The Future Is Now

Author

Duncan Cameron
August 04, 2023

No, not that Future. This one -

Photo credit:Courtesy of Massive Seeds/Roganja

It’s hard to believe we’re on the backside of summer but welcome to the Anthropocene. Change is inevitable, but most places are woefully unprepared for our new normal. And I suspect that most of your facilities are as well.

Change not only exists in the physical world. In November 2022 Chatgpt went live and sent shockwaves through just about everything. Since that launch a multitude of AI spinoffs have caught many people and industries off guard.

It’s time to future proof your business.

If you are starting from scratch you have an opportunity to get it right. If you built an indoor grow 5 years ago your tech is definitely not up to snuff. Here are some must do’s for your operation.

Air - Your old RTU’s aren’t going to do it. These are made for comfort cooling, not process cooling. Spend the money now. If you do the math you’ll end up spending more money after replacing compressors, lost revenue due to failed testing, lower yields, and ultimately, a new unit.

Light - LED’s are cheaper and better now than they were even 3 years ago. There used to be only one or two options to choose from but the space has exploded and as a result, the price has come down significantly. On top of that many states and utilities offer rebates if you switch out your old fixtures for LED’s.

Water - Collect, clean, and reuse. Historically water in this country has been cheap and issues around fertilizer runoff were considered secondary. That is changing. You can wait until the law changes or get ahead of it now. Besides, every time you collect runoff and reuse it you’re saving money.

Regs- Get ready for cGMP. It’s coming and those who are not preparing for it will have to make significant physical and operational changes.

Make your place cleanable.

Train your people to clean.

Write SOP’s about it (AI can help here).

Pound Sand

This week on Pound Sand we’re talking to Luke Batten of Bickel Consulting. Luke’s spent the last couple of years crisscrossing the country helping operators get it together. So I asked Luke, “What is the thing most operators struggle with when starting up?” Here is what he said-

“The things many operators struggle with during startup is keeping things calm and even keeled during the inevitable chaos of starting a new operation. The startup period has so many moving pieces coming together at once that it can be overwhelming when things don’t go exactly according to plan… This can lead to high stress situations where expectations are not met, or egos get in the way of making the best decisions.”

Luke Batten

Dare I say we have something for that?!!?

Thanks Luke, it’s good to remind everyone that staying level headed, even though it sounds easy, is a big part of the key to early success.

Other News

Who carries cash anymore? Dispensary customers do. At least I’ll have a reason to visit Coinstar again.

Still having problems with root aphids. Koppert Biological can help you.

Scientists are trying to develop a new lexicon for cannabis. Good luck doc!

Want to hear more good stuff like this? I’ll be talking about this and more at NECANN Maine Aug 12-13. Hope to see you there!

“Kindness & lies are worth a thousand truths”

Thanks for reading,