Marijuana Business Magazine - Issue 09, Oct 2017

Putting Lights Under the Spotlight At Colorado Harvest Company, a recent experiment involved double- ended Gavita lights. Cullen said the initial test resulted in yields of an extra half a pound per light. A second test produced the same out- come, so Colorado Harvest Company applied the results to its entire opera- tion, resulting in a purchase of more than $200,000. Cachat also recommends that cultiva- tors try out new lights before making a major purchase. “Switching lights is a huge considera- tion for any operation because you don’t know how it’s going to affect yields or product quality,” he said. If you’re drastically changing your types of light – from high-intensity dis- charge (HID) to light-emitting diodes (LEDs), for example – you must funda- mentally approach growing differently. “So, it makes sense to test first,” Cachat said. Changing lights can create different gains – more phenotypes, lower electri- cal bills or larger yields. Cachat would like to see more light experimentation to develop cannabinoid synthesis. “Some people say it’s UVB that increases cannabinoids,” he said, refer- ring to a type of ultraviolet ray. “Some people say it’s UVA. Ultimately we’re not going to know until there’s a series of controlled experiments wherein there’s measured differences there.” To Cachat, that’s the next frontier in marijuana production. “To stay relevant in this rapidly normal- izing and expanding industry, it’s going to take much more than to just be the next Skittlz or the next Tangie,” he said. “It’s can you get the new cannabinoids? Can you get CBG? Can you get THCV?” Cullen’s current experiment is based on a book, “Three A Light,” whose title references a yield of 3 pounds of can- nabis per light.The gold standard has been trying to get to 2 pounds per light, he added. SMART EXPERIMENTS W hile it’s important to take risks in your experimentation room, it’s also crucial to be smart about any undertaking. At Denver-based Colorado Harvest Company, CEO Tim Cullen approaches his experiments from a financial standpoint, carefully selecting the right project. “We would never run an experiment where we leave half the lights off to see how that impacts our electricity costs versus costs of pro- duction,” he said. Even if it was cheaper to do it that way, he knows it wouldn’t help him reach his cultivation goals. Cullen’s main goal when experimenting is to increase quality and production. “It’s maybe not as truly experimental because we’re trying things that we think we know the outcome of already,” Cullen added. “It’s just a question of, ‘Did we see the results we wanted?’” He pointed out that his vertically integrated operation pays close attention to the data from the cultivation side, something he often doesn’t see at other similarly structured companies. Most vertically integrated businesses track retail and sales data but don’t focus as much on the cultivation data, according to Cullen. “I think every commercial production facility should have some way to measure their success by changing a few variables,” Cullen said. “Anyone who’s been to a trade show knows there are new develop- ments all the time, and new ways to do things.” His cultivation operation is also careful when it takes on new strains. “We’re looking for the same thing any farmer is looking for,” Cullen said. “We want fast-growing, high-yielding, disease-resistant, easy- to-work-with plants. And most plants don’t meet all those production characteristics.” He’s trying to maximize what his plants can do. “The goal of plant production has changed,” Cullen added. “I think plant production is at a point now where it’s possible to reach the genetic potential within any individual strain.” — Bart Schaneman Plants at Colorado Harvest Company in Denver. Photo courtesy of Colorado Harvest Company 48 • Marijuana Business Magazine • October 2017