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6 Common Cannabis Packaging Roadblocks – and How to Avoid Them Content Contributor: Green Rush Packaging The cannabis packaging industry, as a whole, is facing unprecedented packaging demands. Rarely before has a product had so many uses or come in so many packaging formats. This creates several roadblocks when it comes to developing child-resistant packaging, catering…

The 2019 Cannacon Seattle is coming soon! Cannacon and True Terpenes are partnering to share a recent study on altering terpene profiles in chocolates using new techniques. A group of researchers were reviewing and developing new techniques to process chocolate. They explain that chocolate production is a complicated process that is primarily done on industrial…

How Can A Cannabis Track and Trace System Impact the Cannabis Industry?   The relative novelty of the medical and recreational cannabis sectors has enabled regulators and companies within these spaces to harness new and effective product oversight and distribution strategies. States that have already legalized recreational sales have become great incubators for fresh thinking…

Without a doubt, branding is one of the most valuable parts of any business; cannabis or otherwise. Your brand represents not only how you see your company, but how others do as well. Your customers, your competition, and everyone in between knows and understands your company through the lens of your brand.   You may…

Seattle City Guide: Stuff Around Town On a sunny day, the view West from the zenith of Melrose Avenue on Capitol Hill is majestic: sunlight reflections glitter in windows of high-rises, the Space Needle complements the skyline of buildings and cranes dotting downtown to Denny Triangle, and the dome of the sky opens to meet…

  Whether you’re seeking late-night indulgent gut bombs, a sampling of fine Pacific Northwest seafood, Spanish tapas, Hawaiian poke, Japanese umami, or Mexican cuisine inspired from numerous regions, Seattle is a rich culinary destination with resplendent choices for every palate. Here is our guide for pubs, grub, and the best coffee (and donuts) around town.…

In the seven years following Washington’s I-502 marijuana ballot, world-renowned strains have emerged on the legal market—just as dispensaries have flourished throughout Seattle and greater Washington. Washington’s cannabis industry now includes some of the most innovative brands, strains, companies, and products in the United States. CannaCon was founded to connect the thriving Washington industry with…

By: Christina Matthews History of Cannabis The history of the use of marijuana for medical purposes is much more ancient than the legislation of those countries where it is prohibited.  Healers of India and the Middle East in the 18th century BC used cannabis as an anesthetic, anticonvulsant, and antiemetic. Since January 2018, the use…

By: Kathy T Cooley Think All Cannabis Consumers Are Alike? You couldn’t be more wrong… Each cannabis consumer has a different purpose for using cannabis. If some use cannabis for recreational purposes, some others use it for medicinal purposes and many others are first-timers. Whether the customers come back to the dispensary to purchase cannabis…

Content Contributor: Green Rush Packaging Viva la Vape! The vaping revolution is in full swing, and shows no signs of slowing. More and more people are jumping onto the vaping bandwagon every day. But, all these new recruits are not always aware of the different options available to them. As the demand for vaping has…

A Cannabis State of Mind The well-being of the mind is as important in today’s world as physical fitness. There was a time when mental health was quite ignored and not given much emphasis. However, there has been a change in the scenario for the better. With more and more research in this area, scientists…

Cannabis Business Banking Restrictions The demand for secure banking services for cannabis businesses has risen drastically since recreational use became legal in Washington State in 2012. FDIC insured banks are obligated to obey federal laws making it impossible for these canna-businesses to obtain basic checking accounts from more traditional financial institutions. When canna-businesses tried opening…

#FarmsNotPharms vol. 1 By Brent ‘BURNTmd’ Kaufman of GuerillaHealer CBD Oil… Not Just for People Anymore You may be wondering how anyone in their right mind can give cannabis to an animal? Well, in this special CannaCon edition of #FarmsNotPharms, we swan dive with a twist into the rabbit hole known as the wonderful world…

By: Kayla Rau   You’ve been pricing different potting soils, trying to decide which one to invest in; how do you choose?   Our first piece of advice is not to buy high-priced soils that “contain mycorrhizae.” Beneficial fungi are great, but they can’t live in a bag of soil for long. They need a root…

Soil is much more than “dirt.” Soil can be seen as a living entity. It contains a diverse, living, ecosystem composed of organic (living) and inorganic (non-living) matter. The importance of soil biology is often overlooked, but it is extremely important to ensure your soil has all the components it requires so it can help…

By : Gary Cohen CEO, Cova   Have you ever wondered how governments quickly pinpoint the exact batch of spinach causing the recent E. Coli outbreak? It’s all thanks to strict food safety and traceability requirements enforced by the Food & Drug Administration and other government entities.   Traceability is a necessary piece of many industries, cannabis…

The weather is beginning to cool off and the first day of Fall is this weekend. That means the leaves will be turning and apples season is here. In honor of the occasion True Terpenes is presenting a look at the terpene profile of the apple. To begin with apples, just as many plants like…

Every marijuana grower wants to know how they can get the best yield possible. After all, we grow not only for the love of growing but also for that sweet bud at the end of the grow season. It’s also in many people’s best interests to be able to weigh the cost and return of…

Within the world of cultivation, there seems to be debate over the topic of plant flushing. Opponents of the technique believe that flushing plants prior to harvest will rob them of vital nutrients — an obviously bad idea. On the other side of the divide, advocates proclaim that flushing frees the plants of excess nutrients…

We have come a long way as an industry. Our founder and CEO Bob Smart started out as a grower. Here is a very comprehensive blog he posted way back in 2004 detailing the progression of his grow under the alias Agent 86. http://www.hempcultivation.com/index.php?topic=13011.0 “It’s kind of interesting that online journals and guys like me…

By: Josefine Nowitz, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Cannabis Creative Group As legal marijuana steps ever closer into the national limelight, cannabis entrepreneurs will do well to harness the marketing power of Google My Business, a free and user-friendly tool that helps businesses and organizations manage their internet presence across all of Google’s offerings, including Maps…

Content Contributor: Green Rush Packaging   In the world of retail, marketing is king – to make your product stand out above the rest and to stay competitive. However, as is the case with cannabis, without TV commercials and printed advertisements, you are left with your packaging as your primary marketing medium. Market research has…

By Meagan Holt   Anyone involved in the cannabis community has been asked this question. This question has turned friends against each other, ripped businesses apart, destroyed reputations, and divided a community. In states like Washington where there once was a booming medical marketplace, with farmers markets, ample patient co-ops and the beginnings of a…

We’ll give you a hint, it rhymes with calls. Cannabis branding, you know it’s a “real” thing when Adweek starts writing about it. Snarky sarcasm aside, there is something to be said when one of the most influential publishing platforms in advertising starts posting articles on best practices to brand your bud. And while this…

By Em-mo Designs Branding is what sets a business apart from all others – it’s the spark that attracts customers and keeps them coming back for more. Branding is key for any business, especially in a competitive industry like cannabis. Your brand needs to connect with customers on an emotional level and speak to their…

By: Raymond Davis  Michigan Beverage Company Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is in the air we breathe, typically around 300-400 ppm (0.03-0.04%). In a enclosed grow room cannabis plants can use all of this within just a few short hours. Without CO2, photosynthesis slows to a snail-like pace, photosynthesis is the process that plants use to synthesize foods from…

Here’s how you can stimulate expansive root growth in your cannabis plants — which means bigger crops — by utilizing the power of beneficial microbes. As cannabis growers, it’s easy to get so focused on our crop’s vegetation and flower growth that we lose sight of what we can’t see: Our plants’ roots. But the…

At Paris Marketing, we think cannabis is pretty dope (insert picture of a pot leaf with a smiley face and sunglasses, here.), but more specifically, we think successfully marketed canna-businesses are. So, let’s talk about how you can market your cannabis business on social media. Sponsored Social Media Updates are a No-No: For other industries,…

By James E. Kostrava As more people express concerns about GMO foods, many are turning to organic fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants.  The organic food market continues to rise in popularity among Americans of all backgrounds. As such, many farmers are transitioning to organic farming.  While many American farms are still controlled by corporations or…

  By Jim Marty, CPA/ABV MS Early last Wednesday morning, my phone lit up with calls from Oklahoma attorneys, accountants, and other interested parties who wanted to speak me about the results of Tuesday’s Oklahoma primary elections.  A very liberal medical marijuana bill had passed in the state primary election.  Not only was this the…

By: Mary Rosebrook The debate over machine trimming your weed versus hand trimming has been around since machine trimmers came on the market. Hand trimmers have long argued that machines will destroy the trichomes and terpenes. With some of the machines on the market, that’s true. However, if you carefully select your trim machine, you can…

Contributor: Green Rush Packaging So, you have opened a new dispensary, and you wish to provide the best quality cannabis available, or you like to stockpile and buy some variety. The problem that you face now is that you don’t necessarily know best practices regarding packaging. Keeping all your packaging branded correctly is one thing,…

Emily Lorcheim ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc. Cannabis crops are susceptible to a variety of potential issues in regards to molds and fungus.  Powdery mildew is spread by airborne transmission, making the need for a continuous disinfection of the air systems necessary in order to prevent potential contamination.  Mold and bacteria are microorganisms that attack and destroy…

By: Juan Peralta  Nuggie Fresh Company Most people are aware of the harmful emissions and fumes we are exposed to as soon as we step out the door to live our day-to-day life. Frankly, while we may want to pause and take a deep breath – the air we breathe leaves a lot to be desired.…

The soil-food-web refers to a series of conversions of energy as organisms live and consume one another within the underground soil environment. When organisms decompose complex materials, or consume other organisms, the nutrients are converted and are made available to plants and other soil organisms. In a single teaspoon of soil, there are billions of microscopic living organisms that act as the builders and recyclers of this living…

By: B2B Wholesaler Magazine The medical cannabis advocacy organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA), recently released its annual report entitled “Medical Marijuana Access in the United States: A Patient-Focused Analysis of the Patchwork of State Laws.” Its conclusions are worth noting. The report examines the status of states that have passed medical marijuana laws, and…

By: Phil Gibson, VP of Marketing at AEssenseGrows Lighting is a critical piece of cannabis industry, and LED lighting is revolutionizing bloom room lighting. Based on AEssenseGrows research, the US bloom light market opportunity (new installation + replacement) looks like this: • $41M in 2017 • $76M in 2018 • $112M in 2023 As expenditures…

By: Meagan Holt   The Gathering of “The Tribe”; On a sunny Seattle Saturday, in the middle of Westlake Park, a group of fifty or so people greeting each other with hugs and I miss you, the smell of essential oils and marijuana in the air. Business men and women, mothers, fathers, farmers, producers, bud…

By: Scott Hacker When making decisions on large capital expenditures the term ‘Total Cost of Ownership’ is almost certain to be a topic of discussion.  It is a great that Total Cost of Ownership, (TCO) is front and center in modern decision making.  It clearly indicates business owners are looking at long term success.  However,…

By:Rob Fess Co-founder Apex Trading One big area of opportunity for cannabis producers is the standardization of their inventory, order and client management. Often times you’ll see cultivators and extractors sending their inventory or receiving orders from buyers in various formats such as PDFs, Excel and Google docs, emails, texts, even jotted down on paper.…

By: Brandy Keen Co Founder, Sr. Technical Advisor Surna Inc. According to urbandictionary.com, if you flip something you make a profit out if it. The same could be said in our industry for the term flip. There are a several good reasons to operate your grow on a “flip.” This basically means to never run…

When we think about the “victims’ of the war on drugs I’m sure what comes to mind for most people is drug cartels hastily smuggling hundreds of pounds of drugs, through a rusty hole on a battered fence line, with nothing but a shiv, a semi-automatic weapon, , and the look out. Or maybe a…

Boston City Guide Walking Boston’s cobblestone-lined streets of historic colonial-era Beacon Hill with its 17th and 18th century Federal rowhouses is an inspiring trip through the history of the American Revolution. Brick buildings, narrow sidewalks, and gas-lit lamps provide a serene backdrop for reminiscing on the intentions of our Founding Fathers in this time of…

By Meagan Holt This isn’t the letter you’re probably expecting to read, but lets be honest, I don’t think anyone expects to become a soldier in the war on drugs. No one plans or prepares to have to wake up everyday, lace up theoretical combat boots, and fight. It is doubtful, five and six year olds are playing…

  The Motor City of Detroit was birthed in the gritty automobile industry. The metropolis weathered a trajectory of boom and bust cycles, from the original Ford Motor Company regime, to the Great Depression, to the burst of the Internet bubble. The city is now poised to reclaim its status as a leading economic hub…

Close federal and media attention, alongside evolving state regulations, have made child-resistant packaging the focus of every forward-thinking cannabis producer.  Cannabis brands understand that their product is being held up to a higher level of scrutiny.  In order to legitimize and normalize their brand it is important that they be associated with legal and safe…

A good packaging strategy is essential to any marijuana brand.  It can help distinguish your brand, and make or break your success. The cannabis industry faces a tricky balancing act in regards to marketing, as legalization and mass consumption loom in many states.  Large grow ops and industry insiders argue that branding is necessary to…

By: Armondo Suarez Educator, Grodan Like all living being, plants go through life cycle where their growth is determined by their age and how they have been growing to that point. Plants have hormonal systems that regulate their growth to respond to external conditions such as drought, wind and even wild animal nibbling on their…

by: Mike Parisi Marketing Director, Hydrologic Systems Cannabis is a sturdy, resilient plant that, at the risk of sounding cliché, “grows like a weed.” There are many places in the world where wild cannabis thrives without any help from humans and cultivators have known for a long time that decent product can be grown from…

by: Zuber Lawler & Del Duca LLC   The time to start preparing to obtain plant patent protection is now; plant patent applications must be filed within one year after the first time the strain is offered for sale or sold in the market. It is important to document and collect relevant information throughout a…

by: Helena Miles Content Manager, Greencamp What we usually consume from cannabis is the flower. And just like any other flower, cannabis flower has its own recognizable smell. There are about 120 known terpenes found in cannabis. They coexist in the herb with cannabinoids like THC and CBD (sometimes even working with them for our…

  “Original post from blog.mobiustrimmer.com” Have you been hearing about GMP, but you’re not sure what it is? Or perhaps you know what GMP is, but aren’t sure if it’s something you need to follow. No problem! Here’s a quick primer to get you started.   What is GMP? GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practices. In…

by: Helena Miles Content Manager, Greencamp As mentioned in our earlier Terpene series, there are more than 100 terpenes in just one cannabis flower. Here are some of the most well known terpenes right now, most of which you’ll find in legal cannabis products in your area. Myrcene Myrcene is the most abundant terpene in…

by: Michael “the Aging Ent” Schroeder owner, Green Owl Media In Washington’s legal cannabis system, every plant must be tracked from seed to sale. With thousands of businesses involved in the cannabis industry in Washington, this becomes a monumental systemic task. For the first 3 years of legalization in Washington, the services were provided by…

By: Corey Kleinsasser, Marketing Communications Specialist and Mary Bumatai, VP of Vape Business Development Common mistakes while starting your vape business simply start from the beginning, your first vape cartridge purchase. It is extremely important to choose the right cart that fits your oil, as it demonstrates reliability and consistency of your product. These are the…

by: Michael “the Aging Ent” Schroeder owner, Green Owl Media One of the most controversial components of the implementation of recreational, adult-use cannabis in Washington and other states is mandatory quality assurance testing. Inconsistencies in methodologies of implementation, value of required reported information, and even inherent conflicts in the marketplace have all added to the…

By: Miguel “Miggy420” Miggy Legalization is a semantic due to the fact people will do it anyways but its an important one because nobody wants to go to jail. Whether its medical or recreational, there needs to be a process that people are abiding by to be good neighbours. The difference between buying cannabis as…

By: Mariah Martinez Director of Marketing, Heavenly Brands Cannabis Marketing It’s an exciting new world we live in with cannabis prohibition slowly ending at the state level. However, the battle continues federally, creating obstacles to cannabusinesses who are trying to market themselves online. According to Marijuana Business Daily , Social Media is the most effective…

by: Michael “the Aging Ent” Schroeder owner, Green Owl Media First introduced in the US House of Representatives in 2001, the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment is legislation intended to prohibit the US Justice Department from spending any funds on actions designed to interfere with implementation of state level medical cannabis laws. It was not until May 2014…

by: Celia Daly Surna, Inc. Choosing the right climate control system for an indoor cultivation facility is a big decision as it is usually the single largest capital expenditure a cultivator will make besides real estate (and sometimes not even that). More importantly, the success of a cultivation operation depends greatly on cultivators’ ability to…

by: Tevan Riedel President, Americover, Inc. Light dep techniques are gaining in popularity, especially among new cannabis growers looking to maximize yield and get the most out of their allotted plants. With new cannabis markets opening up and marijuana law reform paving the way for personal home cultivation, there’s never been a better time to…

Advanced Nutrients was founded in 1999 by BigMike Straumietis when he saw an opportunity to create plant foods designed specifically for cannabis. Today, nearly 20 years later, the company brings in more than $105 million a year in sales in 97 countries, and employs 25 Ph.D.’s who design and test cutting-edge cannabis-growing technologies under BigMike’s…

by: Michael “the Aging Ent” Schroeder owner, Green Owl Media Washington state lead the way in medical marijuana laws, with original legalization for medical use in 1998. In 2012, Washington became the first US state to legalize recreational use of cannabis for all adults 21 and over. The history of cannabis in Washington, however, is…

by: Michael ‘the Aging Ent’ Schroeder owner, Green Owl Media On January 4, 2018, Attorney General of the United States Jeff Sessions rescinded the 2013 Cole Memo, which provided protections from federal prosecution for states in which cannabis is legalized. Under the Cole Memo, federal prosecutors were disallowed from using any resources to enforce federal…

Cannabis as an International Commodity by: Michael “the Aging Ent” Schroeder owner, Green Owl Media Cannabis legalization is a global movement.  Currently, 29 nations have some form of medical cannabis laws in place. An equal number of American States have legalized cannabis to some degree. What may be most interesting is that nearly 10 nations…

What does the California child-resistant bag legislation mean for the cannabis industry? by Azia Weisz Marketing Director, Green Rush Packaging When it comes to the new California legislation regarding cannabis sales, much dust has arisen around the subject. Confusion and misunderstandings have started to rule the cannabis industry, seemingly without anyone to clarify the problematic…

Inventory Management for Cannabis Business by Michael “the Aging Ent” Schroeder owner, Green Owl Media Retail inventory management systems have existed for a long time. They facilitate the complex interchange of supply and demand for an increasingly consumptive society. For traditional markets, there exist several industry-standard companies with shared or similar processes and procedures, proven…

The Amazing Endocannabinoid System by Mary Zennett Global Health LLC The Endocannabinoid system (ECS) was discovered by Dr Raphael Mechoulam, considered to be the father of cannabis based medicines. What’s most amazing is that the ECS is now considered to be the largest network of receptors in the human body. The discovery of the Endocannabinoid…

280E – the Complexity of Cannabis Taxation By: Michael “the Aging Ent” Schroeder owner Green Owl Media Federal tax law as it regards the cannabis industry typically hinges on one relatively simple, extremely simplistic Internal Revenue Code (IRC) – 280E. This law effectively removes from cannabis businesses the standard tax deductions and credits that are…

This article originally appeared on Wicked Local Town-by-town, city-by-city residents of Massachusetts are deciding if they want to be able to drive to the corner store to buy marijuana. State officials delayed the implementation of the law legalizing the recreational marijuana industry until July 2018, but residents in many towns and cities are voting this spring…

If there are any lingering doubts about the emergence of cannabis into the mainstream, it’s time to put them to rest, forever. CannaCon—the nation’s preeminent cannabis industry convention—is gearing up for its biggest, brightest and best event to date, settling in Boston’s historic Back Bay district for three days beginning July 13, 2017. No doubt,…

This article originally appeared on MJ Headline News Since Washington state legalized recreational marijuana in 2014, recreational cannabis sales have totaled over $1 billion, translating to more than $250 million collected in new taxes. Such substantial sales, however, have also brought problems for licensees in the form of cash. Because of marijuana’s federal status as a Schedule I…

This article originally appeared on Weed News The most common question asked about a cannabis industry event is “Is it worth it?”, and I have to reply with a resounding “Yes!” for so many reasons, and some aren’t what you would think. Cannabis is society’s great equalizer; the seed doesn’t care if you’re a man,…

This article originally appeared on Leafly The way Bob Smart dreamed up a cannabis convention is anything but conventional. “I was watching a TV show called Toy Hunter, and the main guy took some of the toys he had found to a Comic-Con, and for some reason, the word CannaCon floated into my head,” says…