May 11, 2022
From Seed to Success in Cannabis Cultivation w/ Ryan Douglas
- BRT S03 EP19 (118) 5-8-2022
Things We Learned This Week
- Cannabis Cultivation: ops setup, farm, greenhouse, or indoor facility, need a Master Grower
- Master Grower: an informal/unofficial certification or status within the legal cannabis industry. It is conferred by several different organizations both in classroom settings and online to prepare individuals to oversee all aspects of a marijuana growing enterprise
- Cannabis Startup: take 3 years ETA, funding of $2 to $10 million+
- Facility Setup: size of 10k to 20K square feet, land selection, use of space, climate control, lighting, tech monitor
- MITA-AZ, the Arizona Marijuana Industry Trade Association, the state’s first and largest industry trade association.
Guest: Ryan Douglas, Douglas Cultivation
https://douglascultivation.com/
https://douglascultivation.com/services
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ryan+douglas+cannabis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandouglascultivation/
THE RYAN DOUGLAS DIFFERENCE
Unprecedented Credentials in the Industry
As Master Grower from 2013 to 2016, I directed cultivation for Tweed Inc., one of Canada’s largest producers of cannabis and the flagship subsidiary of Canopy Growth Corporation. As one of the company’s first employees, I helped drive the organization’s early success by designing the production facility, selecting the genetics, and hiring and training staff to produce 70,000 plants and process 6 tons of dry cannabis annually.
My work at Tweed has been featured in Vice, New York Times, Bloomberg News, and on National Public Radio.
Deep Roots in Horticulture - Before entering the cannabis industry, I spent 15 years as a commercial greenhouse grower of ornamental and edible crops. As Head Grower for a commercial greenhouse near Boston, I developed and executed a production plan for raising 600,000 plants annually.
These experiences, along with consulting projects across the globe, have provided me with a rich toolkit of best practices for helping clients launch and expand their commercial grow operations.
Book: From Seed to Success – How to launch a Great Cannabis Cultivation Business in Record Time
https://douglascultivation.com/seed-to-success
Launching a cannabis cultivation
facility is no different than starting any other commercially
produced agricultural crop, but the excitement and potential for
big profits can lead to lapses in judgment that prove devastating
for many start-ups.
An entrepreneur does not need to be
an expert grower to launch a thriving cultivation business, and
most problems can be avoided through the application of basic
business principles and good management practices.
By utilizing the advice, checklists, and templates found within this book, cannabis entrepreneurs can skip the typical start-up mistakes and enjoy the shortest path from seed to success.
Notes:
Ryan Douglas – Cannabis Consultant
Ryan background - Master Grower with Tweed, Inc, Articles, interviews, speaking
A Master Grower is essentially an informal/unofficial certification or status within the legal cannabis industry. It is conferred by several different organizations both in classroom settings and online to prepare individuals to oversee all aspects of a marijuana growing enterprise.
Horticulture background pre-Cannabis, growing crops
Cultivation consultant – 4 years North America
Book – From Seed to Success – potential yield forecast pg 45. 20 K pounds/year
Land selection - Ch. 4 – location, discretion, security, distance.
Cannabis Industry – uses of Hemp
Starting a Cannabis business – mentality, 3 year time line
Startup Funding - $2 million seed. Money is recaptured. VC and expansion – where to get money - Benzinga Investor conference in FL to find funding
- Existing business – advisor to optimize business
- New companies – strategy, plan, setup.
Ryan consults on smaller projects – 6 months to 1 yr +
ETA – probably more like $10 – 20 million startup $, and retail, to create special extraction
Ryan works with start-ups at beginning. Plan fundraise, and strategy
Growing techniques – define a master grower – 5 harvests per year
Product quality and regulations – best way to grow. 100K square foot facility. Build and use of space, greenhouse or farm.
CBD – pass, grow hemp and high THC flower. Tech used – Genetics. Cultivation Team, Grower. Grow Pods. Cap ex – pg 35
Operations challenges – Business plan and licensing. Business risks pg 12. Single or double grows
Facility setup = greenhouses, vertical farming, hydroponics, lighting – grow lights, temp, humidity. Hybrid – conditions like AZ (warm)
Canopy Growth Canada
Cannabis Conference – MJ Business Con in NV (fall)
Facility example - 100K sq ft. is large, average 10K sq ft.
5K half to plant products, other half, walkways, offices.
$400 sq ft to construct and equipment
ETA – 18 months for construct and retrofit harvest.
Research with legal and realtors for land zoning and location to city
States w/ Low taxes, but good commute (45 minutes) to facility, near a city
Climate – warm, CA, AZ, dry. Indoor facility control 100% - 68 degrees and 50% humidity.
Tech sensors and thermostats – CO2 sensor
HVAC units to cool room, de-humidification, water system – CO2 supplementation
Large facility – 2 work shifts, 8 hours each none at night
Indoor has more control, but takes more energy. Cannabis grows more indoors
Greenhouse – combo of indoor / outdoor techniques for growing
Harvest – growing 2-3 months, 3-4 times a year or 5-6 harvests are possible / year
Sweet spot – client has license, funding and facility
Connected at 3/30/2022 MITA AZ event - Hosted by Demitri Downing
Clip from: BRT S03 EP13 (112) 3-27-2022 –
Cannabis Supply Chain & License Structure in AZ w/ Demitri Downing of Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA AZ)
Full Show Link: HERE
Guests: Demitri Downing w/ MITA AZ
https://www.linkedin.com/in/demitri-downing-5250531/
Demitri Downing is a former prosecutor and industry registered lobbyist who is part of the original vanguard of Arizona medical marijuana industry leaders. Dedicated to building a vibrant and successful market, Downing has distinguished himself as a vested industry expert and influential trailblazer. With a strong understanding of both policy and operations on a local and international level, Downing was instrumental in drafting Prop 205, Arizona’s 2016 legalization bill and currently serves as an advisor to the 2020 Arizona recreational initiative committee.
In May of 2016, seeing the need for strong State level industry associations, Downing founded MITA-AZ, the Arizona Marijuana Industry Trade Association, the state’s first and largest industry trade association.
BRT Flashback Clip
BRT S02 EP 36 (83) 9-5-21
BRT Still Growing – Best of Cannabis 2021
Clips from BRT shows talking about the Cannabis Industry in 2021
BRT Revisits some Cannabis topics and shows from 2021, including farming, tower gardens, investing, Harvest Health, Copperstate Farms, AZ legalization, M&A, dispensaries, and more…
Full Show: Here
More on the topic of Cannabis Farming –
BRT S02 EP03 01-17-21 (50) Tower Farming and Cannabis Business
Guests: Troy Albright, Rph of True Garden (f 2013) & Rx Formulations
True Garden Tower Framing & greenhouses has a location in Mesa, AZ. They have local grown food distributed to local restaurants and markets. Troy's background is as a chemist and pharmacist who worked in alternative medicine previously.
Full Show: Here
BRT S02 EP15 (62) 04-11-2021 Cannabis Farming to the Flower Shop
Guest: Ryan Hurley of Copperstate Farms
https://www.copperstatefarms.com/
https://thecannabisindustry.org/board-members/ryan-hurley/
Ryan Hurley is General Counsel at Copperstate Farms, the largest medical cannabis grower in the Southwest. Prior to joining Copperstate, Ryan was a partner at Rose Law Group, Rich, Hurley in Scottsdale, AZ where he led the firm’s Marijuana Practice Group. He has a background in land use and zoning law, environmental and water issues, renewable energy and a wide variety of regulatory compliance and administrative law issues. National Cannabis Industry Assoc., like the Chamber, in Colorado, and Ryan is on the board & a founding member in AZ.
Copperstate Farms is one of the largest greenhouse cannabis producers in North America, with over 1.7 million square feet of canopy and 40 acres under glass. We bring best practices from big agriculture, consumer packaged goods, and pharmaceutical industries to cannabis. We are building a culture where our employees view Copperstate Farms as one of the best places to work.
Full Show: Here
Cannabis Topic:
https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Cannabis-Hemp-Marijuana
Best of Cannabis: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=best+of+cannabis
‘Best Of’ Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Best+of+BRT
Investing Topic: https://brt-show.libsyn.com/category/Investing-Stocks-Bonds-Retirement
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