Top 10 priorities for cannabis producers
Once upon a time, those who grew cannabis for the people did so as carefully as possible to avoid detection from prying eyes and law enforcement agencies, but now that we've got a bustling legal industry, the goals of cultivators have shifted significantly, and that's an excellent thing for cannabis consumers.
Many assume that the best cannabis growers have one of the most straightforward jobs in the world. After all, who wouldn't love spending all of their time in a blooming field of pot plants? However, these professionals have a lot more on their minds than you might think. Much of what is there is based on you, the consumer, but it gets even more complicated than that.
Growers striving to cultivate the ultimate marijuana plant crop do so under strict federal guidance and regulation. Still, they are also working on competing in a nearly impossible market to advertise for openly, alongside the competition who is also trying to be the very best that they can be. It's a tough gig, and there's a lot to worry about, but these are the top ten priorities for most modern cultivators.
1. Potency (or lack thereof)
Generally, producers set out to cultivate marijuana plant crops for a specific target market. In some cases, consumers want the most potent weed they can get. If that happens, the producers will focus solely on THC content, which means genetics testing, environmental control, and starting with the best weed strains possible for the job. Others might need CBD or an even balanced instead, and since these are factors that even the most prominent experts have trouble controlling, it's a constant concern and priority.
2. Taste and smell
Every cannabis connoisseur would agree that the taste and smell of a strain has a significant impact on the overall experience, thanks to aromatic benefits that can go so far as to relax you or even alter your mood. Though it's one of the least advertised traits of a marijuana plant, it is incredibly important to consumers, making it a number one priority for cultivators who want to maintain a competitive edge. It's also something that can be changed from the moment a seed sprouts until the end of the curing process, so it's a big job, even for the best of minds, to get this thing right.
3. Purity
No one wants to smoke something that isn't naturally produced by a marijuana plant. Yet, so many consumers do because this is a quality altered by the growers without us ever even knowing it, aside from the harsh hit we get once the final product makes it into our bowl. Chemicals, pollen that may cause a plant to seed, or any other contaminants can be devastating to both cultivators and the consumers who use the products, which is why so many go to great lengths to keep grow environments controlled and sterile.
4. Aesthetics
Most small-time growers are more than happy just to get a few bags of buds from their plants, but when consumers buy cannabis, they very much expect it to look a certain way. It needs to sparkle, shine, and a little bit of extra colour doesn't hurt. Unfortunately, looks aren't always compatible with functionality, and this is a balancing act that cultivators must face every day. To succeed, the best weed strains are selected, high-quality light and nutrients are provided, and care is offered 24-7 to enhance the buds' looks, which makes this a top priority for all legal producers.
5. Effects
Everyone wants the ideal cannabinoid count, combined with the perfect flavours, breathtaking aesthetics, and of course, they need it all to be chemical-free. Still, every consumer is seeking a slightly different experience with cannabis, and it's up to producers to provide that service. If they were to grow all of the same strains, it would likely be cheaper to produce crops, but then they wouldn't be able to satisfy all potential customers' needs. Growers are always adapting to rise to the occasion and provide this using various strains and products.
6. Size
Nobody likes getting a bag of itty bitty buds because it isn't visually appealing and typically indicates that a crop hasn't' been left long enough to fully mature. This makes consumers nervous, as it should, and so cultivators must do everything in their power to avoid it. In many cases, this means using hybrids instead of Sativa and providing the very best care while the plants are in the most fragile flowering stage, alongside trimming techniques that go far beyond the average grower's skill. Big buds come at a high cost, and producers do their best to take care of it.
7. Consistency
Most consumers want to know that once they've found a strain that works, they can simply return to their local dispensary to get more, but for this to happen, producers need to provide a certain level of consistency. This means careful selection and preservation of genetics. It means making as few changes as possible to the growing process, as any small adjustment could make a world of difference in potency. For some consumers, that could be a big problem. Producers are constantly sweating over the process of evolving while also trying to stay the same, and it's a challenging thing to do.
8. Research
The best cannabis growers know that they need an edge to make it anywhere in this crazy green industry, and to do that, they have to get creative because here, you can't advertise as many other markets might allow. This is a huge part of why producers are funding cannabis research. Of course, the fact that a better understanding of the marijuana plant would enable them to cultivate new, more exciting strains with even more precision than they manage right now, and that's exciting.
9. Cost
Producers want to make a fair amount of money off of each crop, and rightly so as they put in all of the hard work. Still, they also want to offer lower prices to dispensaries to enable them to transfer at least some of the savings down the line to customers. When this works, it can increase the popularity of pot products and sales numbers, and that's a great thing for everyone, so no matter what part of the process they're currently working on, end cost is a huge priority.
10. Efficiency
This kind of leads off of the last one as a more efficient grow allows a producer to save money on utilities, but it's not just cost savings that cultivators are looking for. Many want a shorter growing season, ways to speed up the process of growing, and unique ideas that help to minimize the number of humans that need to get involved for the job to get done. This is always changing from seed to harvest, which makes it one of the most essential things for cultivators to focus on.
