue, set-up costs are minimal, and operational door, greenhouse or some combination if possible. Please allow up to three weeks for address to be changed. If an address is not updated when the magazine is costs are low. … which is best? It’s all guesswork right mailed, we are not responsible for delivery of your magazine. If now, and all we really know is that we the Post Office alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we The high-tech facility produces mar- will suspend our subscription until a correct address is received. don’t know. Anyone who says they do is ijuana in a controlled environment that Marijuana Venture assumes no responsibility for any claims virtually guarantees a continuous output selling snake oil. or representations contained in the magazine or in any adver- tisement. All materials contained are for educational purposes of predictable, high-quality product. With and intended for the legal marijuana business where allowed by state law. Marijuana Venture does not encourage the illegal everything tightly controlled, the produc- GREG JAMES use of any of the products contained within. tion guesswork is largely gone, and the PUBLISHER 12 | Marijuana Venture // January 2016 Helderpad Cannaline LETTER to the EDITOR n Oct. 22, the Oregon Liquor place in Oregon for the craft growers who worried about where their medicine will Control Commission released have been supporting the medical needs come from, and citizens in conservative temporary rules for recreation- of patients and local economies for the counties may not be able to participate in al marijuana that will be in ef- past decade. this opportunity at all. The members of Ofect until fall of 2016 when final rulemak- The rules that were developed place Oregon Sungrown Growers’ Guild will ing will take place. Oregon Sungrown Oregon at the forefront of the national continue to work hand in hand with the Growers’ Guild has been working hard legalization movement and will be ex- Legislature and the OLCC to ensure ev- to represent the interests of small family amined and emulated by many states in ery Oregonian has the opportunity to ben- farms throughout the process.