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Affinor Growers To Enter Aruban Market With Circular Farming Systems
Affinor Growers Inc. is nearly ready to plant its first seedlings and begin showcasing its vision of sustainable agriculture for a ten-year period
Green Cash Crop Funds
Leafy Greens Growth
Affinor Growers Inc. is nearly ready to plant its first seedlings and begin showcasing its vision of sustainable agriculture for a ten-year period. The company recently announced its lease agreement for a 15,000-square foot greenhouse.
The land is located in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and is reportedly divided between a 15,000-square foot greenhouse operation and a 12,000-square foot composting facility. With the Canadian spring beginning its transition into summer, Affinor Growers Inc. is looking forward to planting its first crops in the greenhouse by July 2021.
The new greenhouse site
Cannabis cuts profit margins differences
According to CEO and founder Nick Brusatore, the greenhouse will use vertical production techniques to maximize space efficiency in the greenhouse. The company currently plans to grow strawberries under one greenhouse bay, romaine lettuce under another bay, and eventually have a craft cannabis operation in another section. Affinor Growers is currently building out and getting ready to submit its craft cannabis license application to Health Canada but is content to begin with food crops for the time being. As Nick explains, his main goal in growing cannabis is to showcase sustainable production techniques and to increase the profitability of the entire system.
“We want to sustain our strawberry and romaine production, but food crops typically have lower margins. The high price of cannabis will allow us to grow even more strawberries and romaine lettuce by washing out the differences between profit margins. That way, we can deliver our products to the market at a good price and high quality.”
Greenhouse features
Continuing in its systems approach to agriculture, Affinor Growers Inc. also plans to reduce waste by composting organic materials and remediating its growing material. Altogether, the greenhouse and composting operation will allow the company to pursue its vision of high-quality, low-cost food production in a circular manner.
The greenhouse will also be completely automated, allowing the company to reduce labor costs by eliminating the need to move plants and materials manually. As Nick explains, the time between removing a crop from the greenhouse and replacing it with a new one takes a few minutes, as the plants are cut in the cooler and the soil replanted with new seedlings before being sent back into the greenhouse.
Vertically stacked cannabis
Entering Aruban market
While the 15,000-square foot greenhouse is located in British Columbia, the company is planning to take its vision into new markets and will begin with Aruba, according to Nick.
Nick explained that after having worked with the people and incorporating Vertical Designs Aruba VBA along with understanding the Country and Government needs after six years learning what is needed to mass-produce plant tissue, he has become attached to the country and has seen the need for circular farming systems. Affinor Growers Inc. will reportedly be building a farm near San Nicholas, in the southern region of Aruba.
Affinor Growers Inc. wants to work with Arubans to provide good jobs and economic benefits to the area. If all goes as Nick hopes, this project and others like it could increase tourism on Aruba’s southern side. Nick also explained that cannabis production is a possibility pending success in licensing application once the country’s laws and licensing are complete, this strategic move that will benefit agricultural capabilities in the long-term through the construction of infrastructure.
“We figured we would grow cannabis because the demand s high, so we can easily build-out. As the cannabis demand settles down globally over the next 5-10 years, the industry will have paid for massive food infrastructure without the government or taxpayers paying for it. In Aruba, we’re going to take a lot of that profit to create food infrastructure,” says Nick.
For more information:
Nick Brusatore, Founder and CEO
Affinor Growers
Publication date: Thu 22 Apr 2021
Author: Rebekka Boekhout
© VerticalFarmDaily.com
ZipGrow Expands To New Facility, Inks Deal With Sodexo
ZipGrow has expanded its footprint, moving from leased premises to its own building at the corner of Cumberland and Seventh Street
April 9, 2021
By Bob Peters
Cornwall Ontario – ZipGrow has expanded its footprint, moving from leased premises to its own building at the corner of Cumberland and Seventh Street.
The new building more than doubles the amount of space available to the manufacturer of the world’s most installed vertical hydroponic equipment.
“Demand for our products continues to soar,” says Eric Lang, President of ZipGrow. “The new building allows us to be more efficient while at the same time giving us room to grow in the future.”
Growth is on the menu at ZipGrow, with the company launching an innovative partnership with Sodexo to introduce sustainable growing systems to facilities throughout Canada and the United States.
“Having been installed throughout the world over the past decade, our system enables growers, both big and small, to access fresh produce no matter where they are located”, explains Mr. Lang. “We are excited to move ahead with this new partnership with Sodexo. Together we will be able to introduce sustainable food to Sodexo locations throughout North America.”
ZipGrow technology is a patented system that utilizes both hydroponic growing systems and vertical planes to maximize production volume within a small footprint. Primarily growing leafy greens such as lettuce and kale, along with herbs and small fruiting crops such as strawberries, ZipGrow systems will be installed in Sodexo locations including educational institutions, conference facilities, and corporate food service centers.
“This new partnership with ZipGrow not only enables us to reduce our carbon emissions of distance traveled for food source, onsite food waste, and packaging requirements, but also to introduce innovative technology to our facilities and team members”, said Normand St-Gelais, Director of Corporate Responsibility, Sodexo Canada.
About ZipGrow
ZipGrow is an international leader in indoor, vertical farming technology. The company’s flagship product, the ZipGrow Tower, is a core component of many of the world’s most innovative farms; from indoor hydroponic warehouses to vertical aquaponic greenhouses and high-density container farms.
Categorized in: Business, Community, Environment, General, News
Emerging Needs In Vertical Farming And Cannabis Cultivation
The development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years, according to Montel Inc.. With the company’s Vertical Farming Systems Montel expects a very high volume of new projects in both food and cannabis. “COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities”, says Yves Bélanger, VP Sales Vertical Farming Market International
15 January 2021
Jacco Strating
Yves Bélanger of Montel Inc. believes that COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities. He speaks about why the development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years.
The development of vertical farming will continue considerably in the coming years, according to Montel Inc.. With the company’s Vertical Farming Systems Montel expects a very high volume of new projects in both food and cannabis. “COVID-19 has only increased the need to grow locally and inside cities”, says Yves Bélanger, VP Sales Vertical Farming Market International.
Established in 1924, Montel pioneered high-density mobile storage systems providing cost-efficient storage solutions using less space and established a global network of authorized Montel distributors. Montel's achievements include some of the most prestigious projects in North America and around the world. “Prior to becoming North America's leading manufacturer of mobile systems, we had acquired nearly 40 years' experience in the electrical industry, including extensive involvement in the construction of generating stations and power grids for major world-leading hydroelectricity plants. This explains our expertise and the exceptional quality of our electrical mobile systems”, says Bélanger.
Inventive ways to feed the world
Before the crisis, it was already accepted as a general consensus that we are facing a complex challenge: we will need inventive ways to feed to growing population but the potential and land availability for cultivation has almost reached its maximum capacity. Also rising before the crisis was the global trend of growing locally due to a variety of factors or needs: in regions in which climate is a challenge, in remote areas, where there is water or soil rarity, aiming at lowering the carbon footprint, increasing product short shelf life, cutting down on transportation, etc. “In the long term, we feel that the current crisis will accelerate tremendously and definitely crystallize the need to grow locally and/or inside cities and the need to grow in a controlled cleanroom environment which will result in a higher demand for our product and a growth in our sector”, says Bélanger. “With its mobile carriages, the Greenrak Integrated Vertical Indoor Farming Solution is the ideal response to the current situation allowing both to increase yield while reducing the required surface by eliminating space wasting.
Customers increasingly have groceries delivered directly to their homes seems to be also an underlying trend rising from this crisis and in the long term, this may also play a role in creating a higher demand for our high-density cold storage solutions.”
Montel’s Greenrak and Grow&Roll systems were developed specifically for growing applications. Greenrak mobile system is lightweight, rust-resistant, and simple in design which allows for easy installation, use, and maintenance. Grow&Roll mobile system is the heavy-duty version of Greenrak and can withstand a weight of 3630 kg. Growrak was engineered to free up space between frames at each level providing plenty of clearance for better airflow, ventilation system ducts, lighting fixtures, and enough spacing for oversize trays to pass through between frames.
High yield hydroponic vertical farms
“Given the fact that Montel's Vertical Farming systems have been implemented in numerous indoor high yield hydroponic vertical farms that utilize cleanroom technologies and automation as well as many medical or recreational cannabis facilities around the world, we feel our expertise will benefit this growing sector. We are expecting a very high volume of projects that will require Integrated Vertical Farming Solutions. Our experience and knowledge allows us to rapidly assist the emerging needs in vertical farming and medical or recreational cannabis cultivation. By extension, we also foresee an increasing demand in the Cannabis Dispensaries market for our Light-duty drawer cabinet. We also expect a possible higher demand for our High-Density Cold Storage Solutions for the grocery delivery market and Buy Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) market.”
Tags: Vegetables, Medicinal cannabis
Leo Marcelis: LED Light Recipe Can Enhance Rooting of Stem Cuttings in Medical Cannabis
Uniformity of the plants and predictability of the crop are key factors for the successful production of medicinal cannabis
LED light recipe can enhance rooting of stem cuttings
Uniformity of the plants and predictability of the crop are key factors for the successful production of medicinal cannabis. Growing medicinal cannabis, therefore, requires a high level of control over the production process, which is possible in greenhouses but even more so in indoor farms. LED lighting may be used to control the different developmental stages of the cannabis crop. Wageningen University and Signify have now made the next steps in a research program that aims to control the different developmental and growth processes, such as rooting, canopy establishment, flower induction and formation of secondary metabolites in the inflorescences.
Light to control your crop growth
Often the variability of plants is already present at the start of the crop, which makes crop uniformity challenging. Therefore, certain measures can be taken to minimize the plant differences and grow a uniform crop. LED lighting can help enhance plant uniformity and quality when the right light recipe is applied. A LED light recipe is defined by the light spectrum, intensity, the photoperiod and the timing of that period.
Plant hormones are affected by LED light
Medicinal cannabis is commonly propagated by stem cuttings, which is usually preferred over propagation by seeds because it is a low-cost method and it delivers genetically uniform plants. Auxins and carbohydrates are plant hormones and play a key role in adventitious rooting in cannabis: a critical process in the propagation of stem cuttings. A powder containing synthetic auxins is often applied because it improves rooting and uniformity among plants. When no rooting powders with synthetic auxin can be used, the rooting is rather slow and very variable. Important to know is that auxins and carbohydrates are both affected by LED light. Preliminary results now indicate that the rooting of stem cuttings can be enhanced by using the right light recipe.
The perfect light recipe for rooting
Now, the rooting process of medicinal cannabis is being studied in detail. Cuttings from the tops of the stems are put in pots and placed in rooms with a controlled environment. In a series of experiments, a range of spectra and intensities are tested for their effects on the formation of adventitious roots of cuttings treated with and without auxins. Subsequently, the effects of light are assessed on the development of the cuttings as well as on the morphology of the formed canopy. Thereafter, we investigate the effects of the light regime on flower induction.
In June 2019, Signify and WUR expanded their ongoing research program to determine the effects of Philips LED lighting on compounds and plant characteristics of medicinal cannabis crops. In this unique research project, they develop specific light recipes for medicinal cannabis based on a fundamental understanding of the influence of light on crops to enhance the purity and composition of cannabinoids. In this series of articles, Leo Marcelis from Wageningen University explains what the effects of LED lighting are on improved yield, flowering, and other plant characteristics.
Leo Marcelis is a professor of Horticulture and Product Physiology at Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Leo has a vast experience in researching the physiology, growth and product formation of plants in order to improve sustainability and quality of crop production in greenhouses and vertical farms. Plant responses to LED lighting is a focal point of his research.
Urban Farmer Will Allen Launches CBD Business
His Beyond Organic's product line includes oil, lotions, dog treats
March 25, 2019, 1:41 PM
Urban farmer and longtime Growing Power leader Will Allen has launched a new venture in the growing industrial hemp market.
Will Allen
Based in Oak Creek, Will Allen’s Beyond Organic produces USDA-certified organic products, including CBD oil, lotions, soaps, dog treats and protein powder.
Allen founded and ran urban agriculture nonprofit Growing Power for 23 years before its board decided in fall 2017 to dissolve the organization. Since then, Allen has worked to launch his new business, which sets itself apart in the burgeoning cannabis market by using certified organic hemp seed in certified organic soil.
Allen grows the hemp at his Oak Creek farm and has two employees, he said.
Wisconsin lawmakers first approved use of CBD oil in 2013 under limited circumstances for those with seizure disorders, but allowable uses were expanded in 2017 to include certain medical conditions with a certification from a doctor. Also in 2017, Wisconsin lawmakers approved the creation of a pilot program for industrial hemp production.
Allen signed up to grow hemp shortly after the law passed in 2017, but he has taken time to familiarize himself with the plant.
“Before doing anything, I always want to research to make sure I know how to do it,” Allen said. “I took my time and learned about the plant and decided to produce some hemp oil with the plants I had.”
As a particularly absorbent plant used for soil remediation, hemp pulls chemicals and toxins from the soil in which it’s grown. That’s why it’s important for consumers to use CBD made and grown from organic hemp seed in organic soil, Allen said.
“You have to really be careful; if you go into a shop, you need to know where it’s coming from and where it’s grown,” Allen said.
Allen sells Will Allen’s Beyond Organic products online and at hemp workshops he holds in the community. Allen is also working with psychiatric health care providers to offer CBD products as a treatment option for patients. He said CBD products are useful for a variety of conditions, ranging from anxiety to arthritis to PTSD.
“It’s a natural remedy for common ailments,” he said. “I know, personally, it’s helped me with my arthritis … I’m trying to educate the community about it without pushing it down people’s throats.”
Allen considers the new venture an extension of his lifelong work of connecting communities with fresh, locally-sourced food.
“It’s a different way of improving people’s health,” he said. “If they’re eating organic vegetables and using CBD, it’s pairing those two concepts to help people.”
Allen envisions opportunities for others in the community to create indoor greenhouses in abandoned buildings, particularly in Milwaukee’s central city. He wants to serve as a consultant for those looking to build growing systems.
“Milwaukee is an ideal city for that because of the number of old empty buildings we have, like in the 30th Street Industrial Corridor,” Allen said.
Allen, a former professional basketball player and corporate marketing professional, operated a for-profit business, Will’s Roadside Farms, from 1993 until 1995, when the operation became nonprofit Growing Power.
Throughout his career, he’s garnered national recognition for his leadership in the urban agriculture movement, including receiving a $500,000 genius grant from John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 2008, joining First Lady Michelle Obama in her Let’s Move! Campaign in 2010 and being named one of the “World’s 100 Most Influential People” by Time magazine that same year.
Mounting financial concerns, however, prompted the Growing Power board to dissolve the corporation in late 2017.
Allen owned the organization’s headquarters at 5500 W. Silver Spring Dr. on Milwaukee’s north side from 1993 until 2014, when he sold it to the former organization’s board. A new business, Ultimate Farm Collaborative Inc., has since taken over the site with plans to create a collaborative for farmers. Allen said he remains involved in that work.
CEA Advisors Announces International Collaborations
March 20, 2019
CEA Advisors, Fospan Worldwide and Canna Pro, global players in Horticulture are pleased to announce that they have finalized their agreement to collaborate on cannabis related business opportunities. These industry heavyweights are joining forces to provide marketing, sales, consulting and technical support to the global Cannabis industry.
CEA Advisors is a major player in the global indoor farming industry. For the past 10 years, they have designed and built state of the art custom container farms for commercial clients such as growers, food manufacturers, pharma manufacturers, universities, government agencies, schools and non-profits worldwide. They are also the designer and manufacturer of Growracks®, an industry standard plug and play vertical production system in use worldwide. www.growtainers.com
Fospan Worldwide SL, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain is an experienced solution provider of Horticultural services to the medicinal and recreational cannabis industry. The registered Dutch- Spanish company also acts as a distributor for many of Europe’s top Horticultural products including their proprietary LED product, Magnus Lights by Parus. Fospan Worldwide’s management boasts of many years of industry experience and the successful completion of high-profile Cannabis projects in Denmark, Switzerland and throughout Europe. www.fospan.com
Canna Pro, a division of Pro Horticulture Inc has spent years designing and building premium indoor cannabis facilities & light deprivation greenhouses for growing high yielding healthy crops. They are a global cannabis entity with strategic partnerships in Canada, USA and Europe. Canna Pro has assembled a team of all-stars bringing tried and true cultivation methods mixed with the perfect dose of cutting-edge technology. They’ve built greenhouses and growrooms all over the globe and work closely with their team of HVAC engineers to provide the optimum indoor environments for rapid growth of healthy plants. www.cannapro.co
Belgium Takes First Step Towards Legalization of Medicinal Cannabis Cultivation
Is Belgium next in line to legalise the cultivation of medicinal cannabis? The first step has been taken. On February 26, 2019, the parliamentary committee of health approved a bill for the establishment of a government controlled cannabis agency. This agency is to regulate cultivation and trade in medicinal cannabis.
Currently, the cultivation of cannabis in Belgium is not permitted, even for medical or scientific purposes. The government agency which is to be created, is to control all cultivation and trade of medicinal cannabis.
Government control
The Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAMHP) announced that, after establishment, the cannabis agency will launch a public tender for the cultivation of medicinal cannabis. Certain growers will be licensed to grow a set amount of cannabis at designated locations. Afterwards the cannabis agency will purchase and distribute the entire production, having a monopoly on the complete trade. The cannabis agency will be part of the FAMHP.
Growing market
"The approval of this bill is an important first step in the right direction. Soon licensed players will be able to grow cannabis in a legal way," says Anton Buntinx of Corbus Advocaten. The Belgian law firm specializes in the growing market for the cultivation and distribution of cannabis intended for medicinal and scientific purposes.
"With the establishment of this cannabis agency, Belgium is following other countries that are already active on the market for the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use. Belgium jumps on the bandwagon of the ever-growing market for legal cannabis cultivation for medical use." He continues: "The FAMHP can thus organize the cultivation of cannabis in Belgium, without liberalising the market."
In recent years, more and more countries have been legalizing the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal use. In the Belgian horticulture sector too, steps have now been taken to be able to play along in this area. In Kinrooi (Limburg) there is already an ambitious player ready to set up a nursery and research center. The intention is that they will develop and produce new types of cannabis for medicinal use on a large scale.
For more information:
Anton Buntinx
Corbus Advocaten
anton.buntinx@corbus.be
www.corbus.be
Publication date : 2/27/2019
© HortiDaily.com
European Parliament Passes Medical Marijuana Resolution
The European Parliament is calling for an EU-wide policy for medical cannabis and properly funded scientific research. On 13 February, members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
In a resolution adopted yesterday, members of the European ParlIament called on the Commission and national authorities to draw a clear distinction between medical cannabis and other uses of cannabis.
Several EU countries have legalised the medical use of some form of cannabis or cannabinoids or are considering changes to their legislation.
However, the rules on which products are allowed and how they should be used vary widely, although no EU country authorises the smoking or home-growing of cannabis for medical purposes.
While the World Health Organization has officially recommended that the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) should not be classified as a controlled substance, there are no EU-wide rules at the moment for either the medical or recreational use of cannabis.
Therapeutic effects
Members pointed out that cannabis and cannabinoids may have therapeutic effects in stimulating appetite (for weight loss linked to Aids) and in alleviating the symptoms of, for example, mental disorders or epilepsy, asthma, cancer and Alzheimer’s. However, more research is needed. It could also help to ease menstrual pain and reduce the risks of obesity and diabetes.
The resolution urges the Commission and member states to address regulatory, financial and cultural barriers which burden scientific research and invites them to properly fund research.
MEPs propose ways to address research gaps on medical cannabis and call on member states to seize the potential of cannabis-based medicines.
The EU, too, should embark on more research and stimulate innovation with regard to medicinal cannabis projects.
Let doctors prescribe cannabis-based medicines
MEPs call on member states to allow doctors to use their professional judgement in prescribing cannabis-based medicines. When effective, these medicines are to be covered by health insurance schemes in the same way as other types of medicine, they say.
The regulation of cannabis-based medicines would translate into additional revenue for public authorities, would limit the black market and ensure quality and accurate labelling. It would also limit minors’ access to this substance, they say.
Background
MEPs say that there is evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids may be effective in increasing appetite and decreasing weight loss associated with HIV/AIDS. Medical cannabis may also help to alleviate the symptoms of mental disorders such as psychosis or Tourette syndrome, and to alleviate the symptoms of epilepsy, as well as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, asthma, cancer, Crohn’s disease and glaucoma. They also help to reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes and ease menstrual pain.
Whilst the WHO has officially recommended that the cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) should not be classified as a controlled substance, legislation in member states differs widely on the subject of cannabis for medicinal purposes.
Source: europarl.europa.eu
Publication date : 2/14/2019
University of Arizona Greenhouse Crop Production & Engineering Design March 2019 Short Course
By urbanagnews - January 25, 2019
Combine lectures with hands-on workshops at the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center of the University of Arizona on March 11-15, 2019.
Three days of lectures from prominent Controlled Environment Agriculture experts from Arizona and around the country.
A full day of hands-on workshops that focus on different aspects of Controlled Environment Agriculture.
Great Networking Opportunities with peers, industry experts, and educators from all over the world.
Like tending to the vine closest to the wet-wall on a hot day, CEAC’s Short Course may be exactly what your operation needs for relief! Get your questions answered and increase your hydroponic growing know-how at the Greenhouse Crop Production & Engineering Design Short Course – A four day conference, put on by the University of Arizona Controlled Environment Agriculture Center, including three full days of lecture, one day of hands-on training workshops at CEAC, and an optional commercial greenhouse tour at NatureSweet Tomatoes.
Hydroponic Crop Production
Greenhouse Structure & Design
Greenhouse Site Selection
Developing Urban Ag Systems
Medicinal Crops & CEA
Emerging Greenhouse Crops
Sole-source Electric Lighting
Energy Conservation
Environmental Controls
Greenhouse Plant Lighting
Plant Physiology & Nutrition
Crop Layout, Care & Maintenance
Integrated Pest Management
Greenhouse Structure & Design
Organic Hydroponics
Myco-culture & Mushrooms
Business Considerations
Click here for more information and to register!
Canada's Largest Cannabis Producer Brings Down CBD Oil Costs by 96.34%
CEO of Instadose Pharma Grant Sanders meeting with the Vice Minister of agriculture of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Business Wire
December 27, 2018
TORONTO — Flying under the radar for the past few months, InstaDose Pharma is ready to hit the market with 2 million liters of CBD oil in 2019. InstaDose Pharma has over 200,000 farmers harvesting cannabis out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on over 100,000 hectares of land. The main production facility is GMP certified and pharmaceutically accredited with EU Pharmacopeia standards.
“The cannabis companies of Canada need to understand that just because you are the biggest goldfish in the pond doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned about the whales in the ocean.
Everything in the Canadian cannabis industry is based off the cost being $2800 per litre for CBD oil. While international forces outside the Canadian bubble are able to produce 99.7% purity level at $102.50 USD per litre.” said Grant F Sanders, CEO, Instadose Pharma Corp., “We’ve kept our operations in the shadows due to concerns about the reaction of this news with licensed producers and the public investment sector. But now that our first crops are about to hit the markets in a few months, I think it’s about time the fish learned about the whale.”
To date, Grant has spent over $76 Million USD on building the current operation and is already in motion to expand production land to 250,000 hectares after the first 90,000 liters hit the Canadian market. IDP is currently in discussions with major pharmaceutical companies to assist with the release of the first batch imported into Canada.
Currently, the largest licensed producer of cannabis in Canada, Canopy, has approximately 40 hectares of production land. At 400 hectares, IDP has 10 times that amount of that in Colombia alone. According to Grant Sanders, Colombia was just not enough for them to be able to expand to their maximum potential. “We quickly realized that growing there was not the smartest option and the production capacity and price that we could achieve in the DRC was 99% more beneficial, to both us and the end user,” said Sanders. “What’s about to happen to the market isn’t a result of what we’re doing, it’s the result of what they’re not. You can’t blame Usain Bolt for being the fastest runner in the world just because you’re too slow”.
Contacts
Marco Gobbatto
Media Manager, Liquid Communications
(416) 732 6773
Cannabis Company Tilray Shares Jump as much as 22% After Announcing Deal with Swiss Drugmaker Novartis
The marijuana company would work with Novartis' generic drug business Sandoz.
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | @BerkeleyJr
Published 9:36 AM ET Tue, 18 Dec 2018 Updated 6:17 PM ET Tue, 18 Dec 2018CNBC.com
Tilray enters a global supply and distribution agreement with Swiss drugmaker Novartis.
The marijuana company would work with Novartis' generic drug business Sandoz.
It may supply non-smokable and non-combustible medical cannabis products where it is legally allowed.
Shares of cannabis company Tilray jumped as much as 21.9 percent in intraday trading Tuesday after the Canadian marijuana producer announced it has entered a global supply and distribution agreement with Swiss drugmaker Novartis.
The company plans to work with Novartis' generic drug business Sandoz and supply non-smokable and non-combustible medical cannabis products where it is legally allowed, Tilray announced in a press release. As a part of the deal, Tilray and Sandoz may co-brand certain products as well as develop new ones.
"This agreement represents a major milestone in the movement to provide access to safe, GMP-certified medical cannabis to patients in need across the world," Tilray CEO Brendan Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday.
The stock, which was up by about 17 percent in the afternoon, surged by as much as 21.9 percent over Monday's closing price of $65.89 a share to an intraday high of $80.30 a share.
In September, Kennedy told CNBC that pharmaceutical companies have to start thinking about partnering with cannabis companies as a "hedge" against the burgeoning marijuana industry. Tilray formed a "strategic alliance" in March with Sandoz to help the drugmaker build this kind of hedge. In return, Novartis would help Tilray co-market and co-develop its products.
Tilray, which has products available in twelve countries, said the deal announced Tuesday builds on the company's mission of making pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis products available around the world.
Earlier this year, Tilray announced it had become the first and only company to receive regulatory approval in Canada and Germany to export medical cannabis flower for distribution to German patients.
Shares of Tilray are down than 40 percent over the past month.
—CNBC's Thomas Franck contributed to this report.
Medical Cannabis Starts Operating In Colombia
Pideka expects to have five 1,200 m2 warehouses by the end of this year, after investing nearly US $15 million.
Pideka, a Colombian company that is a pioneer in indoor medicinal cannabis cultivation, will start its first phase of operations in the country this month with the construction of its first five warehouses and an initial investment of US $3 million.
The company has 20 years of experience in research and development of different varieties of cannabis for medicinal use. Its production is unique and cutting-edge in Colombia, as it is the first crop of this kind that is grown under light and humidity controlled conditions in the country.
"We control all temperature and humidity conditions to ensure that the production conditions are right and that the cannabis achieves having the specific compositions for the treatment of different diseases, such as epilepsy, chronic pain, autoimmune diseases, and that it can be used as a palliative treatment in diseases such as cancer,” stated Denis Contri, who is responsible for the company’s production and scientific research.
This allows the company to ensure the standardization and safety of its crops, which are rigorously selected, and the production of different concentrations of compounds and high-quality plant varieties, that allows them to provide their users with a great experience and better welfare conditions.
"This cultivation technique helps us control challenging issues, such as moisture or fungi, so that we can grow the medicinal crops in optimal conditions. Our goal is to surpass current international standards by providing high quality medicinal cannabis and derivatives to foreign and domestic companies with licenses to manufacture or market such products,” he said.
The company's has already sold its first crop production, which is estimated will be harvested in the first half of 2019, in its entirety to different laboratories and investors who have bet on the company's superior quality product.
Pideka plans to have five 1,200 m2 warehouses by the end of 2019, after investing nearly US $15 million and generating more than 100 new jobs.
At present, thanks to Law 1787 of 2016, it is legal to use the marijuana plant for medicinal purposes in the country.
The regulations for manufacturing, using seeds, and cultivating cannabis were enacted about a year ago and, up until last month, there are some 230 companies licensed to produce medicinal cannabis in 15 departments in the country.
Source: redmas.com.co
Publication date : 1/9/2019
Cannabis Hits Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue, is New York’s premier thoroughfare. It is considered one of the most expensive and glamorous streets in the world. Major global luxury brands have their flagship stores on this avenue. So for a cannabis dispensary to have a presence on Fifth Avenue only says one thing; a seismic shift is happening in the way marijuana is branded and sold to the public.
Through a reverse takeover, MedMen bought a public shell company in Canada and then merged with it to enable MedMen to get listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the ticker MMEN. US marijuana companies are currently barred from listing on NYSE or Nasdaq. So by listing on the CSE, people living in the US can buy and sell stock in a company whose product, marijuana is still illegal under federal law.
But while federal law is still backwards looking in its approach to marijuana’s legal status, states are waking up to the realization that popular sentiment for the legalization of marijuana has been growing. In fact, a pew research conducted in October 2017 found that 61% of Americans or about six in ten favored its legalization.
On July 13, 2018, New York State Department of Health issued a report recommending the legalization of marijuana. They found that the positive effects of a regulated marijuana market in NYS outweighed any potential negative impacts. It therefore seems to be only a matter of time before NYS joins the ever growing list of states that are legalizing marijuana. And then maybe even Federal Law will follow this trend and overhaul their outdated and repressive laws.
State sanctioned cannabis sales in the US are estimated at about US$7 billion annually and according to the Cowen Group, are expected to reach US$75 billion by 2030. MMEN has positioned itself to tap into this burgeoning market. It has more than 800 employees and 18 licensed facilities in California, Nevada and New York. It has branded cannabis as a consumer product. And by opening its store on Fifth Avenue, is positioning itself as a trendy designer dispensary. The Fifth Avenue store has come to be known in some circles as the “Barneys of Weed”. The company says, “we do not run pot shops, we manage leading retail stores that happen to sell marijuana and marijuana products.”
My approach to analysis of a company’s security is technical. Since MMEN was only listed on May 29, 2018, there is insufficient data to do a proper analysis of this company’s stock price. After opening at 5.63 on May 29, 2018, price declined to a low of 3.43 on June 8, 2018. This is not an unusual occurrence for a newly listed company. A rebound saw price rising to a high of 5.90 on June 21, 2018, but since then it has traded sideways, closing on August 2, 2018 at 4.21.
DISCLAIMER
This piece is for information and educational purposes only. I am not recommending you take a position in this stock. If you are interested you must do your own research and make a decision accordingly.
Written by Stella Osoba, CMT
Medi Kingdom - Africa’s 1st Medical Cannabis Cultivator
In late 2014, our UK founders together with two South African horticultural specialists first decided to develop the idea of pioneering a legal medical cannabis cultivation operation in Lesotho to supply the world’s burgeoning legal markets needing medical grade cannabis.
We knew Lesotho was already historically known for growing cannabis easily, mainly due to its unique topography with mineral rich soils, natural spring waters & high altitudes.
Although at the time it was illegal to cultivate cannabis or “Dagga’ as known locally, its primary purpose was as a subsistence crop that provided food and education resources for the poor villages & farmers.
This was most definitely, an untapped opportunity to develop the first legalised cannabis cultivation for medical purposes on the Roof of Africa, in this Sovereign country called The Kingdom of Lesotho.
We knew if this staggeringly beautiful country legalised this opportunity through its government given the right education and knowledge of this already globally legalised phenomenon, would without question bring huge economic and social development to the benefit of its country and Basotho people.
Once we had gained a clear line of sight to further develop we duly acted as unofficial ambassadors for Lesotho helping to gain further international exposure. We in turn attracted huge appetite for foreign investment that would then help provide all the requisite expertise, specialised knowledge and technology to cultivate world class quality cannabis ethically, and become the 1st African country to cultivate in the Southern Hemisphere.
Our firm intention we believe still to this day is that Lesotho becomes recognised internationally as a world class cultivator of cGMP compliant medical grade cannabis product in various forms exporting to international sophisticated markets globally.
Our journey to legalisation
Lesotho early 2015 gave start to the first 24 months developing the licence in Lesotho. Our activities involved engaging international consultants, licensed growers & specialist scientists to assist us with our journey.
Over that period we very much adopted a hearts & minds approach with the local Basotho people to understand more about how farmers had cultivated ‘Dagga’ for 1000’s of years primarily seeing its purpose as a sustenance crop.
We helped to explain how the worlds perception was rapidly changing eradicating prohibition to allow legalised cultivation given the huge advances in cannabis medicines since its 1st recorded use over 6,000 years ago. These advances gained through more advanced understanding of the plants 143 known different cannaboids and its harmonious connection with the human endocannaboidal system.
Throughout the early days we extensively connected with local councils leaders, constituency chiefs, advocates, commissioner of police, government ministers and their civil servant principal secretaries eventually through to several private audiences with the Lesotho Prime Minister.
We explained how legalisation would further ensure direct foreign investment, local job creation, international skills transfer, utilisation of the higher educated skills workforce in agricultural, scientific, technology & renewable energy sectors not to mention providing the country with new tax revenue streams, that many western countries were already hugely benefiting from having already legalised its use.
In 2019 we will commence global exports of medical grade cannabis flower cultivated from the latest state of the art cGMP greenhouse facilities.
Medi Kingdom Lesotho Licence No : 18/08/01/2017
The ‘01’ in our licence no. 18/08/01/2017 denotes Medi Kingdom as the 1st License presented by the Lesotho Ministry of Health given to cultivate, manufacture, supply, hold, import, export and transit a prohibited drug namely Cannabis.
Lesotho Cannabis Regulations
Medi Kingdom complies to the following:-
Drugs of Abuse Act (No.5), 2008
Canadian Cannabis Company Enters Asia-Pacific Market with Australian Acquisition
Globalization of cannabis continues, and we are present in relevant markets, with Asia-Pacific now added to our international footprint.
Wayland Group is expanding into Australia, through entering into an agreement to acquire 50.1% of Tropicann, a newly formed, privately owned Australian company located in Darwin, Northern Territory. With this acquisition Wayland has positioned itself in the burgeoning Asia-Pacific market.
“Globalization of cannabis continues, and we are present in relevant markets, with Asia-Pacific now added to our international footprint. The Northern Territory is the ideal location for our new Asia Pacific hub. The location provides Wayland with ideal climate conditions in a globally respected and sovereign country with a large and fast emerging market of over 250MM people just 4 hours north. This acquisition accelerates Wayland’s growth strategy in becoming a truly global cannabis company,” stated Wayland Chief Executive Officer Ben Ward.
Michael Gunner, the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, declared, “We have a plan to diversify our economy and create jobs. Medicinal cannabis is a growth industry for the Northern Territory, particularly after its legalization by the Australian Government. The Northern Territory Government, Tropicann, and Wayland are in discussions about Major Project Status. Major Project Status ensures priority Ministerial oversight to assist with ongoing project coordination and facilitation across different government agencies to secure timely project delivery.”
“This is a very real and exciting opportunity for the people of the Northern Territory to enter and participate in a new growth sector in the global economy. It also offers the possibility of creating value-added products through processing here in the Northern Territory,” stated Ken Vowles, Minister for Primary Industry and Resources.
Pursuant to the terms of the agreement the Company has agreed to make an initial payment of $4,800,000 Canadian dollars followed by a second payment of $24,000,000 CAD following certain milestones being achieved, including issuance to Tropicann of a license to cultivate cannabis in Australia.
For more information:
Wayland Group
www.waylandgroup.com
CAN (ON): Aquaponic Cannabis Grower Expands With Two New Facilities
To meet the demand of a growing patient-base, Green Relief, a licensed producer of medical cannabis, has officially acquired possession of a new facility in Stoney Creek, Ont., that will significantly boost the company's production capacity.
The 100,000-square-foot facility is located at 565 Seaman St., and is zoned commercial-industrial to accommodate cannabis production. Once the Stoney Creek site is at full capacity, Green Relief, which operates out of a 30,000-square-foot facility in the rural community of Flamborough, Ont., will increase its annual output from 2,800 kg to a total of about 17,800 kg.
"The acquisition of the Stoney Creek facility will allow our team to provide a growing number of medical cannabis patients with the products they need to improve their quality of life," says Warren Bravo, Chief Executive Officer, Green Relief Inc. "As a bonus, the new facility will generate job growth, while also providing ancillary activities to drive the local economy."
The Stoney Creek facility, which formerly housed a sporting complex, will require a $9-million retrofit to become operational in compliance with Health Canada regulations. To get the job done, Bravo says Green Relief is committed to sourcing Hamilton-based engineering firms and contractors.
Bravo anticipates the retrofit to commence in January 2019, with the facility up and running by March 2019, and a first harvest slated for mid-to-late summer.
As well as installing top technology for cannabis production, the Stoney Creek site will receive electrical upgrades, and be equipped with state-of-the-art security and HVAC systems. The latter will ensure cannabis production odours do not impact the surrounding neighbourhood.
In the coming months, Bravo says Green Relief will be hosting an on-site community event to address questions the public may have about the Stoney Creek facility, and introduce the neighbourhood to the company. This event will be coupled with a job fair to attract talent.
Once operational, the Stoney Creek facility will generate about 100 full-time jobs for the local workforce. Through Green Relief's partnership with the Ontario Disability Employment Network, these roles will provide people of all abilities with meaningful work.
"Our growth in a rapidly developing sector means employment opportunities at the Stoney Creek facility will cover a range of roles, from frontline production technicians to environmental scientists, and everything in between," Bravo says.
In addition to the Stoney Creek site, Green Relief's expansion plans include construction of a 240,000-square-foot production facility at the company's Flamborough site. A 25,000-square-foot facility on an adjacent property in Flamborough is also underway, and will be used for research and development.
Similar to Green Relief's facility in Flamborough, which uses LED lights in its grow rooms and is earth-sheltered for efficiency, the Stoney Creek site will adopt the company's sustainable production practices. This includes the use of aquaponics as a growing method.
Once the system's fish reach market size, Green Relief donates the protein source to Second Harvest, a food rescue service that delivers meals to those in need. Over the last three years, Green Relief has donated more than 40,000 fish through this initiative.
"At Green Relief, we do more than provide patients with safe and effective medical products to support their health and well-being," Bravo says. "Creating jobs, being a good neighbour, and giving back to the community is at the heart of everything we do."
For more information:
Green Relief
www.greenrelief.ca
Medi Kingdom Ltd The African Pioneers Poised To Become Leader In Legal Cannabis Production
The RH Lesotho Prime Minister Dr.Thomas Thabane & CEO James Mather formally cut the ribbon opening ceremony at Medi-Central
December 10, 2018-Lesotho. The Kingdom of Lesotho, a landlocked country in Africa, after having achieved its independence from the UK in 1966, is emerging as a leader on the African continent in the legal production, cultivation, and exportation, of medical cannabis throughout the world.
Lesotho Prime Minister Dr. Thom Thabane, accompanied by cabinet members, formally attended the inaugural opening of the Medi Kingdom’s third site & head office ‘Medi-Central’, a 42 hectare site in Lesotho dedicated exclusively to the cGMP production, cGAP cultivation and research of medical cannabis. In addition, much of the 1st production of the cannabis will be exported to Australia now Medi Kingdom is approved by the ODC (Australian) Office of Drug Control.
The PM thanked James Mather and recognised Medi Kingdom as a valuable partner in pioneering and advancing medical cannabis, growth, exploration, and research, in Lesotho.
In an interview with the Medi Kingdom Chief Executive and founder, James Mather, said the company was committed to working and in marketing Lesotho as a world-class cultivator of cannabis for medical purposes. The plant and cultivation facilities are all owned by Medi Kingdom Ltd.
Medi kingdom is a Public Lesotho company with the founder having strong ties in Lesotho, the United Kingdom & Australia including pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry partnerships.
Medi Kingdom began cultivating medical cannabis in the Qacha’s Nek district in 2016 and has worked closely with the government acting as unofficial ambassadors over the past several years to establish Lesotho a leader on the African continent in the cultivation of legal cannabis.
Daily research is beginning to show the benefits of cannabis and its derivatives in areas dealing with depression, epilepsy, cancer, arthritis, seizures, and other health issues that remain untreated, or in which overdosing of potential addictive , health threatening drugs has been the only option.
Mr. Mather continued to explain that by Lesotho focusing on becoming a leader in the cultivation of cannabis in a land locked country such as Lesotho, the economic opportunities for its citizens in the fields of agriculture, and farming will become available in a way that could not have been imagined 5 years ago.
In addition, as the opportunities present themselves, foreign capital will become available in a way that provides security and the ability to tap into the African potential in an environmentally conscious way that will not result in depleting African resources as has often been the case in the past.
“Millions of people are enjoying the medical use of cannabis throughout the world. Our work here is to ensure that Lesotho is recognised as a world-class cultivator of the finest medical cannabis on the planet,” as well as our continued support to OVC’s through ‘Medi Kingdom Foundation’ registered charity no. 57794,
Mr. Mather said...
Not withstanding the foundation work James Mather also announced that as part of Medi Kingdom’s corporate & social responsibility they had committed during 2019 to build a new football ground named ‘Medi Qoaling Stadium’ for the local communities use & management.
Medi Kingdom, and Lesotho are working together to create a new and sustainable economy for Lesotho, its citizens, and future working partners and look to make steps with government to legalising the use of cannabis medicines in 2019.
Mitch McConnell’s Farm Bill Could Blow Up The CBD Market
by Lester Black • Nov 28, 2018
Mom is going to be buying CBD at Walgreens if this bill passes. UPPERCUT IMAGES / GETTY
CBD is already big business in America with hundreds of millions of dollars in sales every year. But the market for pot's second most famous compound might soon skyrocket thanks to a somewhat unlikely ally: Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell.
The powerful Republican from Kentucky included provisions in this year’s Farm Bill that would fully legalize industrial hemp. That bill is now a top priority for Congress to pass before the end of the year, and if it becomes law we might see CBD on the shelves of every drug store in America.
“Once CBD is fully legalized, we expect that market to absolutely explode, with sales hitting $22 billion by 2022, which is higher than the US Cannabis industry,” said Bethany Gomez, the director of research for the cannabis research firm Brightfield Group. “That growth will absolutely be a result of legalization."
CBD, a non-psychoactive and medicinal compound in pot that can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, currently occupies a legal gray area in America. Legal sources of CBD exist, but those sources require significant hurdles and the federal government rarely enforces laws against illegally sourced CBD. That has created a system where there’s a lot of illegally sourced CBD being sold on retail shelves. This gray area has hampered CBD’s growth by stopping big retail players like CVS and Walgreens from selling the drug. Most CBD is sold either online or in small independent health stores.
McConnell’s bill would likely change that. This year’s proposed Farm Bill removes industrial hemp, the most common source of CBD, from the Controlled Substance Act. Industrial hemp is any cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3 percent THC. By making industrial hemp fully legal, McConnell’s bill would make it easier for farmers to grow CBD-rich cannabis and less risky for big retailers like CVS to know that what they are buying is federally legal.
Brandon Beatty, the founder & CEO of the CBD brand Bluebird Botanicals, said the bill would allow large retailers to stock CBD products. Right now CBD products are largely relegated to independent natural health stores.
“Many watching the industry guess that the day the 2018 Farm Bill gets signed will be the day that some of the biggest players in the industry put in their orders to get CBD-rich hemp extracts on their shelves.”
Gomez said getting retail chains involved in CBD would blow the industry up.
"Year-on-year growth even prior to legalization hit 80% in 2018, with the year expected to close at $591 million. This is a strong year-on-year growth, but considering that all of the chained retailers and large Healthcare and Consumer Packaged Goods companies are kept out of the industry, this is tiny,” Gomez said in an e-mail.
Industrial hemp looks just like pot (because it is). It just doesn't have THC. GETTY IMAGES
McConnell’s hemp legalization is an expansion of what Congress did in their last Farm Bill in 2014. In that law, Congress made it legal to grow CBD-rich industrial hemp if a farmer received a research permit from either a state government or a university. Seth Goldberg, a partner and the head of the cannabis practice at the Philadelphia law firm Duane Morris, said 2018’s version would make it so farmers would no longer need those special permits.
“McConnell’s bill would remove industrial hemp from the CSA [Controlled Substance Act], which is a change to industrial hemp research program in the 2014 Farm Bill. Under that program industrial hemp and uses of it were restricted to state-regulated, university-affiliated agricultural research programs,” Goldberg said in an e-mail.
These state research programs have become more common since 2014 with dozens of states adopting them, but they are often expensive and full of cumbersome regulations. The Washington State Department of Agriculture created an Industrial Hemp program but many farmers never got involved thanks to expensive permits and invasive regulations. McConnell’s bill would remove any requirement to comply with those programs.
Beatty from Bluebird Botanicals said the Farm Bill would also expand banking access for CBD companies and allow farmers to buy crop insurance for the CBD-rich hemp crops. Beatty said these extra protections would grow the market even further.
“In just five years, the markets developed rapidly into over a thousand companies and a number of large companies. The further protections of the 2018 Farm Bill will open the floodgates to the many who didn't have the courage to get into the industry earlier but see a market booming,” Beatty said in an e-mail.
Goldberg, who is watching the Farm Bill for a trade group of West Coast pot businesses called the Western Regional Cannabis Business Alliance, said the hemp legalization measures appear to have support from both Republicans and Democrats.
“The bill seems to have bipartisan support and there is no indication that it will not be included in the 2018 Farm Bill when it passes,” Goldberg said via e-mail.
The biggest problem with the Farm Bill might be a controversial Republican proposal to add new work requirements for food stamps. The federal government’s food stamp program forms the bulk of the Farm Bill’s spending.
Goldberg said the bill might not pass before the end of the year, during the so-called "lame-duck" session.
“There appears to be an effort to pass the 2018 Farm Bill during the lame-duck session. In all events, it does not seem like McConnel’s bill is the cause of the delay and it will be included in the bill whether passed in 2018 or early 2019.”
Lester Black
Lester Black is a staff writer for The Stranger, where he writes about Seattle news, cannabis, and beer. He is sometimes sober.
Marijuana Dispensary To Take Space In Meatpacking District
November 20, 2018
California Company MedMen Will Open Second Manhattan Location And Announces CFO Has Quit
Buck Ennis
Marijuana producer and purveyor MedMen is looking to open its second city location, in the Meatpacking District, and has zeroed in on a roughly 4,000-square-foot space at 33 Ninth Ave., sources said.
The brand is in negotiations to take the ground floor, where the asking rent is $500 per square foot.
MedMen opened its first store here last year, on Fifth Avenue near the New York Public Library main branch, and has sought to bring the retail business of selling weed mainstream. In New York, where marijuana is legal medically but not recreationally, the chain, along with other dispensaries, is required to sell only extracts or edibles, not the smokable plant matter that has become legal in California, Colorado and other states.
Medical marijuana is also typically lower in the psychoactive compound THC and higher in CBD, what is considered to be its medicinal component.
A spokesman for MedMen said the company does not comment on pending transactions.
MedMen will be the neighbor of a Dean & DeLuca prepared-food market that is set to open next month on the corner of West 13th Street and Ninth Avenue. Above the space is Soho House, a popular flexible-workspace provider.
According to reports, MedMen recently announced that it would cut a recent fundraising goal from $120 million to $75 million and its chief financial officer had quit. The news sent the company's stock tumbling Monday, and it wasn't immediately clear if the setback could affect its appetite for retail stores.
iGrowGroupE, LLC
It is the goal of the iGrow and the Chromatic Clouds entities to normalize the integration of cannabis and indoor vertical and urban farming into the global economy
iGrowGroupE, LLC
It is the goal of the iGrow and the Chromatic Clouds entities to normalize the integration of cannabis and indoor vertical and urban farming into the global economy by focusing on our customers and providing them with education in business development, compliance with rules and regulations, standardization of policies and procedures, and the widest selection of cannabis/vertical farming goods and services available.
It is our aim to provide our consumers with the most comprehensive selection of products and services at the most competitive prices in an effortless and streamlined online experience.
1. As freelance entrepreneurs rapidly enter this field, they lack fundamental business expertise that is vital to sustain a profitable business. In other words, the art of knowing the “business behind doing business” is lacking.
Chromatic Clouds/iGrow solves this problem by offering a forum where freelance entrepreneurs can have easy access to the “nuts and bolts” of building and sustaining a business; simply put, the “business behind doing business.” For example, Chromatic Clouds/iGrow offers business advice on the embryonic, early development stages of a business, its gradual development, acquiring entrepreneurial and leadership skills, raising capital, and exit strategies.
2. Cannabis regulations differ between states while remaining illegal under federal laws. Failure to stay abreast of the rules and regulations can be detrimental to a cannabis business as it may suffer increased fines, and worse yet, loss of a license.
Chromatic Clouds, through its network of in-house and Preferred Providers, will advise clients on the changing laws, rules, and regulations governing the cannabis industry in every state where cannabis is legal.
3. The market has not yet defined a convenient, affordable, and comprehensive system with which to network with and advertise to existent and potential players in the industry and sell to them using auction software.
The iGrow Market solves this problem and is a one-stop-shop for all things cannabis/vertical farming. Our ecosystem will host an interactive community of freelancers, businesses and consumers in a variety of practice areas that service cannabis/vertical farming clients, including entrepreneurship, legal, compliance, sales and marketing.
The iGrow platform offers goods and services in cannabis/vertical farming industry-related categories such as health and wellness, bath and beauty, CBD products, hemp products, vaping, grow products, aquaponic, hydroponic and aeroponic equipment, container farms, LED lights, and nutrients.
We want to be viewed as the eBay, Shopify and Upwork of the cannabis/indoor farming industries. We will incorporate auction software into our marketplace and allow users to set up their own store, buy, sell and bid on products and services. Our user-friendly site allows businesses and consumers to sell B2B, B2C, and C2C. Producers, wholesalers, retailers, and manufactures will be given the ability to liquidate and reduce inventory in this auction setting. Our hope is to commoditize the cannabis/vertical farming industries.
4. We will also have a section of the platform that instantaneously connects extraction facilities (labs) with manufacturers (buyers) for hemp cbd. We will bring together both Labs and Buyers in a system that standardizes compliance and ensures accurate testing for hemp cbd products. Buyers will be electronically vetted for proof of funds, which will be displayed on a central depository for labs to view.
An escrow system will be put in place. Labs will provide information obtained through their seed to sale system to a central depository giving the Buyer the ability to see the cannabinoid profile, THC levels, and source for individual batches. All information including Certificates of Analysis will be on the site and displayed as soon as the Lab registers as one of our Preferred Providers. In addition to sales, Buyers will be able to bid on CBD in live auctions.
5. We are setting up a cannabis and indoor vertical and urban farming funding entity.
6. Our in-house team will be setting up vertical grow facilities for clients.
7. We are also in the process of entering into strategic partnerships with companies, some of which are publicly traded.
Please visit our site igrow.news
Please look at our demo site, pitch deck and demo marketplace for Chromatic Clouds. We are in the process of redoing all of this.
Please see the iGrow article in the Washington Times
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/10/igrow-news-informing-the-world-on-vertical-and-urb/