Marijuana Business Magazine November December 2018

Advertise Your Experience While rebuilding a business is an option, it can be difficult and costly to safeguard your property against a natural disaster, according to Taylor Blake, who lives in the Mendocino County town of Willits, California. As the executive producer of the Emerald Cup, a cannabis cultivation competi- tion in Northern California, Blake has heard firsthand from many growers who have had to start over. “It’s very difficult to put in the type of measures you would need to avoid having any damage to your farm,” she added. For starters, Blake suggests that any cannabis entrepreneur who operates a cash-based business should keep any money in a fireproof safe. And if you’re in need of outside money to rebuild, a good course of action is to advertise your expertise in growing cannabis.There is plenty of outside interest – particularly in Cali- fornia’s burgeoning marijuana market – so leveraging your experience for a partnership shouldn’t be impossible. “If you were an experienced mem- ber of the cannabis community, you do have a good leg to stand on,” Blake said. “You can convince someone to invest in helping you rebuild.” ◆ New plants are growing outdoors at SPARC in Sonoma County, California. This time, the owners hope to protect the cannabis and their investment by installing fire breaks around the property and securing insurance that will cover replacement costs. Photo courtesy of SPARC The new greenhouses that Encanto Giving Tree is building in Puerto Rico are lower to the ground and made from galvanized steel, which should help withstand high winds in the event of another hurricane. Photo courtesy of Encanto Giving Tree 90 • Marijuana Business Magazine • November/December 2018